Did Toyota paint the 3rz-fe valve cover?

[Pyral]

So I forgot to put the lid back on my engine after topping it off, a few miles I have smoke coming out from under the hood. The oil was dripping on the exhaust manifold and burning, and it made a mess but I think I avoided any mechanical damage.

I am in the process of cleaning up my mess and I spray my engine valve cover with degreaser, and when I wipe it up I see that it is grey. I later take a wire brush (brass bristles) to the iron head to clean up discoloration, more grey. There is no way that engine degreaser is removing iron, it has to be some kind of paint.

Did Toyota spray the outside of the valve cover with some sort of corrosion protection?

 

[Kanoe]

I have never come across a factory painted one, I think they did not - at least in the 4Runner years.

The valve cover on the 3rz is aluminum. The head is also aluminum. The block is steel.

Are you cleaning up the aluminum valve cover? They do look good painted when a person does it.