Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

[Michael G.]

I've read here (and in the JG) that the 63 engine was painted orange with exhaust manifolds in place, as well as bolts, washers, and french locks. I have two questions on this.

1. Was the lower choke tube in place on L84 engines?

2. If I paint my engine this way and it arrives on the judging field with only a few minutes of running time, it will still have lots (probably all) of its orange paint intact. How will this play with the judges?

Thanks,

[Timothy B.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Michael,

If the tube is called out in the AIM with a part # then it is installed at St. Louis and thus no orange paint.

As far as paint on the exhaust manifolds, I think up through 1965 manifolds were installed before painting so they would have been hard to miss with a paint gun. Check out archives on this subject.

[Bill C.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Mike ; the ex. manifolds were installed and painted with the engine. The paint will burn off rather quickly and will leave just the right amount where the exhaust temps. are cooler. This is exactly what the judges expect to see.
Regards
Bill

[Michael G.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Thanks guys. I haven't seen a lot of cars at judging that still have a significant amount of paint on the manifolds, so I was concerned that too much remaining paint would get me deducts. I'll paint away and see how much burns of after the engine runs for a few minutes.

[Jack H.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

I'd be careful with stating what the judges look for...

I've run into more than one ower who re-shot his exhaust manifolds on every judging event because SOME judges deducted condition points for 'excessive' paint burn off.

How much run time this/that engine actually saw before delivery to the original owner WAS a variable. The typical car was started and driven off the line to the holding pen. It was then fired to drive on/off either an 18-wheel truck or rail car piggyback.

Plus, there could have been rail-truck interchange to a given dealer. And, at the dealership, there would have been a few start/drive episodes to get the car into inventory, out, through dealer prep, Etc. So, how much cumulative engine run time is that exactly?

I once tried to get an answer to this for my trek to Bloomington and found talking to their equivalent of our NTL was like trying to nail jelly to the tree!

[Michael H.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

One thing to keep in mind if you are going to paint the exhaust manifolds orange along with the engine on a 53-65. (and they are supposed to be painted) If you bead blast the manifolds, be sure to wash them in lacquer thinner before installing/painting. If the dust/silica from the blasting process remains on the surface, the orange paint will flake off before long.
The orange should bake ON and eventually turn to black. (with the exception of cooler areas of the manifold, such as the alternator mounting ear etc that will remain orange for decades)

[Michael G.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Michael, Unfortunately, I already had that experience when I painted them with gold paint, then baked them to look like "natural" cast iron. (I didn't clean them with thinner, just blew them off.) They looked great, but, after driving the car for some time, the paint peeled off. Now I know why this happened!

When I blast the peeling gray paint off, I'll be sure to clean them with thinner. Thanks

[Ray C.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Hi! Michael

Some one from this forum provided me with this picture. I am not sure of the plant or year of the engine, but you can see the orange paint on the exhaust manifolds.

Ray

[Michael H.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Hi! Michael

Some one from this forum provided me with this picture. I am not sure of the plant or year of the engine, but you can see the orange paint on the exhaust manifolds.

Ray

Thanks Ray. Great picture. No lack of orange on the manifolds. With a pressure feed high pressure/volume gun that pumped paint like a garden hose, there was no chance that the painter could have avoided the manifolds while painting the engine. They had a heavy coat on the top and outer sides, and a lot of the inner side and bottom were at least mist coated.

[Steve D.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Was the process different on a vehicle with aluminum v/c and intake?

Would the amount of orange paint be less?

Steve

[Michael G.]

Re: Orange paint on manifolds, etc.

Steve, the aluminum intake and valve covers were masked during application of orange paint. There was then some silver paint applied to the intake manifold; see the thread below for a discussion.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...paint&uid=1733