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jlaird

jlaird

Great Pumpkin
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I was under the impression that engines and transmissions that were painted gold were factory special built units for the raceing folks.

However in a short conversation with Jolly he said that they were "factory rebuilds or replacement units".

Can anyone shead some light on this?

In addition, if these indeed are factory rebuilt/replacement units did they mark in some way factory raceing or raceing team items?

Did these gold painted items have a special name?

Hay, Christmas is over time to post strange questions.

Jack
 
Jack, I think Jolly is right. The units were called "Gold Seal Replacement Units." They were just factory rebuilds, nothing particularlly special about them.
A friend used to run the BMC factory team on the west coast, and still has one of the original factory race engines, in the crate, and it's just painted black, with no special markings that I ever noticed.
But, the internals are far from being the stock pieces.
Jeff
 
Oh I am not questoning Jolly, I would expect he is spot on. Would think it is me that was confused or had the wrong scoup.

Do you supose factory raceing engines and transmissions were all black then?

The only reference I could find on the web.

"many of the later engines were fitted with +.020" oversize followers. I would guess that this was a technique used on 'Gold Seal' replacement units, where the tappet bores in the block, had worn, but I can find no reference to it in any of the literature."
 
Some new cars were sold with the 'Gold Seal' engines, quality being what it was at the factory.
 
Jack, going with Tony's comment, it wouldn't surprise me that oversized lifters would be fitted at the factory to alleviate a quality problem.
But, I don't think that the black engines were of any significance. The engine my friend has is a 1275, and black was the standard color for that particular vintage engine. I've never seen a tranny, other than a gold seal, that was finished in any color other than the bare aluminum. Maybe some of the early Bugeye trannies were painted the same green as the engine, but I won't swear to that. I've seen those on a restoration, but that may have just been owner preference.
Jeff
 
Ok, thanks, enlighting.

Sure glad you guys know your stuff.
 
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