Engine Parts Color Schemes

[Jocko_51_B3B]

 

I'm trying to stay with all original engine colors so I'm wondering about the various engine and transmission parts colors. Here's what I think the colors should be... (but some are pure guesses on my part)...

 

Black:

1. Oil Filter Canister   /    2. Crankcase Ventilation Tube   /     3. Distributor   /   4. Front Motor Support Bracket   /   5. Fan   /   6. Oil Pan   /   7. Emergency Brake Drum

Argent (Silver):

1. Block   /   2.  Head   /   3. Oil Pump   /   4. Water Pump   /   5. Bell Housing   /   6. Transmission   /   7. Dip Stick Tube

 

Did I miss anything?

 

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by Jocko_51_B3B
grammar

[Reg Evans]

Got this photo of a factory 230 on the Allpar site.

 

[Jocko_51_B3B]

Reg,

Thank You. That picture helps a lot. Even has the bell housing and front engine support bracket color which look like argent in the picture. I wonder if the water pump and crankshaft pulleys were originally argent or just unpainted steel. They look like argent too in the picture.

Glenn

[ggdad1951]

from my research back in the day I had the oil breather tube as silver/CAD plated not black.  Pulleys silver paint or CAD plated.  Basically the only black parts were IMO

starter

geni

breather cap

air filter

fan

coil bracket/wire loom

everything else argent/silver or CAD plated.

 

I think Don had a picture that was floated back in the day of the 218 from one of Bunn's books.

 

FEF's engine (Welch plugs since painted silver)

[Reg Evans]

Here's another image from Bunn and Brownells History and Restoration Guide.

 

[jcmiller]

Here is what I concluded for the 46-48 straight eight.

enginePaint.pdf

[Dennis46PU]

1 hour ago, Reg Evans said:

Here's another image from Bunn and Brownells History and Restoration Guide.

 

This makes me wonder what color the emergency brake handle is supposed to be.  It appears the clutch cover on the bottom is black, didn't see anybody mention that. 

[JBNeal]

I recall that the engine color specified was aluminum as it has a more dull finish than silver and less grey than argent...at one time Bernbaum's sold aluminum engine paint but that's been awhile since I've seen that...for the parking brke, I have seen nothing but black handled and black buttoned units; however I have seen aluminum and black floor shifts so do what ya find aestheticly pleasing

 

additional information - Engine Color 

Edited October 19, 2019 by JBNeal
added additional information

[Brent B3B]

what color was the carb? JCmiller's pdf says for the Chrysler says "unpainted" but FEF's looks like what color I painted mine this weekend

[JBNeal]

My opinion is that carbs were unpainted from the factory as it was not needed since the carbs were made of an alloy that did not oxidize like the cast iron adapters they bolted to on cast iron manifolds.  These alloys varied depending on model and year I suppose, with varying alloys of aluminum and zinc.  If you look in the fuel chamber and down the throat, you will probably see the original metal color, with greys having higher aluminum content and yellers having more zinc content.  Since practically all carbs of this era seeped a little, the metal stained over time to vary the exterior finish hues.  But the carb bodies are metal nonetheless, so an adequate (etching) primer coat with any top coat should yield decent aesthetic attributes

[ggdad1951]

1 hour ago, Brent B3B said:

what color was the carb? JCmiller's pdf says for the Chrysler says "unpainted" but FEF's looks like what color I painted mine this weekend

FEF's is unpainted...what you see in natural patina!

[Jocko_51_B3B]

I might try Eastwood aluminum engine paint.

 http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-ceramic-engine-paint-universal-aluminum-quart.html

But the Eastwood link specifically says not to use it on exhaust manifolds. Is it better to just leave the exhaust manifold unpainted or is there an aluminum paint that can withstand exhaust manifold temperatures?

Pages 63 and 64 of Don Bunn's book show the manifolds painted the same color as the rest of the engine (at least as far I can tell from a black and white photo).

 

[JBNeal]

Flatheads left the plant with aluminum paint but that wasn't meant to be there forever...many equipment manufacturers assembled components then applied paint to the whole thing, wiring included sometimes, then added parts from other sources that may have been painted another color (like black).  Flatheads left the engine factory sometimes in bulk on flatbed trucks or in crates, so not all of the engine components were added to limit any damage in transit.

My '49 has some aluminum paint visible on the intake manifold, but the thermal expansion of the exhaust manifold just let's the paint flake off.  There are special coatings available so that you can give your engine compartment a more attractive appearance, some folks go plain to keep the manifolds from rusting, others go fancy to accentuate them manifolds...choose wisely

[The Oil Soup]

This product in silver is affected by fuel but holds up well otherwise.