58-60 JM - Engine paint

[Loren L.]

My outdated JM reads in part "...therefore, aluminum intake manifold (because of poor fit of paint mask), and
engine mount grounding straps may show slight orange overspray.".
I'm not sure if I ever agreed with that portion about the grounding straps, but is the premise that the cylinder head area adjacent to the intake manifold/adaptor is orange still valid?

[Mike E.]

Re: 58-60 JM - Engine paint

No. The mask fit over the valve covers and intake. Poorly.

[Loren L.]

Re: 58-60 JM - Engine paint

So there is no "later information" that the area appeared in aluminum or silver paint?

[Joe M.]

Re: 58-60 JM - Engine paint

Speaking of the ground straps, I don't see why they would have been attached when the engine was painted. The engines were painted long before it was determined whether the car would be built with the radio option. It would stand to reason that if no radio, no ground straps. I think the only purpose of the ground straps mounted on the front of the engine was for the benefit of the radio. Correct me if this is wrong.

[Dan H.]

Re: 58-60 JM - Engine paint

Hi Loren, Joe, I dug out some of my Ice Age photos of a 2300 mile 59 and a 25K 58 FI untouched cars. Neither one shows any engine orange on the ground straps. The 59 shows silver paint on the thermostat stud threads, maybe this was part of paint shop work at Flint. The motor mount bolts, ground strap, and nut were all installed at St Louis and were not in place at Flint for painting. However, some cars have some paint on the ground stap etc in pictures, Dealer inhancement? Can't imagine the factory painting ground straps mounted loosely to the engine, would defeat the purpose of the ground!!! FWIW
Dan

[Joe M.]

Re: 58-60 JM - Engine paint

I have seen a reddish orange paint mark across the motor mount bolt nut and a small amount on the end of the ground strap; probably indicating the nut had been torqued at St. Louis after the ground strap was installed.

[Dan H.]

Re: 58-60 JM - Engine paint

That could very well account for the traces seen. It's not 'overspray' and may have been random also.

[Edward L.]

Re: 58-60 JM - Engine paint

The red/orange paint on the ground strap and nut was an inspection mark to indicate that the nuts had been tightened.

As Mike stated in his post, the mask that was used covered the valve covers during the paint process. As such there would not be any paint in the valley between the valve cover and intake manifold. I have seen traces of overspray on the bottom front portion of the intake as well as small amounts on the bottom lip of the valve cover due to poor coverage of the mask.

In this case a little common sense goes a long way. I think it's safe to say that the guys at Flint did not install the valve covers, run the engine, remove the covers to paint the motor, then re-install the valve covers.