Engine number pad painted?

[HuggerSS]

Which engines, if any had the engine number pad painted? I have seen 1st gen Z28’s and L78’s with the engine number pads not painted and I have seen L48’s and L35’s with the engine pad painted. What is correct? I am not sure if it has anything to do with a solid cam or aluminum intake.

[Jonesy]

From John Hinckley:

Yes, the pad was masked with tape prior to the engine entering the paint booth (along with masking all the other items Engineering specified). Once the engine left the paint booth, the only way to identify it was by the suffix on the pad stamp so they knew which conveyor spur it needed to be routed on so it went to the correct spot on the rail shipping dock so it went to the correct assembly plant. Those engines were moving at 300 per hour (one every 12 seconds), and they had to be able to read the pad stamp suffix quickly. The suffix code scrawled upside-down on both sides of the block in grease crayon in the first bore air-gage station on the engine assembly line (which told everyone on the line what innards to install in that block) was covered by the paint and couldn't be seen any more

[HuggerSS]

Thank you, very informative

[70 copo]

As an addition to the knowledge shared here the engine Suffix designation was also crayon marked on the head or on the side of the block. Later Suffix designation labels were used for fast identification of engine assemblies.

[SS427]

Here are two of the examples of those markings. Right side up Tonawanda big block 70 CRV on right rear of block vs upside down Flint small block 70 CTB on passenger side of block.

[Jonesy]

Great pics Rick!!

[HuggerSS]

Were the grease pencil marks put on before the block was painted? I have seen some engines with the grease pencil marks with the engine designation on the front head. Are these marks on top of the paint or did the bleed trough the paint? Thank you

[70 copo]

At the engine Plant Yes, under the paint and yes sometimes visible through the paint depending on how thin the paint was applied. Paint runs and crude stripes were included on the head faces which is a treat if you are stripping original Chevy orange.

Crayon for Suffix was used at Norwood again to identify the engine for build up on the motor line but usage was less consistent if experienced personnel were dressing.

Suffix labels ended the need to do this at the assembly plant.

[SS427]

All inspection marks that I have ever seen were on the bare cast iron with rare exception. Depending on the type of applicator the paint often times did not stick to the inspection mark too well plus it is likely they were not always dry before the engine was painted. Here are some examples of engine assembly markings.

[Billohio]

My Z had 2 stripes on the front of the drivers head and what looked like a huge cursive ok on the side of the block. Probably a DZ but it was really fancy if it was. I think in the how to hot rod your small block chevy, maybe the rebuild book, it shows engines at the plant with writing on them before paint

[L16pilot]

Excellent info with photo documentation. So, for those of us with CE blocks, (short block, fitted or bare), those would have been no-paint from Flint/Tonowanda to the dealers, correct?

The reason I ask is my 70Z project has a CE block and for the above rationale, I painted over the stamp pad thinking dealers would not have taken the time to mask the stamp pad..let alone care.

[John Brown]

Would a dealership, or the installer have even painted a replacement CE block at all? If they were anything like the mechanics I worked with, they wouldn't have bothered. It would have interfered with their flat rate time. At most, they would have oiled it instead of painting it.

[L16pilot]

My thoughts are it would depend on the dealership.unless there were specific instructions.

Anyone know of special instructions/process issued by Chevrolet for warranty replacement engines that may have addressed whether the block was to be painted?

[ALLZS]

A good friend of mine worked at a chevy dealer in the mid 60s to late 70s he said he swaped out hundreeds of engines he or some of the other guys never painted them he said wam bam out the door

[jeffschevelle]

The block in my original unrestored 65 Z16, and all the blocks in my original unrestored 66 396 Chevelles, have their original orange paint and have factory painted pads. The same is true for all my unrestored 67 396s, except for the very late ones which were masked and not painted. I do not know exactly when the masking started, but I have two T0509EG 396s that have painted pads, and three late June EGs (earliest one T0623EG) that were clearly masked. So somewhere in between those dates is when it must have started.

Note that often the paint is peeled off in spots, but you will still always find at least some paint down in the stampings on the pads on original paint 65-67(early) 396 blocks, even if it has peeled off the flat part of the pad.

[x77-69z28]

My 70 Z project had its CE short block installed shortly after delivery. The dealer didn’t even bother to paint the short Block! I am toying with the idea of putting it back together the same way? Maybe clear coat it? What do you guys think?
Buddy

[70 copo]

I agree. A clear coat would be cool.

Painting a short block at the dealer would be an absolute pain and I would think the time needed to prep it prior to paint before reassembly would be significant.

[SS427]

Be careful with a clear coat. Generally speaking they are not compatible with high temperatures that an engine creates and will turn yellow in a short period of time followed but flaking off in sheets.

[Nasblu]

My 70 Z project had its CE short block installed shortly after delivery. The dealer didn’t even bother to paint the short Block! I am toying with the idea of putting it back together the same way? Maybe clear coat it? What do you guys think?
Buddy

Find a paint that duplicates the color of natural bare cast. (Not cast blast) I have seen this done before on engines to duplicate areas that did not get alot of paint from the factory but want protection against rust.

[ALLZS]

I did my pad with rpm the natural finish has held up nice

[x77-69z28]

Good info, thanks as always!
Buddy