Painting bolster

[goxu1]

When I paint my new/old bolster , should I mask both the main face where the radiator bolts down and the water fitting?
Both , one or the other or neither ?

[inairam]

The machined and threaded surfaces should be masked. It was painted assembled to the tractor so those areas were covered by the parts and gaskets.

If it was sand-blasted insides you also may want to paint the inside with Gliptal paint to reduce corrosion. There may be other coatings now but that is what I used a few years ago. There are some posts on Gliptal and bolster restoration.

[goxu1]

Mine will be blasted and bare. As mentioned above , IH would have painted the bolster fully assembled.
Just wondering if I should paint it with the drain plug and filler plugs out , and paint them separate ?

[Gary Dotson]

I would paint it with the plugs in place.

[inairam]

I have a thing about paint in threads even pipe threads. I would mask and paint but that is me.

[Barnyard]

I agree with covering the threads. I usually stick old bolts in the holes to protect the threads.

[Dale Finch]

I simply take pieces of paper towel and shove them into the holes with only enough sticking up to hook them & pull them out. As for the plugs, I clean the threads with a wire wheel, then wrap them with masking tape and prime and paint them. I also stick a piece of wire (or toothpick) into the vent hole on the fill plug so I don't block it.

[inairam]

vent hole on the fill plug so I don't block it.

Most important part!