Since I'm not building Forum Carbs and Distributors right now, I've been able to concentrate on wrapping up a few projects. Here are a couple of pics just posted up on the C2 Forum of my latest engine project... just want to make sure nobody thinks I'm taking a break from the hobby.... :cheers:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=309170



[Modified by lars, 4:02 PM 5/27/2002]

 

i love the color of it...i like to see people paint there blocks different colors,,my new one thats going in is electron blue.

 

Takin a Break!!! Shoot Looks like your workin harder than ever. Can you give me some tips on where you got the purple paint and distributer cap from. I would really like that to go in my purple vette. Was planning on something like that but was really wondering where on earth I would ever get high temp purple paint from.

 

Armstrong -
"Engine paint" is not actually hi temp paint - it's just plain ol' enamel. Enamel holds up just fine to the exterior temperature of an engine block - the block and exterior surfaces of an engine actually do not get very hot.

But rather than using the cheap-o stuff in a spray can, I shoot all my engines with PPG Delstar catalyzed enamel. You have to use a gun to shoot it, and it's a little expensive compared to the stuff in a can, but it goes on unbelievably good, it creates an incredible gloss and sparkle to the engine, and it lasts forever. It's fuel and oil resistant, and when it gets dirty, just blast it off at the car wash and it glitters like brand new again.

You can have the Delstar mixed in any color you want - but you need to give the PPG dealer a color code to mix to. Also - Delstar cannot be mixed in any of the newer pearl colors - you're limited to solids and metallics. The purple color on my engine is 1998 Dodge Neon Purple (recognize it now...?).

In my article on "Paint Formulas for Restorers" I list the ingredients and the color code for the correct Chevy Engine Orange. Here is a complete list of paint materials and the Chevy Orange mixing Formula. But you can have any color you want mixed up:

(extract from my article):
4. On to the engine. I see guys with nice ‘Vettes using paint out of a cheap spray can that they bought at the local parts store. People with nice ‘Vettes who use spray can paint on their engines should be charged with Vette-abuse, and sentenced to restore Honda Civics for life. If you want your engine to look perfect, to be the perfect, correct color, and to have a durable, lasting finish and shine, you want to shoot it with Delstar catalyzed urethane enamel. Here is the factory-correct color code and the whole mixing formula:

PPG Delstar Chevy Engine Orange, DAR #60524 H
Mixing Formula (1 qt, cummulative):
DMR 400 4.0 units
DMR 405 160.0 units
DMR 464 660 units
DXR 495 680 units
DMR 499 1250 units

Mix the paint 8:6:1 Delstar/DTR601 Reducer/DXR80 Catalyst and shoot it with a paint gun. If you have a new engine back from the machine shop and it’s bare metal, prime the entire engine, block, heads, etc. with PPG DP40LF Epoxy Primer mixed 2:1 with DP402LF Catalyst. You won’t believe how good it will look.

 

:cool:

 

Armstrong -
Forgot the other part of your question...:
The distributor cap is a NAPA black Heavy Duty unit with the thick walls and plated contacts. I then wiped it down with plastic prep, masked off the dwell door and the insides of the towers, primed it with DP epoxy, and painted it with the Delstar. DP epoxy and Delstar sticks like you wouldn't believe to properly prepped plastic....


[Modified by lars, 6:50 PM 5/27/2002]


[Modified by lars, 6:50 PM 5/27/2002]

 

Armstrong-

If you can't shoot your own like Lars suggests, I have seen purple engine enamel at Autozone (if you have those in GA).

 

>Ported Iron heads.

That must be a good head to get 400 HP. Which one did you use?

 

Thanx for setting me striaght on the engine paint. I thought it had some kinda special stuff in it to give it some heat resistant quality. DUH!!!

 

Adam -
Good question on the heads... as you know, stock heads won't pull those types of numbers...
I've been able to get the flow in one of two ways - either go with a set of Edelbrock Performer RPM heads (or one of the other aftermarket heads running just under 200cc runners), or by doing some pretty extensive porting work utilizing actual flow bench data on stock cast iron heads. The problem with the latter approach is that if you charge what your time is worth for the amount of time it takes to get the flow up on the stock heads, you'll exceed $2000 for a pair of heads. That makes the aftermarket heads a total bargain. However, if you're doing the work for friends and don't mind spending the time, you can dump 40 hours of careful grinding and flow testing into basic 1972 4-bbl heads, upgrade them to large valves, do a bunch of bowl work and really work the guide areas and the shapes of the ports, and get the cheap-o iron heads to run the same flow numbers as the GMPP Vortecs. Of course, you have to be a bit on the insane side to do this, but it does work - I've actually run the stuff on the bench to verify the numbers.

The engine shown in the photos has not been on a dyno, so I do not have actual numbers for the engine shown. I built one exactly like this about a year and a half ago (same heads - same type of port work - same cam - same induction) and I did run the thing on an engine dyno. It dyno'ed out at 388 horse and 415 lb-ft torque at its peak (corrected). Not all the way up to 400, but you gotta' admit that's pretty darned close...

I was thinking the purple paint would add 12 horse and put me right at 400...