I have a couple of questions on my '48. I just finished painting the motor with rattle can old ford blue. I don't like it much and wanted to go back to the original red. From what I have found researching this forum and other places, the correct red is not available in a spray can. My question is whether a high heat engine paint can be mixed in the correct color or am I stuck with the incorrect "ford red" in the spray cans. If it can be mixed, is it expensive and can I apply it over the newly applied blue on there now?

The other question is to ask what I can use to seal the rubber on the harmonic balancer. Because of a mistake on my part, the rubber got some solvent on it when I was cleaning it up and is now quite sticky. Can I seal it with something?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

I don't think you really need a high-temp paint for 90% of the engine. Lots of guys paint with the same paint they use on the body, and it seems to do very well. Near the exhaust flange nothing will last.

The absolutely correct red isn't available in stores, but there are plenty of "close" colors. Chose one you like, just not Chevy Orange!

 

We just had a thread on that red engine color, and there are two schools of thought. One was that it was "Vermillion," and the other was that it was "Ford Dark Engine Red."

I'll post the link - there's lots of good pictures and other links. For example, I posted one from the Antique Ford Club of America where they certified that the non commercial engines of your year were actually supposed to be green. I've never seen one that color. As a matter of fact there is a picture of a flathead being hoisted that is mine that is Vermillion.

What's important though is one of the posters told about getting a color mixed and put in a spray can at the local PPG store. You will probably be interested in that. Here's the link: "Shoot it was jsut last week we were talking about this."

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...ine-color.html

Have fun,
Julie

 

Hemmings Motor News (hemmings.com) has a long time seller named Bill Hirsch who sells many different factory engine colors in spray cans, or in pint cans which can be brushed on.

This seller is a fanatic for details, you buy from him, 99.9% of the time, what you get is correct.

 

Regarding the harmonic balancer, did the solvent begin to degrade the ruber or the light laquer coating? If the ruber is getting soft, I wouldn't risk leaving it on, I would get another balancer. You dont want that coming loose and causing potential crank shaft damage. Is it the original engine or a newer swap out?

 

It is the original engine. A very narrow (1/8" or maybe a little more) area of rubber on the side facing the engine is what I am questioning. It is sticky. I don't think it soaked in solvent, it was just cleaned with it and rinsed off with soapy water.

 

Original engine colors; checkout Flathead Specifications: 1949-53 V8

 

HI HD,

That's a great find. We recently had another member post similar questions about engine colors. I did a little research and found a couple things, but all the sources seem to have different opinions. I'll post the thread to the other thread.

Eventhough every flat head of this vintage I've seen is red - including th eone I had, some sources say that red was used on the commercial engines and that the non commercial were either tangerine or green.......Ever seen a green 239? Me neither.

But here is th elink to that site as well:

New Page 1

Interesting that this is so poorly documented. Here's th eother post - with color pictures:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...ine-color.html

I like PINK...wadaya think? Dare to be different!!!!!

Tee hee

Julie

 

That would definitely show you, if you had an oil leak, exactly where it was coming from. Lol.

Could be used to promote breast cancer awareness at Hot Rod shows too.

 

The engine in my truck was green before I painted it. I repainted it using detroit alpine green paint. I don't think that this is the original engine for my truck as after cleaning the bellhousing I noticed it was red (under fifty years of oil and dirt). Any one know what color ford painted the transmissions if they painted them at all?

 

I don't think the cast transmission bodies were painted. Flywheel housings and Clutch housings I don't know.

J!

 

I used International red tractor paint on my 48 V8. I also used self etching primer.

 

Ford painted the motor with the bellhousing attached, but with no transmission. See bigwin56f100's gallery to see what I mean on a y-block production line.

 

My 52 F-1 still has the original 239 heads and intake manifold on a 255 Merc block and they are that Detroit/Alpine green in color. I know this because this was my grand dad's truck and it has never been apart other than the engine block change. Grand dad was a stickler for originality and worked for a Ford dealership from 1956 through the mid 70's.