FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Some of the engine parts on my FC are painted blue. Starter motor, coil, distributer and regulator. Could this be the original colour or has someone gone berserk with a spray pack? Should they be black ?        

Assuming you have a "grey" motor:

Starter motor should be black.

Bosch regulators have a black cover, Lucas have an aluminium cover

Coils are either aluminium or painted grey to match the engine.

Distributors are not painted, bakelite style caps are generally reddish brown or black.

Hi Guys.

Sorry to parially disagree, Fast_Eddie, but FB/EK/EJ grey motors do have blue starters & coils can be blue, these are the old tin-can type.

Also the body of most early Bosch distributors is also blue. It's blue is a 'hammer-tone' blue darker than the coils & starters.

I've also seen many Bosch regulator covers in blue & also orange off different models.

Maybe Ken has the definitive answer on this one.

Dr Terry

And to further add to Dr Terrys post,
in the earlier greys (fj) they do have orange attachments for the Bosch electricals.
Matt

heres a pic of a Bosch regulator with a blue cover
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/58feute/Ute%20Stuff/DCP_0897.jpg)
The regulator on my ute is black and has
 

• 
  BOSCH
  GERMANY (in smaller letters than BOSCH)
  The Blue one has not got Germany on the cover
  
  Also the Bosch coil on my ute has no paint left on it but
  the new one( part no.7409557) with GMH 12V and part no. in raised letterers & numbers is painted black

The bosch reg in the picture is the same as the one in my FC. It looks like Dr Terry has come up with the correct answer as my engine is from an EJ. Thank you to all who answered my Questions.
Cheers, Spanner.  :)

Hey FE_Ute:  is that the price written on the end of the box   ???   ;)

Yep, thats the price it was on the shelf three years ago. New Zealand $$$ as well. ;D
A mate of mine was at Gleesons in Napier and got me the regulator and an insert for the FE bonnet emblem at the same time as well as a couple of other bits from old Jim himself just before he sold out

Most Bosch parts are painted "Bosch blue" - the odd ones are those which are painted black, I'm not sure where these originate from, I originally thought the black starters were reco items which were painted by the reco company, much like grey motors painted in a variety of colours.
However I have many black regulators which look original - although every NOS one I have ever seen has been blue.
The distributor body is the same colour - I have a number of NOS ones and all are the standard Bosch blue.
Coils are a different story
FE & FC have a tin can coil painted engine grey with black bakelite top,  Sometimes not painted as well.
FB & EK have a tin can coil  painted bluewith red bakelite top.  Appears to have always been painted.
FE to EK also had a Lucas coil optional which is aluminium with a black bakelite top.

Hi Ken.

Are you saying that all original FE/FC Bosch starters left the factory blue.

Dr Terry

Doc T,   no I originally thought they were, but I have seen a lot of black starters (probably 50/50) so I cannot state that to be true.  Bosch generators on the other hand seem to be more predominantly black than blue

A 50/50 ratio seems too high to be accounted for by the reconditioning trade as starters are not that troublesome.

Ken

Sheesh  $2500 for a regulator  :o

Now that I have the electrical colours sorted does anyone know the colour of the gearbox - if it was painted, breather pipe, fan, harmonic balancer & oil pan on an EK grey.
Some say all were grey - some say all were black

Cheers Nick