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Would a discolored exhaust cover (half brown) keep you from paying a premium price for an otherwise pristine mid 50s 5.5? If it were a typical condition motor for a cheap price, I wouldn’t hesitate. When you shell out a little more green for a basement queen, what would be the deal killer for you , other than no compression?
Hold on!
The 50’S 5.5s do NOT have a baffle plate under the exhaust cover. The cover you are looking at is all there is. Some paint discoloration is completely normal on those engines. As long as it is only some discoloration on that cover that is no cause for alarm. If the block is discolored then you have evidence of an overheat. At the point I’d price it like parts.
-Ben
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I know this has probably been discussed before, but I couldn’t find it. I have some average motors with this coloration, but I didn’t spend much for them and it was worth the risk. I just never really owned a "pristine" specimen, so I didn’t know for sure. Is this one of those subjects that has a million opinions, or is it pretty well settled?
Just look up the exhaust cover on your motors and see if they have the inner plate. No inner plate = discolored exhaust cover.
Went to pick up a pizza several months ago and parked next to this motorcycle, you could tell it was brand new by the way the pipes/muffler smelled.
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quote beerman57:
Just look up the exhaust cover on your motors and see if they have the inner plate. No inner plate = discolored exhaust cover.
That is a pretty reliable method. Or think of it this way. If it is a 5.5 without a thermostat, or a 3hp Lightwin/JW series, the paint is going to be singed on the exhaust cover.
The 7.5 had the inner exhaust plate, but the 5.5 typically didn’t I was thinking about designing a bunch of these and having them made like I did for the 7.5
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Sounds like it must be a usual occurrence and not from misuse or neglect. I knew I had not seen it on every motor…..even some with a lot of use, it makes sense now. Thanks for the info.
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