56 Mercury Valve Covers

[Jlau]

Hello! We are restoring a 56 Montclair. The correct paint under the hood for this engine is Blue air cleaner and silver valve covers with blue lettering. Do we have to use high temp engine paint on the valve covers? We have an abundant supply of the Argeant Silver paint to use for various parts under the hood. Can we use that for the valve covers? Thanks, John

 

[Oldmics]

While there were a few different paint schemes for the 56 Mercury engine, your selection using Argent on the valve covers with blue lettering signifys a 235 H.P engine installed after a date code of 162V.


162V = Feb 21st,1956
1=Cleveland engine plant #1
6=1956
2=Feb
V=21st day (letter I is skipped)


These engines included a camshaft upgrade that increased the horsepower from the original 225 to the 235.


Also was the fiber tag attached to the generator mounting bracket.The tag would bare the number 322 if a Holly carb is used and a 323 if a Carter carb is installed.


Oldmics

 

[scicala]

Oldmics,


Thank you. I love the details like this.


Sal

 

[Daves55Sedan]

Fomoco did use Argent silver enamel for all the Ford full-size car air-cleaners and the paint is very durable, retains it's glossy finish even over decades of wear. If it were me, I would try it on the valve covers without painting the letters initially in case it doesn't hold up under the heat. At the worst case, you may need to remove the covers again, strip the damaged paint and re-finish with high-heat stuff.

 

[KULTULZ]

Mercury had plenty of news under that hood as well, with the introduction of the 312-cu.in. Y-block V-8 for 1956. Only a couple of years removed from Ford's flathead era, by 1956, Ford's Y-block was doing yeoman service for all of the Blue Oval's divisions. Within the fenders of every Montcalm was a version of a 312-cu.in. Y-block overhead-valve, push-rod V-8.

The base level, when coupled with a three-speed manual, featured 8.0:1 compression to produce 210 hp, though very few Montclair buyers had any interest in shifting their own gears. Merc-O-Matic-equipped cars came with 8.4:1 compression and made 215 hp. The optional engine, with 9.0:1 compression, was good for 225 hp. The best part for all Montclair buyers in 1956 was that even the lowest-spec engine produced quite a bit more power than 1955's 292-cu.in. variant of the Y-block.

Late in the 1956 model year, during the spring, Ford engineers added a hotter camshaft to the higher-compression engine, with a Mercury-specific part number no less. Along with either a Carter or Holley carburetor, the updated engine made 235 horsepower, earning it the M235 moniker from Mercury.

To distinguish the M235 from lesser 312s, they also specified argent silver gray valve covers, still stamped with the word "Mercury" in blue letters, but also featuring a long, horizontal Thunderbird-esque decal that had "M235" written on it as well.

SOURCE- https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2014/08/The-Big-M----1956-Mercury-Montclair/3740381.html