engine finish

[Amy McKenna]

I am having my '67 230SL engine rebuilt. The car is a driver. I am not going over board but my objective is to preserve it and keep it looking good for the next 50 years.
Depending on the metal; paint, plating or powder coating will be done.
What  color/finish should be used for the following:
1. exhaust manifold
2. fuel lines
3. radiator fan
Many thanks for any insight!

[mBdrvr]

Hi Amy,

I hope all is well.

To answer your questions:

The exhaust manifold is unpainted and will be rusty but the intake manifold will be unpainted but will not be rusty. The radiator fan is also unpainted.

The fuel lines and many other parts were originally cadmium plated but they will have become bare metal over time. I recently had all these parts replated by Detray Plating in Missouri. They did a reasonably good job. The attached picture of a similar engine bay should give you a good idea of what it should look like.

Best,

Paul Greenblatt

[wwheeler]

Hi Amy,

The exhaust manifold is unpainted and will be rusty but the intake manifold will be unpainted but will not be rusty. The radiator fan is also unpainted.

The fuel lines and many other parts were originally cadmium plated but they will have become bare metal over time. I recently had all these parts replated by Detray Plating in Missouri. They did a reasonably good job. The attached picture of a similar engine bay should give you a good idea of what it should look like.


Best,

Paul Greenblatt

This will for sure set off a lively debate but....
My understanding is that the exhaust manifolds came with a grey, white unknown coating that didn't last all that long. Most have long since burned off leaving rusty cast iron.

The fuel lines in the picture are probably Zinc plated and more specifically yellow zinc. Any CAD plating from the factory would have more likely been "clear" CAD which is a dullish silver. Zinc isn't as durable as CAD and why many of these parts are back down to the metal surface.

I have also heard that the fans may have been a gold anodized color, but I cannot confirm that.

[Jonny B]

The attached picture is one of the standard reference items. It is from the MB 280 SL sales brochure in 1969. An excellent reference item, but is for an early 280 SL, the glaring items are the brake vacuum line, which is the whitish plastic later, and the top of dipstick for the auto trans, which is a black rubber in the later cars.

[Benz Dr.]

I've been getting my cast manifolds coated in a natural cast iron color.  Old manifolds are sand blasted and then coated inside and out with a baked on material. It doesn't come off and all rusting is stopped. This material also helps to hold some heat inside the manifolds which helps to reduce under hood temps. 

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi, Amy,

Good to learn that you still have the Pagoda.

The 230s originally came with a whitish 4 blade plastic fan.
This may have been changed to a later metal 6 blade fan with a viscous coupling.
Depends what you have on your car.

naj

[Amy McKenna]

Thanks all for all your help!!! It is nice to connect with old friends who I have met on tours over the  years!

[280SE Guy]

Hello Amy,

There are many interpretations on the original color of the exhaust manifolds. Based on a factory photo I have I based my interpretation that the originals were white in color. I know there are other opinions. Here is an enlarged section of the referenced photo.



I had my exhaust manifolds ceramic coated by Swain Tech Coatings located in New York http://swaintech.com/race-coatings/race-coating-descriptions/white-lightning-exhaust-coatings/]http://swaintech.com/race-coatings/race-coating-descriptions/white-lightning-exhaust-coatings/[/url]. Here is a picture of them installed on Anthracite:



Good luck with your project. I know you have seen Anthracite before but as you don't live that far away if you would like to stop by with your note pad you would be welcomed to see an original engine bay, even though it's not an SL.



Regards.

[wwheeler]

My '60 220SE actually has some of what I believe is the factory color on the exhaust manifold and it is a grey/white very similar to 280SE guy's color. At some point in it's life, someone painted over the grey/white color with a silver paint. I believe the silver paint helped to prolong the life of the grey/white coating. So I have a mélange of finishes ranging from silver, grey/white where the silver flaked off and rust where everything came off.

Based on this, I would say the grey/white is correct for 1960 anyway. Not sure when of if they switched the finish. I will take some pictures and post tonight.

[mbzse]

.../...the original color of the exhaust manifolds. Based on a factory photo I have I based my interpretation that the originals were white in color.../...

This was certainly so.  I would say an off white shade.  And like Wallace stated, this thin factory paint did not last very well, thus the rusty appearance in most of our cars today.
See pic attached
/Hans in Sweden
.

[wwheeler]

Here are the exhaust manifold pictures from the '60 220SE. The first shows the grey/white color and where there is no color, it is rust. The next shows both the silver topcoat and the grey/white underneath that. Again rust where there is no color. The silver paint is most definitely on top of the grey/white. The fact that it matches Hans' picture seems consistent.

[280SE Guy]

I think there is an agreement that the exhaust maniflold were originally white not black or a true grey. I can't imagine how many "whites" there are out there. With the numerous heat cycles over 45 years, lack of cleaning, rust, and oxidation looking at the finish that might remain on the manifolds today would be hard to describe as the original look. One might never know unless someone has access to the original paint formulation applied by Mercedes. I'll just continue to say they were originally white in color.

Regards,

280SE Guy

[wwheeler]

I think we all saying the same thing here. As far as the exact shade of white - grey, antique, beige. Who knows unless we have a completely unused NOS piece.  The important thing is that it is not natural cast iron, black or silver. I am certainly not saying that the white on my manifold is the correct shade. It has 56 years of grime, rust staining and exposure. Probably the only reason it looks as good as it does is because of the incorrect silver topcoat that protected the factory white coating.   

[49er]

here is a not so good picture of mine. Light grey with a nice patina around the edges

John