1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

[John D.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

I'm sure you could teach me a lot about the old C1 FI units. Not much else though.

Yeah but you have taught me a lot about 63's though. So much that when I look at my car I don't know where to start.



Trivia you didn't ask. RJ once told me if you want a 63 cast iron water outlet to stay pretty forever get it cad plated. I have saved this email in case he now deny's it.

[Eric V.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

John,
Use of an aluminum water outlet on any model of '57 FI is news to me - interesting. Your message refers to the 233 outlet: is this a casting no. or a part no.? In Ken Kayser's book on page 185 he states that the p/n 3837223 aluminum water outlets were leaking - did you mean to type 223? If no typo, is 233 a cast no., part no., or both, and what is the complete number?

Also, my '57 parts book lists the 3705018 (cast no. & part no.) water outlet as applicable to '55-'57 All 8 cyl except '55 pass. w/C.A.C, and it lists a p/n 3711268 (cast iron) as applicable to '55-'57 Corvette 8 cyl except 2-4bbl carb). I can find no water outlet listings in my '57 parts book (Nov '57 revision) ending in 223 or 233. Interesting. Also interesting, my '63 parts book lists the 3837223 aluminum outlet as applicable to '56-'60 Corvette with 2-4bbl & FI, and '62 Corvette with FI. Somehow between '56 and '63 the 223 aluminum outlet must have redeemed itself.

Eric V.

[Joseph T.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

John,
Use of an aluminum water outlet on any model of '57 FI is news to me - interesting. Your message refers to the 233 outlet: is this a casting no. or a part no.? In Ken Kayser's book on page 185 he states that the p/n 3837223 aluminum water outlets were leaking - did you mean to type 223? If no typo, is 233 a cast no., part no., or both, and what is the complete number?

Also, my '57 parts book lists the 3705018 (cast no. & part no.) water outlet as applicable to '55-'57 All 8 cyl except '55 pass. w/C.A.C, and it lists a p/n 3711268 (cast iron) as applicable to '55-'57 Corvette 8 cyl except 2-4bbl carb). I can find no water outlet listings in my '57 parts book (Nov '57 revision) ending in 223 or 233. Interesting. Also interesting, my '63 parts book lists the 3837223 aluminum outlet as applicable to '56-'60 Corvette with 2-4bbl & FI, and '62 Corvette with FI. Somehow between '56 and '63 the 223 aluminum outlet must have redeemed itself.

Eric V.

I have two early unrestored 1957 Fuelie engines ( Oct. & Nov. ) and both have engine color painted cast iron water outlets. The water outlet on the Oct engine appears to be an experimental or early casting with an unusual # cast into the ball shape area.

Looks to me like the painted aluminum cast iron outlet and the cast aluminum water were running changes.

Joe

[John D.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

This is getting confusing to me. I try and make it easy though when I restore the FI's.
Recapping some of the above posts. Cast iron water outlet reported to be cadmium plated, painted silver, painted engine color.
Now the judging manual states it's cad plated. I really like the idea of cad though is that it's the easy way out and the part will stay pretty for a while. Before the cast iron water outlet was even considered for being correct for a 57 FI car old JD here was hunting them down in the fleas and was picking up nice 018 outlet for 6 bucks or less. Probably bought a few hundred of them as had a large bin full. Then when they caught on in the manuals, etc I sold them for about 35 bucks and made a nice profit.

Anyhow Eric asked what the entire part number is for the later 57 seamed water outlet. Suffix is "233. Just went out to the shop and brought in a few variations of the 233. Late 57 and all '58 is 3837233. Nice logo above this number that is shaped like a stretched out triangle. I can't make out the inscription in the logo. Outlet has a seam that runs parallel to the hose connection. Someone put up a pic please.

Now Eric that same part number was used on several other variations of this outlet clean up to and including 62.
Dale Pearman taught me an eon ago that the seamed water outlet was also used on some 62 engines as well. I usuallly agreed with my friend but did get him to admit that the use of the seamed outlet on a 62 was not typical of mass production. Did I convince Dale. Nope.

Anyhow Eric ask your team leader which outlet he prefers on your 4800 unit and run with it. Simple matter of cast iron or aluminum. If the manual says cadmium and you paint it then expect that some judges are gonna ding you on this. meanwhile do you have the correct studs to hold it on. No lock washers. Just plain old 3/8-16 cad plated nuts.
More important than the finish is for you to take that warped cast iron water outlet and have the bottom refinished so it's nice and flat.
Car Quest has a really nice brownish gasket that is shaped like the outlet.
GM has a better one though that is sure to do the job. #10105135. It's my favorite and will keep the antifreeze from ouzing out.
Hope that part number is correct. Is it Hinckley? JD

[John H.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

GM has a better one though that is sure to do the job. #10105135. It's my favorite and will keep the antifreeze from ouzing out.
Hope that part number is correct. Is it Hinckley? JD

Yup, that's the one - terrific gasket, no indication that it isn't original as installed (unlike the ugly blue Fel-Pro).

[Bill M.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

I just ran across this in Ken Kayser's book, p.185-6:

P.N. 3837223 Aluminum Water Outlets were leaking engine coolant

Engineering Deviation Notice 10-10-56

"Allowing Chevrolet Flint V-8 purchasing to source Cadmium plating of Cast Iron Water Outlets superceding the 1957 Chevrolet Engine Assembly Instructions"

[Mike G.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

mine is painted silver. my car is a tripple crown car so its been judged by everyone and i have never been docked points for it.

[John H.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

I just ran across this in Ken Kayser's book, p.185-6:

P.N. 3837223 Aluminum Water Outlets were leaking engine coolant

Engineering Deviation Notice 10-10-56

"Allowing Chevrolet Flint V-8 purchasing to source Cadmium plating of Cast Iron Water Outlets superceding the 1957 Chevrolet Engine Assembly Instructions"

Bill -

Well, that answers my question above - the Resident Engineer wrote a deviation authorizing sending the 5018 iron outlets out for plating. Would be interesting to know the specific reason for cad-plating them, and for how long they did that. Will have to ask Ken the next time I see him.

[Bill M.]

Re: 1957 Fuel Injection Thermostat Housing - Painted or Plated?

Bill -

Well, that answers my question above - the Resident Engineer wrote a deviation authorizing sending the 5018 iron outlets out for plating. Would be interesting to know the specific reason for cad-plating them, and for how long they did that. Will have to ask Ken the next time I see him.

Sounds like someone decided to go with Cad-in-a-Can...