Kinda like, Been there, Done that.
Got the empty cans to prove it.

I'm not good with shades of colors. I can tell red,blue,etc. but maroons and so forth still look red..

That is why I couldn't tell much difference on your shiny new engine.


Bill, I liked the Chevy orange but IIRC the 55-57 color was a different shade than the newer ones, or, that is when I started to have color problems..........Trav.

 

Huh....

I learned to glue the gaskets (I use the rubber kind) to the valve cover, and no sealant at all on the heads. Makes it easy to remove the covers for whatever reason, and it doesn't leak.

 

With the gasket glued to the head it will stay and the RTV will let go if/when I need to pull the covers. But, I did think about doing it exactly as you said - until I realized that there was an almost certain probability that the black gasket goo was going to go through the bolt holes in the valve cover and onto the nicely powder coated finish on the outside. So, had I done it I would have used RTV since it won't run. But, you need to put the cover/gasket combo on the head while the RTV is still soft, and yet the RTV lets the gasket slip until it sets.

So, after going around that bush a couple of times I decided on this approach since I had the time to let the gasket goo set before squeezing a bit of RTV on the top side.

 

Well, at least it was a truck engine even if it was French.

 

Yes, it was a truck engine, that's for sure. Wow, was there a night/day difference between the 348 and the 283. All torque and no rev vs no torque and lotsa rev. And, that's what makes a good truck engine - torque.

 

Gary, I used Duplicolor Old Ford Blue on parts of my engine, and it's a dead-on match for the original blue that was still there ...

 

Yeah but....... This engine was originally Old Ford Blue, but that had been painted over with what I thought was Ford Blue, or New Ford Blue, and I didn't realize it. So, I powder coated the valve covers, pan, and all the attaching bolts New Ford Blue - or at least that's what Eastwood calls that powder. Then I scrubbed the block with brake cleaner and a brass-bristled brush and the New came off, showing the Old.

Then I sprayed the block with the paint I thought would work and it was too dark. Another brand was closer but still too dark. Tomorrow's the last gasp - if Tractor Supply's New Ford Blue doesn't match then the engine isn't gonna match the sheet metal covers. Which is a learning experience 'cause when I build that Bee I want the engine and all the covers to be Hemi Orange. So, maybe I'll paint it from the same can.

 

Dang. That's a pickle, alright. So it sounds like everything Old is New again.

 

LOL! Yep, that's a good way of saying it. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow it'll be all shiny and matching, ready to go in when I get Dad's truck torn down.

 

Gary, I see your block is one of the strange ones with the missing "bridge" next to the distributor.

As for the color difference, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Nobody is really gonna see the block, especially after you get that giant power steering pump bracket, the water pump, the giant crank pulley, and manifolds back on.

 

Hmmm, wasn't aware there are "strange" blocks. Would that also account for the lack of info on the back of the block near the oil pressure port? Any idea what they came out of?

As for hiding the block, don't forget the A/C compressor - the great big horizontal one.

On the color, if TS doesn't have what I'm looking for then I'll go with what I have.

 

It was just a matter of chance. Some blocks have the bridge, others don't. Nobody really knows why Ford did this, however it more than likely has something to do with the date the block was cast. There was probably a set time period where Ford dropped the bridge, and then brought it back a short time later, if even at all. For all we know, it could be an indicator that our blocks were some of the last ones that were cast.

Plenty of people mistake our blocks for 351C's because the Clevelands do not have the bridge either.

 

Got the engine painted today, and used the True Blue from Krylon as both Ford Blue and New Ford Blue from Tractor Supply were darker than my powder coating. But, the pictures don't really reflect the proper color, at least on my monitors, as it is a darker blue than it shows. And, the paint is still a bit darker than the powder. Oh well, it'll work.

We are going up to see Dad tomorrow so won't get anything done on the truck, but plan to start taking Dad's truck apart on Tuesday. However, we'll take the recycle stuff to Owasso that morning since that's the only way to get that much stuff over there. So, I'll get to use it just a bit before taking it apart starting Tuesday afternoon. And, it'll probably be apart for a while.

 

Looks very nice. Personally I like the color of the intake manifold best of all!

 

Thanks for the second pic Gary, you just reminded me that my block didn't come with a timing pointer.

Engine looks good though! Did you paint the harmonic balancer as well, or is it new?