engine painting advice
 

i'm painting up my 1970 400 short block with some factory match plastikote paint at this point while waiting for my edelbrock heads and valvetrain and intake to come from sd performance..... i just need advice on if i should paint the e-heads and intake blue as well or leave them natural.... is there clear coat i can put on them to keep them nice or?

i like the look of just leaving the top end natural aluminum looking but i'm thinking if i paint them it might look a little more like a factory raiv motor ..... what do the experts recommend?

I removed the name and painted mine, looks stock to the non-Pontiac crowd. I wish they would have fixed the oil drain back problem.

If you use tall spring cups on the rear intake and exh valve in each head, the oil contamination problem is solved.
Your spring seats my need to be cut to use them with your springs.

what oil drain back problem? do you just sand the edelbrock name off?

painted heads
 

I've recently done exactly what you are thinking. Complete with Ram Air IV intake.
The engine is back in the car and I'm pleased with how it looks. The body shop shot clear coat on everything.
The Heads made a huge difference. My stock "13" heads flowed 190 cfm, compared to 290 with the new heads. Butler designed the hyd. roller cam, heads etc.
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...03178small.jpg

Dan--Did you have any issues with the roller lifters hitting that valley pan?

pan
 

No problem with the pan, but the lifters did tap the valve cover oil speaders.
We just bent the small spreaders closer to the inside of the cover and all is good.

With a roller motor, it will red line real fast. I highly recommend a rev limiter.

geez you know that does look pretty nice too with it all painted up, i'm still undecided what to do yet.... i'm thinkin if i was goin to run original looking raiv exhaust manifolds i'd paint the whole engine but since i'm goin to be running ceramic coated headers i might leave the heads and intake not painted cause it might look better....

looks
 

Here is a picture of stock heads painted and clear coated, with RA II ceramic silver coated exhaust.
Edelbrock heads run cooler and the paint lasts longer.http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...nghosed/32.jpg

this is what i ended up doin....

nice
 

The motor looks good! My paint is still on the heads, but is starting to turn a bit yellow.

Steve Mag> how are you, ron says you still are porting heads on the side, thats gr8. which spring cups do you recomend, i am pretty sure thats a problem i need to rectify on my eheads. thanks JeffR>

steve magnotti look here :)
 

hey steve, do you happen to have a part number for the taller spring cups? how much taller are they .250? i have been battling a highrpm detonation problem that i think is oil contamination but havent been able to verify, so i d like to try this. thanks Jeff