engine stamp painting

[bluecopo]

was the pad on the front of the motor where it is stamped painted or bare metal thanks

[Charley Lillard]

bare metal

[mockingbird812]

Charley,

Curious as to the factory process that spared the stamp pad from the paint. And as a follow-on, why did they go to this trouble?

Thanks!

[nuch_ss396]

Charley,

After assembly ( and testing ) at the Tonawanda facility,
the engines were painted as they went down a paint line.
Accessories weren't added as of this time, so I would have
to think that the pad got painted. Shields ( vac-forms )
were used on the aluminum intakes to avoid overspray.
Possibly, the engine ID pad was oiled or masked in some way
to avoid paint. I would not think this to be the case though. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hmmm.gif

Steve

[Tarrytown SS427s]

It seems to me that the way the pad would look as the car left the factory, would be a painted pad with the partial vin stamped right over the paint. I doubt there are any original examples still clean enough to really know though..
Steve

[nuch_ss396]

Steve,

Interesting thought. I'm actually not sure when the
stamping process happened. Obviously, the VIN addition
would happen somewhere close to the actual installation
of the engine in the chassis. The engine assembly code
would probably have happened at Tonawanda.

Steve

[SS427]

I have a factory photo of a small block engine being test run and it clearly shows the VIN pad as well as the end of the water pump snout (for the fan flange) and the lower radiator hose outlet as being bare steel.
Rick

[RamAirDave]

I'm guessing JohnZ will know the answer http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[nuch_ss396]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a factory photo of a small block engine being test run and it clearly shows the VIN pad as well as the end of the water pump snout (for the fan flange) and the lower radiator hose outlet as being bare steel.
Rick

[/ QUOTE ]

Rick,

Post that image - please.

Steve

[Kurt S]

The pad was bare. They actually put a piece of masking tape over the pad when the engine was painted.

[SS427]

As well as the carb flange, water pump snout and water inlet tube opening.

I will try and post the picture tonight.
Rick

[mockingbird812]

[ QUOTE ]
The pad was bare. They actually put a piece of masking tape over the pad when the engine was painted.

[/ QUOTE ]

What was their reasoning for keeping it bare? Why did they go to this effort?

Thanks.

[mrrec]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The pad was bare. They actually put a piece of masking tape over the pad when the engine was painted.

[/ QUOTE ]

What was their reasoning for keeping it bare? Why did they go to this effort?

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stamping on a painted surface can be "messy". We stamp steel, brass and aluminum with serial, model #s, etc.

I'm sure an engineer specified the pad be masked, along with the other parts, and that is the way the procedure was written up. You can also bet that numerous blocks had the tape ommitted, fall off, etc and the stamping was done through the paint.

Attached is a pad photo of a low mile, never repainted L78. The pad was not painted at Tonawanda.
Dave

[mockingbird812]

Good stuff Dave. That's what I was looking for.

Thank you!

[firstgenaddict]

Check out the pic of Pascoe's survivor 69 Z... the one with the alt removed... it appears as though the masking tape (JohnZ confirmed) that a piece of 2" wide masking tape was used... the edge of the water pump was also sans paint...
This is how the engine on the Black 69 RS/Z will be done... http://www.yenko.net/photos/data/533/medium/Z39B.jpg

[JohnZ]

The pads were masked with a piece of tape as the suffix had to be readable at the entry to the shipping dock conveyor system so the engine could be routed to the correct spot along the dock for racking and rail car loading; the suffix code was scrawled on the side of the block (upside-down) in grease pencil at the first (air-gage) station on the engine assembly line, but that wasn't visible after the paint booth.

The engine plant stamp was done on big-blocks BEFORE the heads went on, and AFTER the heads went on on small-blocks.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[nuch_ss396]

John,

Regarding the BBC's @ Tonawanda, the NCRS guys told me that
the suffix codes were written on the side of the blocks
( somewhere ), in crayon (upside down) and then transferred to
the pad before the heads were installed.

So, how did they know which engines got L/89? Did the
written, then subsequently stamped codes tell them, or
did a particular engine get "tagged" for L/89 ahead of
time? The painting process for L/89 BBC's had to be
somewhat special in that there wasn't much, if any
overspray on the aluminum heads. How was that accomplished?
I have as of yet to get a definitive answer to that question.

Steve

[firstgenaddict]

Steve there is an older thread on this board with a picture of a set of low mileage early take off L88 or L89 heads which show the amount of overspray on them... it may have been a year or more ago. I believe that the photos were from Pascoe but I could be wrong on that.

[SS427]

Here is one picture that I have. Notice the VIN pad, water pump snout and radiator hose inlet. All bare steel.
Rick

[PeteLeathersac]

That pic of survivor DZ pad is simply a beautiful thing! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif.
I've spent my share of time w/ flashlites under hoods or wherever scraping and cleaning dead engine pads over the years and that's just pure eye candy to this Chevy guy!.

~ Pete
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

Not painted, as all have noted... Tonawanda assembly stamped in NY, Serial numbers stamped at final assembly plant of car!

Mike Crown

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

[ QUOTE ]


The engine plant stamp was done on big-blocks BEFORE the heads went on, and AFTER the heads went on on small-blocks.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


That's an important factoid!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

[Rainer]

[ QUOTE ]

The engine plant stamp was done on big-blocks BEFORE the heads went on, and AFTER the heads went on on small-blocks.



[/ QUOTE ]

That would explain a big-block stamping in this location:

http://www.shapeconsulting.com/cars/LS6stamping.jpg

[firstgenaddict]

Yep and why the SB stamps are at the leading edge of the pad... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

[Rixls6]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

The engine plant stamp was done on big-blocks BEFORE the heads went on, and AFTER the heads went on on small-blocks.



[/ QUOTE ]

That would explain a big-block stamping in this location:

http://www.shapeconsulting.com/cars/LS6stamping.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

That explains the location of the pictured pad stamp, but the stamping itself, and broach marks, looks a little fishy.

[Rainer]

[ QUOTE ]

That explains the location of the pictured pad stamp, but the stamping itself, and broach marks, looks a little fishy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, Rick. I quickly lifted the photo from a current ebay auction, and after studying the stamping some more it does look suspect. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif

[mrrec]

That pad is a great example......of a fake.
Dave

[JohnZ]

When the BB block was scheduled at the beginning of the assembly line, at the bore air-gage station, its suffix code was scrawled on the side of the block - that's what everyone looked at as it came down the line to tell them what components to install, and that's what the pad stamp operator looked at to select the correct date/suffix gang-stamp holder. The heads went on after the pad was stamped.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif