Rsimoes;
A question for you.... When you ordered your center section,just exactly did you order???? Where you ordering an "all new" third member or a rebuilt unit to your specs or did they rebuild a unit you sent them????? What were you told you would receive????
I can not really tell from the photos,but a lot of rebuilders will paint the inside of the center section with a reddish orange bare metal paint to prevent rust.... Granted they should have sprayed something on the outside to prevent rust.... A local machine shop here uses "Cast Blast" paint and so do I. It is made for bare metal and looks just like bare metal..... I have sprayed freshly tanked blocks and heads to prevent rust till they were assembled... I also bead blasted the inside of my
oil pan before building my engine to clean it up and then sprayed it lightly with Cast Blast to prevent rust. 11,000 miles later I had to pull it to change the rear main seal and the paint was still there,so it must be good...
There looks like a number of used parts in your center section and if you ordered a rebuilt unit than that's o-k,however if you ordered or were told you would get an all new unit,than that's different....
David