With a new flywheel, clutch and pressure plate installed on the DZ-302, we finally got some decent weather here this week and I rolled the motor outside to hit it with a coat of orange paint so the engine and bell would match up color-wise. I painted the bell last week and this week I painted the block while dusting the edges of the intake (especially around the corners) as the factory often over sprayed these parts back in the day. In mounting the bell housing and the block, I searched around here and also found a nice set of bell housing bolts with dog bone head markings to button it up.
Also, while finding out last fall that the driver's side cover was in fact a service dated part number that must have been changed, I had not removed the passenger side cover until I painted the motor this week. Turns out it has the correct 3932417 valve cover and would in all likeliness be an original from late 69. I did find a single cover last week to correct the other side and I'm now looking for a set of original O rockers as they were changed when the motor was rebuilt back in 2015. That being said, I should be ready to drop the driveline back in during the next week or two and get it running again. Hopefully, I will be driving it in the next few weeks as long as other interruptions are kept at bay. Life's been dealing me with a few delays lately. (lol)
Installed a 26-lb billet flywheel, performance clutch, and pressure plate. ARP hardware was used.
Finally pulled the passenger side cover to find it was actually the right #3932417 part number.
Here's the 403 bell housing after it was painted and matched up to the block using correct original hardware.
While painting the original block, I dusted the edges of the intake both front and rear. Valve cover edges will be dusted later.
Dry fitting the restored exhaust manifolds and smog rails after coating them with high temp VHT clear.