Old engine out, engine bay painted. Wren I get home from this trip I should have my correct pump. After nearly 9 months of waiting, my new engine from Phoenix Engine turned up: 345 horse 351w. Aluminum heads, 2.25" valves, cam, high flow oil and high flow water pump...... and therein lay the issue; despite clearly spelling out numerous times that I needed passenger input water pump, the engine turned up with a driver input water pump.
So, I'll be tearing apart the front to correct it...... proving once again that Murphey was indeed an optimist.
So I've pulled the old engine, painted the first coat of black in the engine compartment (the second will go on tomorrow) and will begin getting ready to swap in the new engine. Once the engine is in I'll paint behind the battery. I'm using a black appliance epoxy that i used on the underside which has held up incredibly well over the years, even in the harsh Florida climate.