1952/53 Power steering and oil filter colors

[Jim Salmi #21340]

The Class 14 Authenticity Manual says that oil filter canisters are semi-gloss black.  Because the water pump and its mounting bolts are painted blue, I would assume that the water pump was installed prior to the engine being painted.  Since the oil filter assembly shares two common bolts with the water pump, it also would have been there prior to painting.  Therefore, wouldn't it also be blue (if factory installed)?

I'm also confused about the power steering reservoir color.  My '52 has a blue power steering pump and oil filter assembly.  Both have what appears to be the original white lettering, so that must have been their original color.  My car came with both accessories installed, according to the original invoice, so I'm doubtful they were add-ons (who knows ).

These questions apply to my '52 and another member's '53.  Anybody got a thought?  Is this possibly an error on the authenticity manual, or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance for your help

[P W Allen CLC# 20193]

Jim,

I've done a lot of reasearch on this subject when doing over my 53. My car had the factory installed oil filter and power steering. when doing these parts over, I found no indication whatsoever of the oil filter and brackets or the power steering pump itself, had ever been painted blue.
The following to the best of my knowledge and belief is correct for a 53 Cadillac. I cannot speak of the 52's they may be different.

1. Engine: Blue, including the crankshaft pulley and water pump.

2. Fan: Semi Gloss black.

3. Fan Pulley: Blue.

4. Power Steering Pump including tank: Semi Gloss black. Decal on lid.

5. Power Steering Pump Pulley: Blue with decal.

6. Power Steering Pump Mounting Brackets: Blue

7. Generator: Semi Gloss Black, front and rear bearing housings are unpainted, including the fan.

8. Generator Pulley: Semi Gloss Black.

9. Generator Mounting and tension adjusting bracket: Blue

10. Oil Filter: Semi Gloss Black, including mounting brackets.

11. Oil Filter steel supply and return lines: Blue.

12. Oil Filler Cap/Breather: Semi Gloss Black with decal.

13. Air Cleaner: Gloss Black with decal.

Note: I'm posting a few photos. One here and another in a second post. The white lettering on the valve covers is INcorrect for a 53. I liked the look, so I did it anyway.

[P W Allen CLC# 20193]

Here's the other.

[Jim Salmi #21340]

Paul and Archie, thanks for the feedback and pictures.

Archie's car seems to correspond with mine, although mine could have been altered over the years.  I'm pretty sure the hood is not original.  The water pump was from a '56.  I've long suspected that something fell on this car, and maybe my oil filter and power steering pump might be from another, later vintage parts car.  I wonder if the '54-'56s followed the same colors.

Paul, why do you say your white script on the valve covers is incorrect?  The Authenticity manual says it IS correct.  It sure looks nice, and it seems like every "finished" car of this vintage is done that way.

Isn't there some book or source that would show color photos taken when these cars were brand new?  You would think so.  Or at least, some documentation of the sequence when the engines were being assembled?

I just can't understand how the blue engine paint wouldn't get on the oil filter canister.  The only way I can see it would be if they put it on after painting, which would have meant taking the two water pump bolts off, slipping the filter on, and then rebolting.  Why would they do that-it doesn't seem efficient and these were, after all, still production cars.

As an aside, I can't imagine how you would determine authenticity on the stuff from the '30s back.  You would have almost no "originals" that you could rely on as a guide.

[P W Allen CLC# 20193]

Jim,

I would say that items like oil filters, power steering pumps, air conditioning compressors, generators, starters, carburettors and the like were installed as finished, painted assemblys after the engine was painted. Removing and replacing a few water pump bolts to install an oil filter would take a matter of seconds on an assembly line. This would all be done before the front clip was installed, so the access was easy. As to why your and Archie's filters are blue? I don't know. Maybe they were blue in 52. I too, would love to see a color photo of our cars under the hood when new, but I've never seen one. We have to go by unmolested original cars that still exist. As for the white lettering on the valve covers. I don't have the manuel in front of me here, but it is my understanding that the white lettering was dropped after 1950. I agree that it really looks nice and is kind of a "finishing touch" so to speak.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

Oil filter was optional at that time. So it was probably installed late on the assembly line, at least after engine installation on frame - i.e., long after engine painting.

BTW, my '52 was born without oil filter or power steering, so I can't help you guys about their color.


And, I always wondered about the incredible thinness of original paint layer, compared to what can be seen on restored cars. Is it because they had a special painting process at the factory, or were they only greedy on paint ?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Philippe, they were greedy! The paint had to be there just for delivery; after a few months the car was out of the warrynty, therefore no claim possible after a short time. Furthermore, the cars were never intended to be more than 10 years old...

Roger

[Brad Ipsen CLC #737]

I just did a 50 engine and find these paint questions interesting.  This core engine was really rough and was not much help as a model for correct paint scheme but I did find one thing that I found interesting (this may be sad in itself that I find this interesting).  The fuel pump mounting bolt tip (not the head but the opposite end) was painted blue.  This means that the bolt was in place when the engine was painted which in turn must mean the fuel pump was in place.  It doesn't make sense to me that these bolts would be in place without the fuel pump being in place.  The fuel pump was not painted so maybe some crude masking took place to explain some of these things.  As stated previouly the paint was extremely thin also so they may have done some wiping off after painting.  They may have also had some very sharp cutoff paint guns.  In any case how this is done in restoration is over restoration.  The factory just would not be as careful as we do it and the thin paint that doesn't stick to the sheet metal parts very well just won't do. 

[Jim Salmi #21340]

Hard to imagine they would have gone through the trouble to mask off the fuel pump.  You would think they would consider a pretty blue fuel pump more attractive to the buyers anyway.  I wonder if the mounting bolts were in place to keep paint from plugging up the threads when the engine went through the paint booth  .

Too bad YouTube wasn't around-we might have film of them being assembled.  As it is, any still photos from this vintage would likely as not be black and white, which wouldn't help much.

[Philippe M. Ruel]

The machined flange on oil filling pipe is supposed to receive a gasket, not paint. The bolts may have held some sheet metal obturator during the painting process, a few obturators would be re-used during a year's engine production.

And, of course, carburetor base, exhaust ports, distributor base and engine/transmission flange would have their obturating devices as well. For water inlets/outlets, any rug would do the job.

[Jim Salmi #21340]

You're right, Archie, it IS a disease.  I'm really inclined to believe all blue was how both our cars were made.  I wonder if the date of manufacture has anything to do with it (my VIN is 526252xxx).  Mine was assembled very late in the model year.  I wonder if earlier cars were different.  That could explain things, too.

[Joe G]

This topic has come up before; maybe searching the archives would bring it up.
I'm not sure about the '53 year, but on the '49 thru '52 models the filter canister and cover was dark blue engine color just like the rest of the engine if it was installed at the factory (makes sense to me....nobody stops a production line to mask off anything).
Many cars did not come with the optional filters . The dealer installed A-C (general motors product) filters installed after the fact were a lighter blue with orange covers. Same unit; different paint job. These NOS ones pop up on ebay every now and then with the Cadillac part number on them.
As far as black ones per the authenticity manual, I don't know about that. Maybe in '53? There were a lot of aftermarket types out there that probably were black; I've seen lots of those on various types of cars

Joe Gibeault 12138 ('50 and '55 Cads).

[Jim Salmi #21340]

How's this for a theory?

Factory installed oil filters got painted blue, along with the rest of the engine.  Dealer installed were black, because they were a generic filter that was being installed on other GM cars as well.  They weren't specific to Cadillac.  The factory just sent out batches of the same thing to all dealers.  Oil filters were being offered on the other GM makes, weren't they?

I need to get a lilfe.  I think I saw one over there behind that old Packard.   

[Roger Zimmermann]

The authenticity manual says for 1954-56 cars: Semi-gloss black: cooling fan (but not its bolts or spacer), power steering reservoir and pump, oil filter assembly, power brake bracket, radiator and core support plus other parts not relevant in the discussion.

Basically, the 54-56 have the same configuration. Why was there a change in the colors?

Roger

[Jim Salmi #21340]

Thanks, Roger.  Sounds like the Class 15's were the same as 14's.