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Correct Paint Color?

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klutterbutt

klutterbutt

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Does anyone know the correct paint color for the fan/water pump pulley (yellow or black)? Also, does anyone know of a source (other then this extensive BBS knowledge base) where I can find the correct paint colors and plating to restore a 73 Midget, 1275 motor and compartment?

Thanks,

Jim C
73 Midget
66 MGB
 
All 73 MG motors were black. The pully and fan was yellow on 73.
 
Thanks Tom,

Where are you getting your paint scheme info from? I want to paint and plate all parts as original.

FYI, from the Midget/Sprite Forum at Yahoo I got three replies saying the correct color for the pulley is black. What do you say? Are they right or wrong?

Thanks,

Jim C
73 Midget
66 MGB
driving.gif
 
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Actually Tom that was two Black and one Yellow on the other list---and none of them offered up a source for the information.

Jim C
73 Midget
66 MGB
driving.gif
 
Thinking about it, I believe when they went to the black motor, and plastic fan they did paint the pulley black. To tell you the truth now, I'm not sure. I do know with the medal fan they both were yellow, but they never used a medal fan with the 1275.
 
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Thanks again Tom, I painted it black this morning.

Now, how about cleaning the fan? I thought I'd try using dish soap to cut through the dirt and film on the fan. Then a polishing compound and a buffing pad/wheel to bring back the bright yellow shine. I don't want to do anything that will cause it to become imbalanced.

Anyone have any better/easier suggestions?

Jim C
73 Midget
66 MGB
 
Dawn dishsoap will probably cut thru all the grease and crud. I use it to take wax off the car when I'm redoing it, but I've discovered that it's great for taking grime off my hands when I've been working on cars. I wouldn't polish it too much, as you said you don't want it to become imbalanced, plus I don't know if polishing a plastic fan will do much to restore color. Maybe put a thin coat of wax or something to make it easier to clean grime off?
-William
 
After getting all the grime off of it, try scrubbing it with tooth paste and a wet rag.
As long as you don't overdo it, you won't remove enough plastic to be concerned about.
 
Can the fan become imbalanced that easily? My fan was bent, so I bent it back! Put it on and have been driving it since. Should I worry about damaging the water pump bearing? Or could it create a rough idle?
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Jonnyc:
Can the fan become imbalanced that easily? My fan was bent, so I bent it back! Put it on and have been driving it since. Should I worry about damaging the water pump bearing? Or could it create a rough idle?<hr></blockquote>

Here is a thought from an experience I had. You might want to be worried more about serious injury.
My "B" had a metal fan and one of the blades came off while I was driving home from work one day. Not going fast, just normal speed. I didn't know what it was at first but that it made a loud bang and suddenly the car started vibrating badly. I stopped and found the blade sticking through the metal side where the inner fender is. Had this come off when I was reving the motor and looking down into the engine bay, and the angle of flight had been a little higher, I would not be here today. That had enough force to have penetrated well into my brain. The area it penetrated the fender well was just in front of the carburators.
 
Thanks everyone,

I washed the fan in dish soap first and then ran a dry cloth buffing pad over it---that brought back the color. It actually looks like a brand new fan now.

Bassman, I had a blade come off of a 52 Olds (I was 16; my first car) while I was driving it---it went right through the hood on the passenger side. Like you said, I had been working on the engine the nite before and revving it up---a lot.

Here's another thought! Is it possible to leave the fan off and install a puller electric fan instead? I realize anything's possible but I mean leave the fan off and still get sufficient cooling with anti-freeze, oil cooler and electric fan only. That would reduce some of the stress on the water pump pully as well.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by klutterbutt:
Thanks everyone,


Here's another thought! Is it possible to leave the fan off and install a puller electric fan instead? I realize anything's possible but I mean leave the fan off and still get sufficient cooling with anti-freeze, oil cooler and electric fan only. That would reduce some of the stress on the water pump pully as well.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?
hammer.gif
<hr></blockquote>

I have seen this done on cars in shows I have been to, but didn't ask if it worked.
I mounted as large a fan as would mount on the front of the radiator and tried that. It didn't cool as efficiently as the stock fan so I replaced the metal one that broke with a plastic one and left the electric on there for extra hot conditions. Truthfully, I don't seem to have to use the electric very much.
Bob
driving.gif
 
If you mount the electric fan on the engine side of the radiator, it will work much more efficiently than if it is mounted on the front of the radiator.
 
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