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Orange Valve Cover

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Johnny View Drop Down
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    Posted: Oct/09/2017 at 8:06pm
My 63 American 440 convertible has the 2 bbl carb and "twin stick" trans. The engine looks like it might not be original (can't read the numbers) and has an orange valve cover that looks like an original color. I have seen a few pictures of other engines with the same color valve cover. Were they something special, out of a different model, year, or just repainted.
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tomj View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/10/2017 at 12:04am
i'm not so great at knowing all the 'factory correct' details, but if only the valve cover is orange, and the block adn head are a different color(s), it's not original. rare is it that much of these things are 'factory original' after 50 years on the road.

1965, at least, had orange engines. 

valve covers do vary in design though. 63 should have the vented valve cover; in the front edge (bewhind the thermostat housing) should be a single "louver", and at the back, a 1/2" diameter hole. both are baffled inside, with coarse steel wool. (63 has PCV, i forget when that started).

65 valve covers, depending on 49 state vs. CA, may or may not have the louver/hole. 65 oil cap/dipstick differ too, most are vented (holes undre the edge) and packed with coarse metal wool (likely rotted out by now), but some have no holes, and a different PCV system and hose to the air cleaner. that stuff's in the '65 TSM.

you don't want to have the 65-no-hole valve cover on an engine not designed for it. water condensation forms in it -- i know because i did that. 

i have personally owned either 4 or 5 of these engines (all but one parts engines) and only one of those has fairly certain evidence of being completely unmolested. every other one had been rebuilt; overbored, one at .060" and looked like twice rebuilt. people ran these things long and hard.

i would assume nothing is stock or as it "should be". it's not a big deal, just check stuff when you to go work on it or replace parts, is all. in the "nash" era, stuff changed without notice and often (like connecting rods) completely different parts have the same casting number!

1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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farna View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/10/2017 at 6:11am
Most of those engines/valve covers were red, except for 64+ which were a turquoise. The orange/red color may have been a CA only engine, I'm not familiar with that as a factory color. I wonder if it's a heat/time faded red?  Some engines used a different color for CA emissions specific engines, but I only have a 1971 color for CA listed -- and that is red (for all 1971 CA emissions engines). That was the first year CA had major differences. After that all CA engines were the same color as others.


Edited by farna - Oct/10/2017 at 6:17am
Frank Swygert
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FSJunkie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FSJunkie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/10/2017 at 8:44pm
I've seen red 232's from the mid-1960s. I think they were all the optional 2bbl carburetor. I'd say engines with the 2bbl were painted red.  
1955 Packard
1966 Marlin
1972 Wagoneer
1973 Ambassador
1977 Hornet
1982 Concord D/L
1984 Eagle Limited
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Johnny View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Johnny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/11/2017 at 8:16pm
I feel better now knowing that when I repaint the orange valve cover to RAMPART RED, and the turquoise head and orange engine block to GRAY it will look more like the original.

The existing orange cover has no holes and the turquoise head has the oil filter bracket on the left side.

Thanks for the info.
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tomj View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/11/2017 at 8:42pm
we're down in the weeds of trivia here, but the '65 TSM shows a lot of little details for CA-only and different PCVs and the dipstick vents and all that little stuff.

if you have a good working PCV system that unvented valve cover is probably OK. might just check it though, its just two screws, make sure it's not wet or rusted in there.

red, orange, ... it "looks" orange to me, but hey, YMMV, and as frank says, coulda faded. or AMC red just looks orange-red. -5 concours points! lol
1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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