School Me on Pre-Paint Engine Detailing, Observations and Recommendations

[RSI700VIPER]

So I'm getting my motor ready for paint.  I'm using Rodger Gibson's 440 Orange (Shop Line PPG) to get the color right.  Please look over my pictures and let me know if I missed anything or if you have any "lesson's learned" from doing the same.  Obvious non correct items include water pump and balancer.  I wanted to minimize the chances of engine overheating problems so I went with a new Milodon pump with anti-cavitation plate.  I figured the pulley will cover 90% anyway.  I do have the factory counter weight balancer and flywheel, but my engine guy said I would be crazy to use 50 year old parts hanging off the crank so I took his expert advise and substituted a SFI pro balancer and Mcleod flywheel.  Also, can someone add any comments regarding paint hardener?  In Gibson's instructions, he mentions three times NOT to add hardener.  I thought hardener was needed for fuel resistance? My plan is to spray first coat without the exhaust manifolds to get good coverage, then bolt manifolds on for the final 2-3 coats.  Any and all critiques and suggestions are welcome.    I have another plug wire head bolt bracket that I was going to use for passenger side but I've seen a couple of really nice engines done without the passenger side bracket.  Don't know if it belongs there or not. 
   

[RSI700VIPER]

Pic

[RSI700VIPER]

Pic

[Mopar John]

If you follow my post on the engine block drain plugs,
They are NOT painted and should be 4 sided heads for 1970!
MJ

[RSI700VIPER]

I actually read your posts John.  Quite informative.  I recall that you originally thought they were 6-sided but then pulled a bunch of 4-sided plugs out of somewhere.   The plugs will be installed after the paint, but I currently have 6-sided plugs.  Is there a source for 4-sided? 

[gtx6970]

exhaust manifolds and corresponding plug wire brackets and clips

And me personally cant remember EVER seeing a 4 sided block coolant drain plug in any year

[hemi68charger]

Looks like your spark plug wire support bracket on bottom head-bolt #3 on the passenger side isn't there.... I notice you have one for the driver's side.. Can't tell from the rear if you're oil pressure sending unit is in. If it isn't, it needs to be if I recall. Also, there would have been a square piece of tape over the electrical connection of that sending unit to shield it from paint.

[RSI700VIPER]

Troy,
I have the other plug wire bracket for the passenger side, but was hesitant to install it because I saw pictures of other nicely done motors without it.  It only makes sense that there should be one on that side as well so I'll install it.  I did not install the oil sending unit.  I wasn't sure if he got painted or not.  Will add that to the list.  Did you use hardener when you painted your motors?   

[Mopar John]

I actually read your posts John.  Quite informative.  I recall that you originally thought they were 6-sided but then pulled a bunch of 4-sided plugs out of somewhere.   The plugs will be installed after the paint, but I currently have 6-sided plugs.  Is there a source for 4-sided?  

RSI700VIPER,
When I originally posted about the drain plugs I thought ALL the factory installed plugs were 6 sided.
As time went on I found out from original 1970 model year cars a change was made to 4 sided plugs.
That's when I went back to my hardware drawer and found some of those.
If I couldn't find nice originals I would buy silver pipe 4 sided plugs and install them after paint.
MJ

[Mopar John]

exhaust manifolds and corresponding plug wire brackets and clips

And me personally cant remember EVER seeing a 4 sided block coolant drain plug in any year

Bill,
Here are pictures of 2 original 4 sided drain plugs in original 1970 440 blocks!
The second one that has been in a repaint with the engine has that faint 1 or I on it.
MJ

[RealWing]

Some photos of a Frank Badalson restored 1970  440-6bbl

[RSI700VIPER]

Spectacular pictures RW.  I see that there is NO passenger side plug wire bracket.   

[birdsandbees]

Spectacular pictures RW.  I see that there is NO passenger side plug wire bracket.  

The front one is there, off the exhaust manifold stud, but not the #3 cylinder one like would be on a '69. Not certain a '70 gets that one.. and it appears the "judge" doesn't think so as none on Franks engine.

[gtx6970]

exhaust manifolds and corresponding plug wire brackets and clips

And me personally cant remember EVER seeing a 4 sided block coolant drain plug in any year

Bill,
Here are pictures of 2 original 4 sided drain plugs in original 1970 440 blocks!
The second one that has been in a repaint with the engine has that faint 1 or I on it.
MJ

Interesting. In all the years Ive messed with Mopar stuff. I dont remember ever seeing a 4 sided plug.
When I get back to Ky for a visit. I will ck my brothers 71 Duster and a good friends Superbird.
Brothers duster was untouched when he took it apart. And the Bird is unrestored


On a side note, its the 3rd Bird built and I believe its the very 1st Bird released for public sale ,
Possibly the car on the cover of Motor Trend magazine  back then ,,believed to be the east coast press release car . And the engine has never been out of the car

[Kowal]

A couple of thoughts on the paint.   I just used it on a 440 in a Challenger that I am working on.   The paint worked out great, no issues, once the car was driven a bit the paint seems pretty rock hard and fluid resistant.   

You know that stuff will go wrong requiring you to unbolt stuff, I have found that his paint touches up really well with a brush out straight out of the can (thermostat leaked, swapped gasket and touched everything up, you can't even tell that I did it).

An added thought relative to touch up, the Duplicolor 1652 is also a very close match out of the spray can for the paint you are using.

[maxwellwedge]

Looks like your spark plug wire support bracket on bottom head-bolt #3 on the passenger side isn't there.... I notice you have one for the driver's side.. Can't tell from the rear if you're oil pressure sending unit is in. If it isn't, it needs to be if I recall. Also, there would have been a square piece of tape over the electrical connection of that sending unit to shield it from paint.

The small idiot light oil pressure sending unit is installed pre-paint and the top is masked off.
The large unit that is used when there is an oil pressure gauge is installed after paint.

[maxwellwedge]

If you want factory - put the exhaust manifolds on - with the shields etc., mask off the spark plugs. Whatever gets on, gets on.
Mask off where the hose slides on the PCV.
Do not use hardener with Frank and Rogers paint.
Are you stripping the block, valve covers etc. before paint - or painting over paint?

[RSI700VIPER]

Max- I prepainted the covers,  water pump,  and intake with some ppg hemi orange I had laying around.  Just a coat or 2 and will scuff before shooting the 440 orange.   How did you mount the exhaust manifolds,  with or without gaskets?  Block is unpainted bare cast iron.

[maxwellwedge]

No gaskets on the exhaust manifolds 

[RSI700VIPER]

I tried trimmings some felpros to fit behind the manifolds so they were out of site but that didn't work out so well. Maybe I'm just light coat with permatex ultra copper, cross fingers and bolt them up.  I check with a carpenter's square and they look pretty good as far as warpage goes.

[maxwellwedge]

As long as the surfaces are fairly flat - that will be fine.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

To be really original, the engine MUST be prepped poorly so that the paint will start to flake off within a year. Don't forget to have runs too.

[hemi68charger]

To be really original, the engine MUST be prepped poorly so that the paint will start to flake off within a year. Don't forget to have runs too.

And minimum coverage on the bottom of the oil pan...... I have seen some such that it didn't even look like the tech painted it and the only paint on the bottom of the pans was the running drip lines from the sides of the oil pan.

Regarding the oil sending unit, I step aside to what Jim B. stated

Still think there is a plug wire support bottom on the passenger side..

[RSI700VIPER]

I'm going to shoot the motor today and post some pictures.   I'll pretend that I'm a new employee at the Trenton plant in 1969 and will try to do a better than usual job.  Planing to drive the car and would prefer not to have any unpainted areas that will only to rust later.  Thanks for all of the great advice.

[Mopar John]

When your done with the engine paint be sure to install the correct Six Barrel factory carb gaskets!
They are a dull black in color.
I will post about them over on my post.
MJ

[RSI700VIPER]

I'll check that out John.  Thanks for the tip.  Here is the engine painted and dropped on the K-frame.

[Mopar John]

That was quick work!
The engine looks great!
MJ

[maxwellwedge]

Looks good.
Do you have the spark plug wire bracket for #7 plug?
All the spark plug wire plastic insulators were on when the engine was painted - so they need to be orange. - It's a big block B/RB thing
Also - sway bar should be black.

[RSI700VIPER]

Looks good.
Do you have the spark plug wire bracket for #7 plug?
All the spark plug wire plastic insulators were on when the engine was painted - so they need to be orange. - It's a big block B/RB thing
Also - sway bar should be black.

Here is a shot of the drivers side.  There are 2 plug wire brackets, and I painted them with the plastic insulators on.  I wasn't sure about the sway bay.  Easy enough to change.  Thanks for the tips!

[gtx6970]

depending on just how critical you want to get with this .
Sway bar is  black ,
strut rods are bare steel .
sway bar links are black phosphate
strut rod washers were a brick red color , the nuts could be either black phosphate or clear zinc
tie rod ends are bare cast iron ( heat treated btw ) .
tie rod sleeves are ( Im pretty sure ) bare steel.

[RSI700VIPER]

Good to know.  I removed and painted the sway bar and will reinstall tomorrow.  The tie rods are bare steel and treated with RPM.  Do you have a picture of the strut washers?  I don't ever recall seeing red washers but not something I'd be looking for.  Struts and sleeves were powder coated by previous owner and are silverish.  Not sure I want pull it about now.  Maybe after I get the car road worthy.  Thanks for the tips.

[gtx6970]

Sorry, I dont have a clear picture of the washers.

They are not your typical red .
more of a real dark brick red , reddish brown color. ( hard to describe )

[69bfan]

I think that what Bill is trying to describe is what I have seen some vendors refer to as "Antique Browning".  It has a transparent sheen to it, but the coloring is mix between a dark brown with a hint of a gold tint to them.  Here is a link to the Bill Rolik site as he offers some of the detail pieces that you are referring to.
http://www.billrolikenterprises.com/proddetail.asp?prod=201

[maxwellwedge]

I found the tie rod sleeves on my survivors to be zinc phos plated.