interesting point,
a&c aiui the base nuts are a relatively low torque and no loctite or locking wire......seems crazy to me, especially when one hears that a jug coming loose is a not uncommon occurence
I know of a 172 donk that lost one at less than 20 hours, from a fully rebuilt donk pilot=owner less than impressed.
WRT paint, surely the less , the better ? I would imagine it has a marginal insulating effect , which arguably helps even up temp. variations....but hey, it protects a cold surface from condensation and surface rust....in the due course of time , i'd expect any paint to bake on then, as years pass, to dry out, oxidise, shrink, crack, peel.....generally the item is scrapped before this point is reached.
Agreed an ideal refinishing would involve proper stripping , surface prep and spraying (not good with fins ) or dipping/centrifuging followed by stoving.....but it's just a lycosaurus aero-engine and i suspect the paint is primarily cosmetic...(otherwise it would be matt black)
just my take on it...standing by for incoming