Nearly forgot. Can you also post us a close up photo of your block's transmission bolt pattern? The bolt pattern question is a favorite. Thanks.
P.S. I'm talking about the side that hooks up an automotive trans, not the marine front side pattern.

I will measure that stuff up and photograph the rest...


Here are my front and rear covers... almost polished. The one that is on the 'rear' of the engine, (opposite to a car) is a pita to polish, hard to get in the small crevices... but it's coming.

And now both housings...

Boy, you got the dirtiest job in town How many tons of abrasives did it already take? Man, I've been there with a couple of intakes.
I once build an engine for one of my crazy buddies. on that one I didn't touch a single polishing abrasive. He was the dedicated shoe shine boy. That's the guy with the hat.

Yes, incredibly dirty, especially since these old castings had a lot of casting marks that had to be ground out. Theo, man that is a serious piece of engine and parts. Some dough spent there.

Chris Craft crazy wrote:Theo, man that is a serious piece of engine and parts. Some dough spent there.

You bet. My aquaintance is a plumber and worked his a## off to pay all those parts. Best of all, the engine endet up being twice as high in prize than if we hadn't to import all those goodies. We payed freight, taxes and customs. If you let '#ummit or PA# sent you a box with 10 $ of value in parts, you'll will spend 20& until you lay your hand on it on the other side of the Atlantic.
I didn't charge him for the labour because it was such a fun project to go through. It is completely blueprinted with BHJ Tools, block casting edges and sharb areas grounded off orr smoothed out, red glyptal,parts went together with a snap. Any serious part you name, we stuffed it in. Custom made forged alum. JE Pistons, Carillo rods, TD machine Roller Rockers, Crane cam, CV Products Pushrods, you name it. I have modified this center oiler FE block to side oiler operation. Lots of out of the order machining, rerouting oil channels etc. It features an internal balanced 428 crank too.
Errh, sorry. Let's get back to MEL.

Some updates, I have be remiss... I took apart my water cooled exhaust manifolds, glass bead blasted them, then primed them with a two part interlux primer. The primer contains phosphoric acid, so it bonds to the bare metal. This was followed by two coats of primocon by interlux, an underwater metal primer... excellent stuff. The zinc chromate in the etching primer makes it appear yellow. The primocon is the silver.
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I used a sanding disc on my grinder to sand out casting marks and get a good finish on the manifolds. Fussy, but I think it's worth it in the end... Here is a finished manifold, a little paint touch up to do, but looking good. I substituted stainless 316 cap screws for the original steel ones, and left them bright.

What material is your polished front and rear cover from? Aluminum would be perfect. If it's cast iron, then you might think about plating them. A clear paint will not stop the polished surfaces to rust underneath, no matter how thoroughfully you've gone with it. A cool vintage looking nickel plating would be attractive, rather than chrome.

The front and rear housings are cast aluminum, so I am going to clear powder coat them.

Hope that this will be enough surface seal? I have no idea how well powder coating works.
In any case, it will be a sharp looking engine.Wow.