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56D500boy

Posted 2016-10-26 7:56 PM (#524515)
Subject: D-500 Engine Colours?

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Location: Lower Mainland BC

Most of the photos I have seen of D-500s show the engine as being silver. Perhaps the same silver that is shown in the youtube video on the 55 Plymouth assembly line. All well and good.

Except my D-500 is kind of turquoise blue. I bought some Plasticote Chrysler Engine Blue rattle can paint yesterday to try but it is way too blue and not nearly turquoise enough.

Anybody know what I should be looking for or whether the turquoise is even correct?

I did paint the water pump manifold with Tremclad Aluminum Rust Paint. Probably not correct factory but better than rusty looking cast iron (in my opinion).

The valve covers will eventually be removed, stripped, media blasted and repainted with a correct red. Any body with a 56 or 57 D-500 know the paint code for the red or what works off the shelf?

OCD minds need to know.

Mopar1

Posted 2016-10-27 11:14 AM (#524558 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

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Location: N.W. Fla.

I believe the '60 Plym /6 was the only engine with turquoise. Your block should be silver, & aluminum paint looks better than silver.

DepsilonD

Posted 2016-10-27 12:44 PM (#524568 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

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As Mopar1 stated, silver/aluminum is the correct color.

56D500boy

Posted 2016-10-27 2:35 PM (#524576 - in reply to #524568)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

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DepsilonD - 2016-10-27 12:44 PM

As Mopar1 stated, silver/aluminum is the correct color.

Hmm...so the fact that the engine is currently turquoise including the painted over D500 number implies what? That the engine was rebuilt at some point?

See attached D500 number (sorry about the dirt and grease - that photo was taken hours after I got the car. It's cleaner now)

Edited by 56D500boy 2016-10-27 2:50 PM

(DaveFsD500EngineNumber_small.jpg)

Attachments
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DaveFsD500EngineNumber_small.jpg (209KB - 97 downloads)

StillOutThere

Posted 2016-10-27 4:54 PM (#524584 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

Location: Under the X in Texas

"Turquoise" -green was a very common color among engine rebuilders for decades. Not all certainly but a high percentage. I'd look for an additional tag somewhere else on the engine - sometimes on front of a head, others on side of the block, sometimes attached to a bolt, sometimes put on with a shallow rivet or two that possibly shows the rebuilder and possibly also journal oversizes. Or if they just did a re-ring and fresh bearings, there may be no tag, but look around.

56D500boy

Posted 2016-10-27 6:58 PM (#524598 - in reply to #524584)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

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StillOutThere - 2016-10-27 4:54 PM "Turquoise" -green was a very common color among engine rebuilders for decades. Not all certainly but a high percentage. I'd look for an additional tag somewhere else on the engine - sometimes on front of a head, others on side of the block, sometimes attached to a bolt, sometimes put on with a shallow rivet or two that possibly shows the rebuilder and possibly also journal oversizes. Or if they just did a re-ring and fresh bearings, there may be no tag, but look around.

Thanks. Could well be (rebuilt) (119,000 miles on the odometer) at some point. No way to know now. The person who owned my car before me, owned it since around 1992 (only 250 miles on the engine while he owned it). *BUT* he now is in a home with Alzheimers

so I will never know the full history of the car.

I will keep an eye out for extra tags on the block somewhere as per your suggestion.

/ Dave F.

Edited by 56D500boy 2016-10-27 7:31 PM

StillOutThere

Posted 2016-10-27 8:56 PM (#524608 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

Location: Under the X in Texas

There are almost always more unanswered questions than ones that can be answered. These weren't chauffeur driven cars with English style log books of mileage and maintenance and all, unfortunately. We find what we can and discover what is needed next.

56D500boy

Posted 2016-10-27 9:45 PM (#524609 - in reply to #524608)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

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StillOutThere - 2016-10-27 8:56 PM There are almost always more unanswered questions than ones that can be answered. These weren't chauffeur driven cars with English style log books of mileage and maintenance and all, unfortunately. We find what we can and discover what is needed next.

Understood. I don't think that I will change the engine colour at this point. It was literally just starting me in the face as I replaced the D500's water pump with a NOS pump. I just got a NOS 165 deg thermostat as shown below and with a new thermostat housing gasket. I will be removing the thermostat housing and cleaning in that area. I would paint too but I will pass for now. However, I am going to paint the oil filler/breather pipe and cap (there is a bracket for the tube that is held by one of the thermostat housing bolts that I can now remove). I'll do the tube in aluminum and the cap in semi-gloss black (I have one of the "V8" stickers to put on it).

Eventually I am going to get this engine started!!

Edited by 56D500boy 2016-10-27 9:51 PM

(165Deg55_56Thermostat_small.jpg)

Attachments
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165Deg55_56Thermostat_small.jpg (158KB - 95 downloads)

StillOutThere

Posted 2016-10-28 8:40 AM (#524632 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

Location: Under the X in Texas

There you go. No great rush, the hobby teaches patience through stuff like this. A correct MoPar bellows stat (now rare). Good on ya for using that. Enjoy the car, don't sweat it.

LD3 Greg

Posted 2016-10-29 12:11 AM (#524671 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: RE: D-500 Engine Colours?

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Key words. Tremclad and Chryco. Where in Canada do you live? I love cars with crossed flags! As a teenager we used to street race a cross flagged car. Made all our spending money until nobody would race us!!

Greg

56D500boy

Posted 2016-10-29 3:02 AM (#524675 - in reply to #524671)
Subject: RE: D-500 Engine Colours?

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LD3 Greg - 2016-10-29 12:11 AM Key words. Tremclad and Chryco. Where in Canada do you live? I love cars with crossed flags! As a teenager we used to street race a cross flagged car. Made all our spending money until nobody would race us!! Greg

I'm in New Westminster (suburb of Vancouver along with Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver, etc.) (I'm sure you knew that).

I see you're in Ontariario. I did my Ph.D. at the U of T and was there 3 years (79-82). Got around a lot of Ontario while we there. Also much later I did some consulting work out the company's Mississauga office (since moved to Markham). Haven't been there since 2009 or 10. Retired in 2010. Was heavily into Audi's until I decided to find a 56 Dodge or Plymouth to play with.

Edited by 56D500boy 2016-10-29 1:14 PM

Mopar1

Posted 2016-10-29 12:32 PM (#524698 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

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Posts: 3033
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According to info published by Summit, cyl wall wear is 3 times higher with a 160 vs a 180/190 thermostat.

StillOutThere

Posted 2016-10-29 1:25 PM (#524704 - in reply to #524515)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

Location: Under the X in Texas

In the American Manufacturers Assoc. (AMA) data sheets, completed and submitted by Chrysler Engineering, the 1956 D500 thermostat is specified as 157 to 162 degrees using a "choke-pellet" type thermostat. I, for one, don't like to disagree with Chrysler engineers who receive high salaries (in the day) and do hours of testing to make their decisions and choices.

56D500boy

Posted 2016-10-29 2:33 PM (#524707 - in reply to #524704)
Subject: Re: D-500 Engine Colours?

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StillOutThere - 2016-10-29 1:25 PM In the American Manufacturers Assoc. (AMA) data sheets, completed and submitted by Chrysler Engineering, the 1956 D500 thermostat is specified as 157 to 162 degrees using a "choke-pellet" type thermostat. I, for one, don't like to disagree with Chrysler engineers who receive high salaries (in the day) and do hours of testing to make their decisions and choices.

Being an engineer, I'm with you, i.e. they knew what they were doing (I *hope*

). The 165 F deg was also recommended to me by my NOS parts source who was a Mopar mechanic for at least 35 years.

Interesting that the D-500 Service Bulletin that I posted last week doesn't mention the thermostat. Can you post a jpg scan of the AMA data sheet? I have some for the 56 Dodges (saved from the internet) but they don't mention thermostat info either.