[ahollow]

I'm sitting here reading my new PAW catalog that came with my engine rebuild order. On the engines they sell, they mention the oil gallery is painted with Rustoleum, and the photos show them brown, along with the area behind the timing cover. Anyone ever do this? Any opinions? My engine is down to the bare block, so if it's a good idea, now's the time. Thanks for any feedback.

 

[GypsyR]

A lot of people used to do this with red "Glyptal" paint. The paint is supposed to help speed the oil draining out of the valley. I confess not to know what the hell Glyptal is or why how it differs from rustoleum (or any other paint).
I do know I would not apply paint to the gallery unless the block had been through the full "boiling out" wash used by good machine shops. Cast iron is porous and tends to hold oil. Paint doesn't stick to oily surfaces. You take the chance that it might flake off and stop up the oil pump pickup. I've seen more than one oil screen with big flakes of paint stuck to it. The benefits are pretty marginal. If the block was properly prepared, paint should be fine. In less than ideal conditions, I wouldn't chance it.

 

[tonyswe]

Glyptal is a paint that GE use to paint electrical motors inside. It does adhere strongly to castiron.
Volvo have used it inside their marine motors for ages.
I think that the idea was to seal the new block so no impurites from that casting could come loose and mix with the oil.
It was a big deal in the 70's to paint the inside I had a 426 Hemi that I painted, if it made a difference or not, who knows. If you are looking for Glyptal check out electrical motor rebuilding outfits.

 

[abadtb2]

I agree, only if the block has been prepared, cleaned properly. Makes a slicker surface for the oil to return on as stated.

 

[camachinist]

Don't bother...

 

[mstngjoe]

I just picked up a quart (#1201) for my engine project. Luckily, my uncle worked for GE for 40 years and still has great contacts in their local shop. Several high performance engine builders recommend the stuff. One being Jim Dralle of Torrance Calif. You can do a search on Google and find several references. Here is just one: http://www.autoblueprint.com/glyptal.shtml. You can also visit www.glyptal.com.

I'm not saying this is a necessary step in a performance buildup. It's one of those personal preference type things. But from what I have read, it certainly would seem to be a benefit if applied properly. It sure couldn't hurt. So, since I have the time, I'll be doing it.

Good luck on your project.