Now that our 1993 Jeep Cherokee’s 4.0-liter inline-six engine has been disassembled, Davin has some prepping to do before it heads to paint—specifically, removing the casting shrapnel from what he calls “a poorly designed mold.” Using a die grinder to clean up the mess, Davin’s time-consuming task was becoming a bit tedious. Then he had an idea: Why not try a tool that’s designed to remove rust? Moments later, a descaler is making quick work of the shrapnel.

With that job finished, Davin cleans up the block in the wash cabinet, blows it out, and begins taping it for paint. That’s when he offers another time-saving tip, showing that he made plastic coverings on a 3D printer that slide nicely into the core plug holes. And off we go to Traverse Body & Paint to “let Darryl do his magic.”

With the parts laid out on stands, Davin offers his RockAuto.com Tip of the Day: “If you want paint to stick to anything, the surface cannot be smooth, and it needs to be oil-free.” That means, for example, the coating on the oil pan needs to be scuffed up, and then it needs to be wiped clean to remove any finger prints/oil residue.

Check out the results for yourself and also be sure to subscribe to the Hagerty YouTube channel so you never miss an update.

Thanks to our sponsor RockAuto.com, an auto parts retailer founded in 1999 by automotive engineers with two goals: Liberate information hidden behind the auto parts store counter (by listing all available parts, not just what one store stocks or one counter-person knows), and make auto parts affordable so vehicles of all ages can be kept reliable and fun to drive. Visit RockAuto.com to order auto parts online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have them conveniently delivered to your door. Need help finding parts or placing an order? Visit RockAuto’s Help pages for further assistance.

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Enjoy Painting stories, opinion, and features from across the car world - Hagerty Media

Davin is a man who sweats small details, and let’s just say that painting the Cadillac 365 engine block and starting the assembly of the shortblock called for some perspiration. Nothing is too small for Davin’s attention, and that means ensuring no bare metal is showing that shouldn’t be.

“I could assemble the whole engine and then paint it,” said Davin in a conversation while looking over the bare engine block, “but I’ve never really like the finished product of doing it that way. Painting it all separate just has a much cleaner look and I think it’s worth the effort.”

That effort involves taking the time to cleanly tape off the gasket surfaces and protect the innards of the engine from overspray that could cause premature wear and tear. This precaution ensures the gaskets themselves work properly and the paint does not interfere with a good seal. Once taped off, the block can be wiped down with a wax and grease remover and rolled into the paint booth for a gentle coating of color.

Once back at the shop, Davin unmasks the block and brushes on a coat of Glyptal paint to seal up the porosity of the engine block, and doing so also helps with oil drainback. No assembly manual will tell you to do it, but little things like this add up to a more reliable, longer-lasting package.

With both the inside and the outside painted, Davin can begin assembly in earnest. The main bearings are put in place and the crankshaft is delicately lowered into its forever home. The caps are torqued, and at long last the engine is ready for rods and pistons.

That momentous step will have to wait til next time though, as our assembly series on the Cadillac 365 continues. Be sure to subscribe to the Hagerty YouTube channel to never miss an update—include the final, full timelapse and startup of this engine at the end of the Redline Rebuild tunnel.

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