I believe FE's in 4wd pickups from the mid-'60s had the cast iron timing cover for front engine mounting.   Never had my hands on one though.

I have been at this for nearly 62 years, and I have not had any problems with paint softening on the engine from a gasket install.  However, when I do install a gasket on most engine surfaces, I simply clean them with acetone/lacquer thinner first before applying any adhesive or in some cases white lithium if I am going to be back into the engine as in a dyno session.  I do have a 428CJ that had the lifter valley painted with Sherwin Williams glyptol paint back in 1981 and the paint is still holding up just fine.  If you respect Jon Kaase's engine building abilities, then you need to check out his 1000hp build of a 598 BB Ford and look at the interior of his block.  If the block is prepped properly the correct paint will adhere in the interior of the block and not flake/peel/or soften with oil or water present.  Argue about something that needs fixing.  Joe-JDC

I don't think anyone is arguing.  We're just talking paint properties.  You mentioned
paint and gasket installs. If you have a paint that remains intact upon removing a water pump gasket after years of service, can you tell me what it is?  Not being ornery.  I've just never seen intact paint after removing a gasket.  That would be a paint worth using. 

Painting a lifter valley is actually easier on paint...motor oil is normally not very aggressive.  Though I would never paint a lifter valley.  Also, paint made 40 years ago is often better because they could use chemistries that are illegal today.

I have no idea what Kaase Racing is using for paint.  Their engines start at over $20K so they maybe using two component products or even baked on finishes that out perform typical engine enamels.  Single stage urethanes (like Ross mentioned) would cost around $150 ish or more per engine unless you are doing a lot of engines and can get bulk discount.  And you'd want a full face mask because isocyanates can be nasty to inhale or get in your eyes.  Average guy wouldn't likely use those.

Again, not arguing here.  I know paint and will help if I can.  And what else is there to talk about?  The FE world is shrinking.     The videos Jay posted on sohc rockers was cool.

I think this is a silly and unanswerable argument.

The guys who paint haven't seen a failure...and the guys who don't paint haven't seen one.

Of course, you can say "in theory" the paint can fail...but you can also say "in theory" the paint can be a binder or adhesive.  Nobody is talking real testing or differences in gasket material or paint or prep, it's all inference or circumstantial discussion.

I am also not buying the OEMs were that careful, they painted over all kinds of stuff and missed lots of others and were generally as inconsistent as heck.  As an example, would you recommend painting a soft rubber hose with a petroleum-based paint and reducer?  Probably not, but Ford did, they doused a CJ bypass like a fat kid's fries with ketchup

I prep the surface and I paint, without fear, both with urethane single stage on concours engines and spray cans on others.  I have yet to have a single water pump leak on mine or a customer's engine, EVER, in 40 years of building all kinds of engines, but admittedly my own 489 FE has only been together, with water in it, for 18 (soon 19) years.

Fwiw, I'm in the "it's not likely to leak" camp.  To be sure, I hope my comments are taken as constructive discussion and not to advance the unanswerable argument.

I think it's weird how folks focused on whether or not it will leak.  The OP didn't ask if it will leak.  I thought someone would comment on use of rtv silicone.  I don't believe that's necessary for water pumps.  I've used lithium grease to dress the gaskets and even tried silicone dielectric grease....makes removal later a lot easier.  I think I got that idea from Brent.  Then I'll use thread sealant on the bolts.   

Also fwiw, like I said earlier, any paint trapped by the gasket will likely stay in place until the pump is removed down the road.  I wouldn't over spray the area because any paint not trapped by the gasket (especially rattle can paint) will likely lift and end up in the coolant as non-dissolving skins...maybe in the t-stat or radiator but most likely stuck in the pump where no one will know.  And no, that's not theory.  So that's kinda like dropping a cookie, picking it up and eating it...not likely to hurt you but do you want to eat it?

Since you mentioned hoses, a guy would have to go out of their way to cause failure with paint.  There are a few common automotive chemicals that should never be applied to certain types of hoses.  I'll leave that discussion for another time. 

      Hopefully, this isn't another case of just recommending that which one "got away with" vs. that of which one should consider in the process of attempting to do things "reasonably proper"!   

      Scott.

Of all the paint chemistries I've seen and worked with that might be sprayed on a block, I don't think a smooth film of paint under a gasket would result in a leak.  However, some paints will soften in water and/or antifreeze.  For instance, solvent based alkyds (typical rattle can chemistry) will blister and soften with prolonged water exposure.  A paint film on the "lips" of the coolant passages might soften, release, and then become a floating skin to get stuck in something like a t-stat.  Probably wouldn't become a problem but it's just kinda sloppy to not slap a piece of painter's tape over the holes before painting.  Then you'd never have to worry if you had floating paint skins. 

So I wouldn't be thrilled to see painted sealing surfaces on my engine.

The world would be better if every kid had an Uncle Heo

Thanks Brent and everyone else that hangs their ass out their just so we can bitch.

Ha !  Now that is about the size of it 

dont get me wrong,i love anything FORD,the only downside i see is,if i were a young man and i wanted to build an engine,a post like that 777 hp would make a youngster say, to hell with the fe,im building a Cleveland. my dad had a junkyard when i was younger,i would have went the other way with influence like that,how many 777 hp 400 inch FEs do you see out there? sorry,i still liked seeing this post.

I had the same initial thought but then realized this clevor has 13.5 compression, a vacuum pump, and spins to 7grand... so got to keep it all in context.

For soft metals like aluminum, might consider key locking inserts.  Time serts sometimes back out with the bolt.