I have my card and distributor off the engine right now awaiting a rebuild on the carb. and a new distributor. I think this would be a great time to clean and paint the engine bay. My Questions are, does anybody sell plates that will cover the carb and distributor holes to keep degreaser and water out when cleaning and painting?

Thanks, Tim

 

I just finished detailing my engine yesterday. I used old valve covers that I kept and took the good ones off and replaced them temporarily with the old. I don't care about paint getting on them. Next, I wrap the carb, the distributor, and anything else I do not want to paint in aluminium foil; then I sprayed the endine. No runs, no drips, and no errors. AWorked like a char,

 

Gosh, I cannot spell on this computer!!!!

 

Id just stuff a rag inside to catch everything then fine a walmart sack to tape over both holes

Miles

 

You could get a engine lift plate to cover the carb hole, but for the dist. about the only thing I could think of is a junk one in its place.

 

Good quality masking tape worked for me. Tin foil workes great to cover odd shaped pieces (hoses, relays, etc..)
I used Eastwood "One Shot" paint for the engine. Two part paint with hardener that's good to 300*, that sprays or brushes on. No brush marks, and really hardens after the first heat cycle (start up). I've done both...spray on and brush. Brushing eliminated extensive masking & dis-assembly on installed 350. Spraying bare 400 block came out near the same as brush.

350 after 2K miles


400 freshly spray painted


Eddie

 

Pull the eng amd do it right!!!!
Only extra labor and alittle more paint for a top rate job!!!

 

I painted the motor of my '65 while still in the car but than pulled the motor out of my '78 to paint it and it's MUCH, MUCH easier to do it out of the car and it's comes out better also.

As far as covering the holes, I used wadded up paper towels to stuff in the exhaust holes, tin foil to cover the valves, and i also removed the aluminum intake to clean that seperately so used painters tape and masking paper to cover the valley.

 

Thanks Guys, I'm too new to the game and don't have a engine hoist or any experience with pulling the engine. I know the paint isn't going to be great but it will look alot better than it does now

 

for what it's worth, I had never pulled an engine out previous to doing the one in my '78 two years ago either. I borrowed a hoist and an engine stand from friends.
pulling the motor itself wasn't all that difficult once you get over the intimidation factor of never having done it before.

If you still insist on painting the motor while still in the car than realize it's a lot more difficult and much more difficult to do. You also want to make sure you mask off EVERYTHING else in the engine bay and the body so that you don't get overspray on anything.

i painted my '65 motor while still in the car (still think I should have pulled it)
After painting the block itself, I than masked off the rest of the motor to paint the top mounting surface of the heads silver to look nice after reinstalling the intake since some surface area of those show past the edges of the intake.
this picture will give you an idea of how careful I masked off the rest of the engine bay to protect it from overspray



BTW, the body was completely covered in plastic to protect that also. The red you see in the lower corner was a fender protector, not the car's paint