Big blocks at the Tonawanda engine plant 1969

[Ralph Spears]

,,,,,,,,,,

[Tuna Joe]

Cool pic!
That guy isn’t messing around. Looks like he’s lifting the whole rack of engines at once

[Keith Seymore]

Cool pic!
That guy isn’t messing around. Looks like he’s lifting the whole rack of engines at once

That is correct.

He will then drive wide open throttle through the plant, either facing forward and looking through them with his vision obscured, or backwards while looking over his shoulder. Pedestrians better watch their step.

He will also stay on that truck all day, including lunch. About the only thing he won't do on there is use the bathroom.

K

[bergy]

Probably loading that rail car in the background. NW side of the plant.

[SBR]

Lots of orange paint on the bellhousing and exhaust manifolds. I've always had my motors painted this way and I always get comments at shows for having too much paint on the exhaust manifolds smh.

[SuperNovaSS]

I can’t tell if there is overspray or not.

Jason

[smallblockhero]

looks like 80% of the bellhousings were covered in orange overspray.. you can see the reflection.

[jeffschevelle]

Look at the side of the bellhousing -- the entire thing is orange other than the trans-mount face.

Somewhere I have saved a color photo of a line of these racks in the storage bay at a car assembly plant, and it is very clear in that pic that the entire bellhousing is orange (other than the trans-mount face), AND the entire exhaust manifold (on the side you can see in the pic) is orange.

Somewhere online is a video (or maybe a series of photos, I can't remember for sure) of engines being sprayed on the paint line at Tonawanda, and it confirms above as well.

[Mr70]

^
First Photo:Here's a view of the staging area for Chevy V6 and V8 truck engines from the 1970 files of Flint Assembly. These engines have just arrived from the engine plant and are waiting to be added to the conveyor system that will take them onto the final assembly line.

Second Photo:Good pic of conveyor taking engines to the train for transport c1958

[Unreal]

Look at the difference between bellhousing overspray BB vs SB. I'm guessing Tonawanda vs Flint.

[Ralph Spears]

Those are cast iron bell housings in the last group of pictures. What year did they start using aluminum.

[John Brown]

Those particular big blocks pictured just above are most likely BFT engines because of the bellhousings attached. The black exhaust manifolds are likely those found on BFT's and school busses too, and not a representation of what was used on normal passenger cars.

[RPOLS3]

Those bellhousings look like truck applications?

[Kurt S]

I obtained and used those photos in the Assembly article.
The titles are with the pics. Specifically, the Life magazine pic is:
Engines As Received (at Tarrytown Assembly Plant, 1959)
http://www.camaros.org/assemblyprocess.shtml#engine

[John Brown]

After looking at the 1970 dated Flint big block picture once more, the intake manifolds show dual thermostat upper outlet. Definitely BFT stuff.

[JoshC]

Lots of orange paint on the bellhousing and exhaust manifolds. I've always had my motors painted this way and I always get comments at shows for having too much paint on the exhaust manifolds smh.

Certainly a little on the manifolds here as well. Not so much on the bellhousing though. (from Kurts post/link above)

[scuncio]

Cool picture, looks to be a protective “shipping cap” installed over the refrigerant ports on the A/C compressor.

[luv2sixty9]

Good pic of the Upper Balljoint. Appears to be natural (bare metal)

[SS427]

Cool picture, looks to be a protective “shipping cap” installed over the refrigerant ports on the A/C compressor.

I don't know for a fact but believe that is done because they pre oil the compressor and add more and than apply a vacuum seal to it to keep all moisture out of it.

[daveg]

Pic of an early 67 Fremont Chevelle motor decked out like new one in factory pic.
Fremont pic?