Does anyone know of a list of the valve cover colors used on Y blocks?

Thanks.

 

There was a book once Ford gave to mechanics. Beginning in 1954 and up to 1967, valve cover colors designated engine sizes. It was easy...look in the book, find the color, and there was the engine size. The Fabulous 50's Ford Club may have reproduced the book, I saw a repop copy several years ago.


I do know that despite what you may have heard or seen, Ford didn't begin painting the entire engines Ford blue till 1968. Prior to 1968, the valve colors were a different color than the rest of the engine. For example: Black was used on 352's in 1965/67, the covers were gold.

 

I argued with Bigwin about engine and valve colors for the y-blocks and now I believe he is correct.
I bought a 21,000 original truck,and just lately talked to the original owner,in Georgia.He stated that Ford dealer in Quitman,Georgia,actually took engine and rebuilt it when it had very low miles.I do not know why,but now understand why my bellhousing is bright yellow-and the entire eng/valve covers were red.
Before I spoke to the farmer,I painted engine red and valve covers black.-Now I think WHY WOOD THE ENGINE BE RED-AND BELLHOUSING -BRIGHT YELLOW?????
it's 'cause the engine was taken out and rebuilt-then sprayed red--to show they worked on it!!!Now I am painting the engine yellow and matching the bellhousing-I used Daytona yellow engine enamel.--My valve covers should be argent silver.I think for now I will keep them black,till I here otherwise.
LESSON---BIGWIN knows his stuff,and I don't!!!!haha

 

I know the valve covers were argent (silver) on 54, 55, and 56. In 54 the engine was red, in 55 and 56 the engine was yellow as Walford states. Beyond that '57 and up I don;t know.

 

My 57 had a green 272 motor. with silverish valve covers.

 

I think ford put in what they had.I don't think 1 rule fits all.My 56 will be yellow and wish I would have been sure when I resprayed it red.--oh-well it will still run great!!!

 

This is what i know for sure, 54,55,56,57,58's all had argent silver valve covers. I'm not sure on the 59's and the 60-64's all had red valve covers. I think the 59's were red too but not sure.

This info pertains to trucks only with the 272-292 engines.

Kevin Bigwin

 

On my '62 292, the only paint remaining paint on the valve covers is gold. Several other things are gold as well - like the coolant expansion tank and support (definately gold), valley cover, filler necks (I think), etc. Pretty much all the tin. There appears to be some red on the block, though. It's definately the correct engine and nothing appears to ever have been repainted, properly anyway, but there are some areas with red over gold, flaking off, like somebody tried some repainting with red. Could Ford have used red over a gold undercoat?
Andrew

 

Now here's a question ...

What color schemes did they use on Y-blocks in Mercury cars & trucks? The Y-block I'm building for my '60 came with Merc valve covers, so I'm considering using a stock Merc paint scheme on it.

I know the '54 256 was two shades of green, but I'd be really interested to hear if anyone knows the colors through the '50s.

 

What I can tell you for sure, is that Ford & Mercury of Canada had their own Plants & Painted their Engines & Accessaries completely different from the American Plants. ('58 M-100s w/ 223 I-6's, Blocks were painted Pewter w/ Vermilion valve covers & Black accessaries)
That is up untill FoMoCo as a Whole started painting Every block Ford Blue.