Is this advisable? I see alot of engines w/this done. I'd be afraid that the oil would eventually soften the paint and clog something.

I've seen people do this too. I've always assumed it was because it made the surface slicker and helped the oil drain back and down, but one of my friends told me he painted it black to absorb heat. Not sure how that happens without any light in there (in fact, I don't see how it can), but I've never done it. I usually clean out the drains with a grinder, but I never paint the valley.

imho,i think its way overboard and unneccessary. ;)

I priced Glyptol when I had the motor out two years ago. Pretty expensive stuff for what it does for a motor. For nearly the same dough, I had my lifters edm'd with a oil hole.

Years ago ..circa 1978 I had a SBC machined up at a rather famous local engine builder... He painted the valley on this engine.... Well stuff happens and the engine ended up sitting assembled in my garage for the next decade.I then found a need for it and ran it for 10 years in my El Camino.When I swapped in the 427 I took the SBC apart and the valley was perfect.Not a bit of paint loosed or flaked off and the surface was very slick.

That said I have seen an instance where it did come off and that was UGLY... This pealed off... just the thing you dont want finding it's way to your oil pump pickup.... There may be a slight advantage to painting the valley but I have no plans on ever painting one again.... Getting the block clean enough to eat off of... YES... painting the valley.... Millions of engines have had zero problems with drainback with non painted valleys....My 427 is not painted nor will any engines I do in the future.

I polished mine.
Can't peel off.

I whish now I would have put screens in the valley to catch small stuff. I had a rocker self destruct and pieces went through the oil pump and into the mains. :( graemlins/clonk.gif

Its all better now though.

Well I painted my lifter valley and timing chain area with Glyptal and yes this stuff is really expensive $32.00 qt, but I figure I would do it once and give it a try. I also deburred the valley, added drain hole screens to the front, back and lifter oil holes. Maybe it's a bit over board but what the hell. "Life a B***h than you Die."
Here is a few picture of my SBC 400 w/ the painted lifter valley.
Lifter Valley Painted (http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dtl5042002/album?.dir=/cc9a&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dtl5042002/my_photos)

I just bought a 396/427 that had the entire lifter valley smoothed. Not painted, but someone spent alot of time grinding all the casting bumps off the entire area...

I did my valley and heads with glyptol, just started the motor last weekend. If you need any paint give me a yell you're welcome to use it. better than let it go to waste. I have 3/4 of a qt. left. You just have to make sure the block is super clean.

How much effort and money does it take to install livter valley screens? It sounds like cheap insurance... Thanks!

At the risk of bragging up a "generic" product, Krylon sells an aerosol paint that is very similar to Glyptal in both color and functionality. It is an insulating varnish, and not expensive. One aerosol can would do a bunch of lifter valleys, although I see no reason to paint them. Better to do as described above, polish the metal. No possibility of paint flaking off that way.

The Glyptol and/or Krylon works wonders for sealing electrical connections, though.

I painted the OUTSIDE of my block with the Krylon stuff. Similar to Chevy Orange, although a bit more brown. Stayed on nicely for several years, although it needs some touch-up now. Perhaps that's due to careless prep work before painting.

That's funny about Glyptal...

All that is, is (was) GE's trade name for their electric motor varnish. In fact it wasn't a "product" at all, but rather a "product line". We carried it back in the 70s when I worked at a place that carried motor rewinding and rebuilding supplies (interestingly enough, one of the Delco Remy plants in MS that does or did rebuilds, bought alot of its stuff from us). There's not a damn thing about it that makes it any better than any other similar paint for that purpose. And there are ALOT of mfrs of that type of product on the market. Back when I worked there and could get stuff for a good price, I used to use an epoxy varnish inside motors; that stuff wouldn't even come off in most vats.

The only reason people go out and ask for Glyptal by name, is because it's in one of the "How To Hot-Rod..." books, I don't recall which one any more. The electric motor places probably all have a memo on their bulletin boards that if anybody calls up and just asks for "Glyptal" by that name without any further specs as to what kind, then they're a gearhead, and charge them list x 3.

You can use practically any electric motor paint or other machinery paint including Krylon and get the same results. Personally I prefer to use either a clear varnish or the most garish possible color (tennis ball green or something), but that's just me. You can get machinery paint in just about any color imaginable, or even get it white or grey and take it to the paint store and have it tinted if you really want to get anal about it and apply your personal signature color.

I've never seen a quality paint soften or deteriorate inside an engine. But then, I've never used latex house paint either, so who knows.

Ive always painted my stuff. I also paint the front where timing chain goes. This helps keep everything clean,also prevents surface rust when washing block.Makes ring and bearing rebuilds a breeze,also helps oil drain back.

Bedurring smile.gif the casting flash off the drain-back slots above the cam, and all over, as well as screens epoxied in place, makes a lot more sense than painting. But if I had my mill apart and it was fresh from the hot tank, I'd take Rick up on his offer.

I started rebuilding engines over 40yrs ago. About 35yrs ago I started painting the INSIDE of every engine. I continue to do so today.
After return from the machine shop, with cam bearings and freeze plugs installed, I thoroughly wash the engine with hot soapy water and rinse with hot water and blow dry. Then I install an old cam and set of lifters. I use engine paint (Krylon, etc) to thoroughly paint the outside and inside. While the paint is still tacky, I use lacquer thinner to wipe overspray from the cylinder decks, cylinders and main bores. I do not try to remove paint from from the timing or pan gasket surfaces. I let the paint cure at least 24hrs before starting assembly. I also paint the inside and outside of heads using old toilet paper rolls to protect the valve springs. I've NEVER had or seen any problems relating to painting the inside of engines which I have built.
I believe it is beneficial.

In one of those How To books it also says that it is to contain any casting sand that may come loose. I can't imagine any comming loose after a thorough wash though.

On of my favorite go fast yarns. This also seems STUPID to me. MILLIONS I MEAN MILLIONS of stock engines are unpainted in the lifter valley so what is this fairy tale all about? Also ever put paint over an unprepared surface and have it peel? If there is slag on the surface seems to me trying to glue it down with paint is a waste of time anyway.

Some racer is gonna chime in with it helps drainback of oil This also seems STUPID to me MILLIONS I MEAN MILLIONS of stock.........

SILLY SILLY SILLY is all I can say about this stuff.

i just smooth'em out with my die grinder and let'em go. :D

I did the die grinder thing on a small block, and while it looks good it is VERY time consuming. With my Big Block I though I would try the Glyptal thing out--lifter valley, timing area, cylinder heads, and underneath the intake manifold. Not only is the paint to aid in oil drain back, but the paint (at least Glyptal) also has insulative properties which is supposed to lower oil temps. I looked into this before I did it and have NEVER heard have people having paint peel off. Just make sure you prep the area properly.

And the point that millions of stock engines don't use it is not very convincing. My motor is anything but stock. I want it to run its best, not STOCK!

I have to admit that I tend to spend what ever time is necessary to get the oil drainback holes / slots in the block as cleanly shapped as possible to eleminate any casting flash or other obstructions so as to get the oil down through these drainbacks as quickly as possible.


Just an observation but due to the fact that a typical Chevy V8 when bolted into the car sits on an angle. It's tilted higher twords the water pump and slightly lower back by the bellhousing.Most of the oil that gets pumped up to the rockers / valve springs flows twords the back of the heads and makes it's way back to the valley via the rear cyl head drainback holes.... From there on a SBC it's a short trip to the rear valley drainbacks to the pan....and on a BBC to the drains above the cam.Any oil that does happen to drop down the front cyl head drains has a longer route back to the pan.... But the majority rocker oil drains to the rear of the heads.Any oil splash from the lifters or by some small chance from the timing chain through the front vent holes would have a longer route also the longer route.

I have watched oil flow from a running engine with heads that you can see through to the valley with a flashlight and it's was surprising how little oil got onto the relitivly large surface area of the valley sides and floor...... Granted this was with varying RPM but a car that was obviously not moving.Actualy driving would change that to some degree I'm sure.

Anyhoo with hot oil and a hot block/heads even so called " thick " oils flow surprising well and thinner oils even quicker.I may be wrong but I just dont think in the real world useage the advantage of painted vs not painted is really that great..... As has been said before millions of non painted engines ( stock or race or inbetween ) have not had any problems and to be fair the vast majority of painted engines have had few problems.
I've only seen the one painted engine that had a problem... Thankfully it wasnt mine.

I`ve done it by polishing,looks nice,maybe releave some tensions,got nothing else to do :D
have one picture of it,dont know how to post that?!

I think there's another benefit that hasn't been mentioned yet - oil changes. The paint seals porous surfaces. Less dirty oil to contaminate the new.

Might not yield earth-shattering results, but (when applied properly) it doesn't demonstrate any negative qualities. I'm in favor of it. It's a peace of mind thing.

If I would not have painted my heads also I wouldn't have seen the metal shavings laying in the puddle of oil in the back of my cylinder head that didn't drain back down to the pan in my rebuilt engine that I just started last sunday. I pulled the valve covers to readjust the valves and saw something dark and got out a magnet and it was a pile of shaving. The oil filter looks scary, but I had good oil pressure.