Aluminum manifold...painted or not painted?

[rcav8or]

Quick question for our Canadian friends....I have a Canadian aluminum single carb flathead V8 manifold I am seriously thinking about putting on the truck. Do any of you know if they were originally painted on the motor, or left unpainted? I know what looks good NOW, polished, etc, but want to keep it pretty much stock, and undecided whether to paint or not.

Thanks!

R

[kooper909]

Stock or not, polished aluminum is period correct, and would look real cool on a flatty. My two cents.

[cool 48]

Once it is polished ,I have had real good luck powder coating stuff with a clear powder coat. I have polished lowers fork sliders on bikes, then had a clear powder coat put on. It really preserves the finish ,and loooow maintenance.

[52merc]

The aluminum intake on my 52 mercury was not painted. FWIW neither was the aluminum timing cover.

[rcav8or]

Originally Posted by 52merc

The aluminum intake on my 52 mercury was not painted. FWIW neither was the aluminum timing cover.

Thanks to all...especially 52merc...polishing is not an option, because I would never know when to stop! Plus, I don't have the aluminum timing cover - they get a pretty penny for those, I've looked....would LIKE to have one, just can't justify the $$'s for a "purty".

As an aside, I am sure glad I took the manifold off!!! There's a cotton towel, stretched across the galley. Apparently, when it was rebuilt, someone put it there, to keep any extra dust, parts, etc out, then put the manifold on without removing the rag!! It only has about an hour or two run time on a dolly, since rebuild, but I am sure glad I didn't try to take it up to speed in the truck! The rag cleared the lifters, etc, so didn't get chewed up (meaning tear-down!), but sure glad I caught it....

Geez!!!!

R

[imlowr2]

Hey, maybe the guy figured "you never know when you might need a rag handy".

[rcav8or]

Originally Posted by imlowr2

Hey, maybe the guy figured "you never know when you might need a rag handy".

It has me a little scared - bought this motor already rebuilt and together. The galley is nice an clean, everything so far "looks" rebuilt, but hopefully it's just a fluke, and not a sign of the rebuilders work. It's possible the rebuilder "short-blocked" it, and the previous owner put the manifold on, without looking. Guess I'll run with it, I REALLY don't want to tear the engine down.

R

[ontariowestcoast]

The answer is not painted. If a truck came with the aluminum manifold it wasn't painted. And they look better too.

[rcav8or]

This just ain't my day!!! I just found out, my block won't "support" an aluminum manifold! My OLD block would. There's a bunch of mounting holes, that just aren't there, for the aluminum one. They are bosses on the stock manifold, and the holes where those bosses are, aren't in the block, but the aluminum manifold has mounting holes instead of bosses. So, I'm stuck with the stock manifold, at least until I decide to rebuild my original block. My dual-carb polished Fenton won't work on this block either, same reason. Drats!!!!!!!

But STILL glad I took it off, and found the rag. I looked all over the rag for a Ford Part Number, but there isn't one.



R

[ALBUQ F-1]

Roger, can you explain the difference between the two blocks? I forget, is the new one a 59-series? I didn't think so. Most manifolds have "extra" holes in them, but I've never heard of the blocks not having matching holes. Gotta pic? (I'm sweating, because I have a Canadian manifold sitting in the garage, waiting for some spare time!)

If it is a 59 series block, I have an extra aluminum manifold.

[rcav8or]

Ross, I'll take some of both blocks. I was surprised, too, that the holes weren't there. The new one is a '51 car motor, the old one was in the truck when I got it, but had 8ba heads on it. It wasn't original, and had been rebuilt at one time - .040 over pistons in it. Didn't want to build it at the time, that's why I bought the new "rebuilt" for $1200. I couldn't do my engine for that.

Didn't the 59 have the water intake in the middle of the head? I also know you can use 8ba heads on a 59, or vice-versa if you plug a hole...wish I knew more about these engines!

R

[ALBUQ F-1]

Does your old truck motor manifold bolt up to the new engine's block? Gotta pic of the new alum. manifold?

[bobbytnm]

Roger,

Sorry to hear about you not being able to run the aluminum intake. Thats a lucky break on finding the rag though, that could have made for a real bad day. Maybe it was a factory option, you know, a bonus top end filtration system.

Bobby

[rcav8or]

Bobby - I looked really hard for a part number on the rag...not there...

I have seen lot's of "old-timer" tricks on the forums, was really hoping no one said "oh yeah, old timers did that to slow the oil flow through the engine" or something like that...

Ross - working on the pictures now...

R

[bobbytnm]

Roger,

It could be worse, we had one gentlemen (who shall remain nameless) find a mouses nest inside his engine. I don't think it had a factory part # either.....

Bobby