The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 261 paint job

Greetings!
I am tearing down the 261 that was in my 48 2T truck (it was a replacement from the original 235) it was swapped out sometime in the 50's. The paint that is flaking off still is yellow and I want to repaint it the original color, so I was wondering if anybody knows what the color name/number to match it today, as well as what "brand" to use for the high-heat area of the engine.

Also, I was wondering if the oil pressure gauge in the dash (0-60psi) is correct for that engine.

Thanks for the info.

An oil pressure gauge that reads 0-60 will work fine with a 261 engine.

No one knows an original paint code for the yellow or green paint used on various years of 261 engines.

Maybe someone will post a yellow code that they have used, and post a link to a photo of their painted 261 engine.

Not all 261's were painted yellow, correct? I read that they only did that for 2 years (53-54, I think??)

I need to paint my 58-62 261 block and was wondering what color (Green?) would be correct or close..

** The green paint I used (got the information from another stovebolter} some time ago on my 261 is * Dupli-Color Engine Enamel called DE1618 Detroit Diesel Alpine Green purchased at O'Reilly's. Looks really nice.**

Here is a list of engine paint colors.

Here are locations of engine block/head date casting codes.

Thanks guys!

I'm working on a 1957 261 that was originally yellow, consistent with Tim's post. If your engine was originally yellow, the date code should place it as a 1957 as that was a one year only color, but Chevy wasn't always precise about engine colors and would use what they had until it ran out from what I have read.

When I did some research about what shade of yellow to use, I found some posts elsewhere that stated that Old Caterpillar Yellow was a very close match.

I also discovered that Old Caterpillar Yellow has been discontinued by most paint manufacturers and replaced with New Caterpillar Yellow, which supposedly a different shade. I was able to find some Krylon Farm and Implement Old Caterpillar Yellow with a Google search, but it was very expensive and I was concerned that I'd never be able to find it again in the future if I needed touch-ups or had to paint a replacement part.

I ended up using Rustoleum Farm Equipment John Deere Yellow. It seems to be a close match to the yellow that I was able to uncover on the engine under several layers of Chevy orange paint. I like the look and can post pix if you want. I found the best price at Home Depot if ordered online with free shipping delivered to the store for me to pick up, $22.56 for a case of six cans.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ole...-Spray-Paint-Case-of-6-7443830/202058760

I am colorblind, so I can't be a great judge of paint shades. My wife helped me.

Matt

Thanks guys,
That is what I will do, find a yellow that is close. I am a John Deere fan so the JD Yellow sounds good/looks good/works for me.

Got any photos of the original yellow?

Chris,

Links to photos have been posted in the past (I'll look for them). As I recall, there were different shades, which would be expected due to aging, different hues at different times/plants, and color-rendering error due to different cameras, scanners, digital-storage, and digital display.

I have seen two supposedly original "yellow" painted 261s (one still owned by Bob Adler, and one on a truck at a show).

Shades of gray/green for 235/261 engine pants (especially 1954 and later) offer as much or more confusion and variability (as you know).

I'll edit/ad links to photos of yellow 261:
- old thread
- Cosmo posted links to photos, but the links no longer work
- cannot find other older links/photos - dead links
- results from a Google search

These are the best pictures that I could find. I know that I took some others that showed lots more of the yellow after I stripped off more of the orange paint with a turbo nozzle on my pressure washer, but I can't find them. I'll post if I can find them.

The reason you won't see any yellow on the block itself is because the engine came out of a '57 cement mixer with a replacement '64 block. Everything on the engine except the block had the yellow paint.

http://s844.photobucket.com/user/ma...1318_zpsiifxozvj.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

Matt