Help With '62 340hp Engine Paint at Intake Manifold

[Bill O.]

We need some help as we have differing opinions at the shop.

The engine in my 1962 is a 327/ 340 hp special performance.
In the area between the aluminum valve covers and the intake manifold...on the cylinder head margin...is it painted chevy orange, or silver, or unpainted? And on that portion of the manifold gasket that's exposed, is it unpainted, or if painted what color?

Much obliged for any help you can give.

Bill

[Mike E.]

Re: Help With '62 340hp Engine Paint at Intake Manifold

Unpainted and unpainted.

[Barry H.]

Re: Help With '62 340hp Engine Paint at Intake Manifold

Mike, I can't agree with you on the lack of silver paint on the head area between the aluminum valve covers & aluminum intake on the HP engines. I remember attending a "Restoration Seminar" at Dr Mike McCagh's farm in the 1992, 1993 time frame, & the speaker was a man that had worked at the Flint Engine Plant back in the early days. He had spent time working at the engine paint area. He told us that the "area" between the alum valve covers & the alum intake on the HP was painted with a "low grade alum" paint to keep it from rusting til the car was sold. This rang a bell with me because I remember (back in the 60's & 70's) that many times when working on HP engines that a film of silver paint would be floating in the kerosene wash tank after cleaning the valve covers or intake manifolds. This "low grade alum" paint was not very permanent, & was washed off with gasoline, kerosene, carb cleaner & almost any "degreaser". I found evidence of this "low grade alum" paint on a 16,000 mile 57 245 HP car, my 283 FI 57, & a 28,000 mile 350 HP 67 coupe that I bought in 1972.
I think John Hinckley has addressed this question before, maybe he could make a comment, or possibly Mike McCagh might remember the seminar.
Thanks, Barry Holmes

[John H.]

Re: Help With '62 340hp Engine Paint at Intake Manifold

I'm on the outside looking in on this one. I've had two brand-new 65's (L-79 and L-76) and another L-79 with very low miles, and none of them had any trace whatsoever of silver paint anywhere (on the manifold, the valve covers, or the exposed head surfaces between them).

I know lots of folks differ with that, but I'm not convinced that ALL SHP engines got that kind of detail aluminum paint touch-up in the Flint paint booth at 300 per hour.

[Mike M.]

Re: Help With '62 340hp Engine Paint at Intake Manifold

Mike, I can't agree with you on the lack of silver paint on the head area between the aluminum valve covers & aluminum intake on the HP engines. I remember attending a "Restoration Seminar" at Dr Mike McCagh's farm in the 1992, 1993 time frame, & the speaker was a man that had worked at the Flint Engine Plant back in the early days. He had spent time working at the engine paint area. He told us that the "area" between the alum valve covers & the alum intake on the HP was painted with a "low grade alum" paint to keep it from rusting til the car was sold. This rang a bell with me because I remember (back in the 60's & 70's) that many times when working on HP engines that a film of silver paint would be floating in the kerosene wash tank after cleaning the valve covers or intake manifolds. This "low grade alum" paint was not very permanent, & was washed off with gasoline, kerosene, carb cleaner & almost any "degreaser". I found evidence of this "low grade alum" paint on a 16,000 mile 57 245 HP car, my 283 FI 57, & a 28,000 mile 350 HP 67 coupe that I bought in 1972.
I think John Hinckley has addressed this question before, maybe he could make a comment, or possibly Mike McCagh might remember the seminar.
Thanks, Barry Holmes

i can barely remember what i had for breakfast, but my feeble brain recalls the tech session staged by a GM employee here at the farm in the early 90's. my recollection being the head surface got silver paint at least beginnng in 1967, the year the GM employee began working for GM.as i recall, he couldn't comment on the head/silver paint issue prior to 1967. mike

[Bill O.]

Re: Help With '62 340hp Engine Paint at Intake Manifold

Thanks Mike E, Barry, John and Mike M.

I conclude that if there is bare metal showing on the cylinder head margin between the aluminum valve covers and the intake manifold, and no paint on the exposed portion of the intake manifold gasket that it would be "good to go" for flight jugding.

We'll see, and thanks again.

Bill