The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop engine paint

I have seen the engine in the 55 1st series 3100 blue and some gray. Which is right?

truck engine gray, car engine blue

Bill

My 1st series 55 261 is GREEN! FYI

JiMerit Boltr#43,

A green Jobmaster 261 on a 1955 truck would be quite natural (yellow was also supposedly used that year on a 261).

In 1955, a Loadmaster 235 would have been green (but would not have been on a 3100).

I have an unusual situation... as would be my norm

Concerning my '59 3200 project, I have two 261's.
The first was rusty all over so I was starting from scratch. I rebuilt it and researched paint color for it.
I found online, yellow or green was the correct color.
I bought the Detroit Diesel Alpine Green paint and finished it up. It looks great!

OK now for the twist. A '58 1/2 ton truck that I bought for parts from a work buddy had a 261 in it. His grandfather bought the truck new from a local dealership and the engine has never been rebuilt... until I rebuilt it. This engine was like new! Everything was standard size and there wasn't even a ridge in the cylinders... all I had to do was hone them.
This engine was definitely Blue... after the rebuild, I repainted it the same, Chevy Engine Blue.
First off, I would never have expected a 261 to be in that truck. second, the engine color isn't what the net says... oh and one other thing... the "stamping" code on the machined pad near the distributor? There isn't one... the pad is clean.
I don't mean to hi-jack this thread, I just thought I'd state something different concerning the topic. Maybe engine color wasn't a spec adhered to?
Thoughts?
Jerry

Jerry, as you wouldn't expect it in a 1/2T, maybe that 261 was a special order? the lack of a stamped code throws all else out the window

Bill

Thanks for the comment, Bill.
At least I have casting date codes which are correct for the year (as casting codes go).
The color... Blue looks great too and I'm convinced it is correct to that engine.
The end result, it runs and looks great!
My '59 doesn't know it yet, but it's going to be happy when it's reassembled.
Jerry

That blue 261 might be a later replacement engine - it would have been painted whatever color suited the installer and/or the owner. Chevy blue was a common color found in engine shops.

I agree with tclederman, It is likely a replacement engine.
especially if the stamping pad is still untouched. The dealerships
that I worked at just painted them with what was most common, Blue or Grey for most sixes.
I have two 261 engines that were green from new. It is easy today to also get into a debate about grey small blocks in trucks.
Everyone thinks they should be orange like in the cars.