Flywheel Inspection Cover
February 5th, 2012, 10:21 AM
#1
Formerly "Shimmer"
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 510
Flywheel Inspection Cover
Am replacing my "missing" flywheel inspection cover. Should it be the same color as the transmission or engine cover? Came from GM parts black. Somewhere I have heard this part was plastic. Got 71 442 TH400.
Thanks!
AL
Thanks!
AL
February 5th, 2012, 04:36 PM
#3
Formerly "Shimmer"
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 510
AL
.
February 5th, 2012, 06:49 PM
#5
Formerly "Shimmer"
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Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 510
February 5th, 2012, 07:00 PM
#6
Connoisseur d'Junque
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: The Hudson Valley
Posts: 21,183
Yeah - I'm not sure where I read this, but the painting technique used at the factory was to pour some paint into a drum full of water. The paint would float in a layer on top, and they would dip the parts in. The thin layer of paint would coat the parts evenly (but perhaps not perfectly, as we know), with minimal excess, but would leave a few small runs.
- Eric
- Eric
February 8th, 2012, 10:32 AM
#8
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 3,158
I think the 1970 cars (and thus likely earlier as well) came originally with a metal cover as that's what I've seen on some "known original" type examples. After that, the math gets "fuzzy"......
>Don't know if production line changed to plastic sometime b/n '70 and '72, if it was a plant specific deal, brand specific deal or what (I have a '72 Buick that has a metal one but don't know the history of that part of the car as well).
>Or....possibly they were all metal for our cars and then GM changed the replacement, parts counter pieces to plastic at some point....that's what the repro places have sold for some time.
Maybe the design/material change was to give the part some slight flexibility to ease removal and installation...the metal ones frequently seem to hit/rub the D side exhaust pipe when you pull them off and install them. You can give them a good whack and get them to go on but that would have scratched the concours finish the factory had on these parts!
Pics below of a metal cover recently took some damage out of.
>Don't know if production line changed to plastic sometime b/n '70 and '72, if it was a plant specific deal, brand specific deal or what (I have a '72 Buick that has a metal one but don't know the history of that part of the car as well).
>Or....possibly they were all metal for our cars and then GM changed the replacement, parts counter pieces to plastic at some point....that's what the repro places have sold for some time.
Maybe the design/material change was to give the part some slight flexibility to ease removal and installation...the metal ones frequently seem to hit/rub the D side exhaust pipe when you pull them off and install them. You can give them a good whack and get them to go on but that would have scratched the concours finish the factory had on these parts!
Pics below of a metal cover recently took some damage out of.
Last edited by 70Post; February 8th, 2012 at 10:37 AM.
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