Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

[Kevin S.]

Hello,

Reading my 1968-1969 6th Edition NCRS TIM&JG, P. 242 it says, "on manual transmission 327 and 350-equipped Corvettes, the aluminum bellhousing has some orange paint overspray".

I have verified that I have an OEM bellhousing with PN 3899621. I think the rubber boot around the clutch fork is OEM? I believe the clutch fork is also OEM.

My question - as you can see in the photos that I have attached below, there is way more Chevy orange paint completely covering the bellhousing including the surface where the transmission bolts up. Not exactly what I would call "overspray'. Mine looks like it was completely painted top to bottom

Does anyone have a photo or two of a correct 350 manual transmission bellhousing for a 1969 350/350 L-46 M-21 4-speed that I could use to correctly restore my bellhousing? I was going to just repaint it orange top to bottom until I read the "overspray" description. Now I'm thinking natural aluminum finish, strip all the orange off, with just a hint of orange overspray near the engine block.

Thank you in advance.

Kevin

[Patrick H.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

This is where you get into the "art" of restoration.
Remember that the bellhousing was attached to the engine block at the time of painting, so the attaching bolts were also then painted at the same time.

If it were me, I would have it vapor blasted to clean it up. Once the whole engine is ready (water pump attached and appropriate accessories in place) and the bellhousing attached, paint them together as a unit just like they did in Flint back in 1969. Usually the paint went about 40% back on the bellhousing, but just pretend you're a union employee with a large paint gun (like a body shop) and you have to paint this one before the next one comes down the line.

They weren't neat, and they weren't all the same. It's one of those chances you have to make your own interpretation.

[Kevin S.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Hi Patrick,

Makes perfect sense. I'll get it vapor blasted and attached to the engine block like you said and then paint them all together, including the bolt heads.

Thank you once again for your help.

Kevin

[Terry M.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

If you ever have the car judged have those pictures with you. The judges will find them interesting. This is a good example of human operations. Every Corvette is not the same, and our standard is TYPICAL FACTORY PRODUCTION. Your engine paint is not typical, but I would encourage you to restore it to "as you found it" detail in order to preserve it's history.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

If you ever have the car judged have those pictures with you. The judges will find them interesting. This is a good example of human operations. Every Corvette is not the same, and our standard is TYPICAL FACTORY PRODUCTION. Your engine paint is not typical, but I would encourage you to restore it to "as you found it" detail in order to preserve its history.

Terry,

based on the paint layers I see, I think that the bellhousing has more than one layer of paint on it, and the excessive amount we see was done post-Flint.

[Joseph W.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Here is my friend’s 1970 LT1 he’s restoring and how he painted his bell housing. Might help with a visual.IMG_4377.jpg

[Kevin S.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Hi Terry,
The bellhousing is original but I think others have painted it along the ownership path. What was odd to me is where the transmission bolts up is also painted making me think someone painted the bellhousing with the tranmission out of the car? I know that the clutch in this car was replaced in 2010 because we had that done at a Chevy dealership.

I am intending to flight judge the car. Right now I am shooting for the early April Carolinas Chapter NCRS event to get this car judged for the first time so I am trying to get as much correct as I can.

Kevin

[Kevin S.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Hi Joseph,
That is very helpful. It is roughly what I had in my head from the desciption that Patrick gave to me but the photo helps since I am a visual learner.

Kevin

[John S.]

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[Kevin S.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Hi John,
Really nice to see some examples of an original 1973 bellhousing. This certainly fits the description, "on manual transmission 327 and 350-equipped Corvettes, the aluminum bellhousing has some orange paint overspray". Perfect examples of orange paint overspray. Very much in keeping with what Patrick described.

I will double back and include an "after" photo of my bellhouse once I am done restoring it.

Thank you for the help.

Kevin

[Terry M.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Terry,

based on the paint layers I see, I think that the bellhousing has more than one layer of paint on it, and the excessive amount we see was done post-Flint.

Patrick
Perhaps your electronic equipment is superior to mine. It could easily be. My last eye test was 20/25, so that should not be much of an issue, but maybe it is. In any way, I just don't see that, but I will admit the paint covering the transmission mounting surface is a puzzle from Flint. I wouldn't expect that due to potential alignment issues. I surely wouldn't cover that surface with paint even if I were to cover most/all of the bell housing with paint.

[Kevin S.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Hello,

Reading my 1968-1969 6th Edition NCRS TIM&JG, P. 242 it says, "on manual transmission 327 and 350-equipped Corvettes, the aluminum bellhousing has some orange paint overspray".

I have verified that I have an OEM bellhousing with PN 3899621. I think the rubber boot around the clutch fork is OEM? I believe the clutch fork is also OEM.

My question - as you can see in the photos that I have attached below, there is way more Chevy orange paint completely covering the bellhousing including the surface where the transmission bolts up. Not exactly what I would call "overspray'. Mine looks like it was completely painted top to bottom

Does anyone have a photo or two of a correct 350 manual transmission bellhousing for a 1969 350/350 L-46 M-21 4-speed that I could use to correctly restore my bellhousing? I was going to just repaint it orange top to bottom until I read the "overspray" description. Now I'm thinking natural aluminum finish, strip all the orange off, with just a hint of orange overspray near the engine block.

Thank you in advance.

Kevin

Update 09-12-2024
I used paint stripper to remove all of the old orange paint from the bellhousing. Nasty stuff, really strong fumes so I did it outdoors and also used my full respirator mask. As expected, some areas came right off and other areas I used a red scrub pad and laquer thinner. I did have to go over some areas a second time with the paint stripper. I noticed what also seems to be light gray primer under the orange paint.

Turned out very nice and clean after several hours of red scub bad and laquer thinner hand scrubbing. Not sure if I will still vapor blast the exterior as Patrick suggested. Probably will since I suffer from profectionist issues and like things to be a good as possible. I left the orange overspray inside the bellhousing cover where the starter is located. I don't know if that was original or left there from someone painting the bellhousing but left it intact anyway.

If you ever use that aircraft paint stripper, make sure you were a full respirator and do it outdoors. Fumes are really bad.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

You can't buy the "good stuff" aircraft paint stripper any more due to the fumes.

[Joseph W.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

Looks great Kevin!

[Duke W.]

Re: Need some help with E'69 bellhousing paint

I'll wager that this 55 year old engine was rebuilt at least once in the past and in the process the bellhousing was completely painted.

Now it's possible, but not highly probable, that some rookie Flint engine plant guy did this, but likely not many before the foreman came over and chewed him a new one.

Duke