Anyone use the Glyptal paint inside an engine?

[R413]

I dunno, maybe I'm reading too much into it?

Yes you are reading too much into it. How many millions of V8 and V6 engine go down the road with no oil starvation problems?

The reasoning to use it is to get the oil to drain back quicker. There is no need for this unless you are near oil starvation, and that is high winding racing engines.

And those pools of oil by the lifter bores will get exchanged plenty just going down freeway. Have you ever drained oil when it’s hot and see how thin it gets?

More total volume? No, they say to fill the oil, run the engine and check the level on the stick. So that oil by the lifters will always be there heather you paint the block or not, right?

You can add more oil or get a deeper oil pan if you need it.

 

[Old Sparky]

Anyone use the Glyptal paint inside an engine?

Just curious if it is worth the money.

As far as I am concerned never paint the inside of an engine

 

[zyzzyx]

I used to work for G.E. and we used to use it on electric motors because it is an insulating enamel.
Also anywhere on steel or cast iron adjacent to electrical windings and connections to keep condensation
from forming and shorting out the windings. It sticks pretty good to clean cast iron, but It's become
very expensive, and I really don't see the point. Looks nice, but has no real use in an engine. The oil
will never permeate a quarter inch of cast iron!

 

[BB BELLA]

makes sense on electrical components! insulation I'm not convinced helps because eventually you'll get heat soak! but stabilization from vibration is crucial!generally called potting works but I don't think any coating inside an engine is of any benefit unless it is needed because of static buildup and corrosion in water jackets. meaning it would have it's place in long haul truck engine or locomotives but they handle this with chemical additive to control ph of the coolant!

 

[RJRENTON]

makes sense on electrical components! insulation I'm not convinced helps because eventually you'll get heat soak! but stabilization from vibration is crucial!generally called potting works but I don't think any coating inside an engine is of any benefit unless it is needed because of static buildup and corrosion in water jackets. meaning it would have it's place in long haul truck engine or locomotives but they handle this with chemical additive to control ph of the coolant!

The glyptal coating is applied in the lifter valley area, to help with oil drain back and NOT applied to the cooling jackets (coolant passsges) of the block. Glyptal was developed as a an externally applied insulating coating and not as a "potting" compound used in high voltage cable termination connections, aka "pot heads"......not the smokers of cannabis.
BOB RENTON

 

[BB BELLA]

The glyptal coating is applied in the lifter valley area, to help with oil drain back and NOT applied to the cooling jackets (coolant passsges) of the block. Glyptal was developed as a an externally applied insulating coating and not as a "potting" compound used in high voltage cable termination connections, aka "pot heads"......not the smokers of cannabis.
BOB RENTON

yes I'm aware of that Bob ,just expressing i feel coatings aren't of much value except in electrical, corrosion or cavitation susceptible areas are concerned!

 

[zyzzyx]

 

[BB BELLA]

potting is a rigid jell applied inside ecm's to reduce vibration affects! first i was aware or if was back in 87 mercury marine potted the ecm's used in offshore racing to reduce the failures of electrical components in the fuel injected outboards!

 

[Davefinan]

View attachment 1241596

Hilarious

 

[RJRENTON]

potting is a rigid jell applied inside ecm's to reduce vibration affects! first i was aware or if was back in 87 mercury marine potted the ecm's used in offshore racing to reduce the failures of electrical components in the fuel injected outboards!

I'm aware of the various applications for use of a "potting" compound, specifically to the encapsulation of electrical components for weather, vibration protection, as in Mopar and others ECM suppliers, and high voltage electrical cable termination devices. Some of the compounds are applied as a liquid silicon epoxy material the hardens or solidifies during the curing process others are semi solid putty like materials used in the termination of concentric neutral electrical cables connections, usually in utility 2400 volt and higher, applications and possibly similar to the "weather pack" connectors used by the automotive industry in underhood device applications subject to both vibration and moisture conditions. Just some additional talking points.
BOB RENTON

 

[451Mopar]

I watched the Uncle Tonys Garage video on painting the inside of the engine, and he made a point I really had not heard before, for coating the engine inside. I was to make it easy to spot and clean out debris that may have gotten into the engine. Thinking like if doing an intake swap, and gasket material got in the valley?
Eastwood sells a quart of brush on Glyptal for $50. I think I'll try it, just to see for myself how it is.
Bought a bag of Cork bottle stoppers, size #11 0.828" to 1.062" to use for masking off the lifter bores.
Just thinking of things to do with the 1966 year 440 block that was given to me. Right now it is 0.040" over and the bores didn't clean up all the way.
After measuring the small area that had not cleaned up with a dial bore gauge, it looks like they will cleanup at 0.055" over (4.375").
Before that, I will ultra-sonic check the bore thickness. Not going to be a race engine, just a mild pump gas 512 stroker, thinking around 550 HP?
I have my old, rebuilt Brodix B1-BS on the shelf, so thinking of using those heads as I have the 1.6:1 rocker arms for them too.
Also thinking of using a Holly Street Dominator that I already have, and for hood clearance.
I have many of the parts already that I either ordered extra or were not used on the last stroker engine.
Have oil pump, rod bearings, SFI damper, gaskets, intake, carb, Aluminum water pump housing and pump, timing chain set, and other small stuff like block plugs.
Have a unbalanced RPM 4.25" crank, and the 7.1" I-Beam rods, and ICON dished pistons (4.375")
Still need main bearings, Main Stud kit, maybe a head stud kit (depends if I find all the old head studs?), Have a good used timing chain set and cam button, but maybe just get a new set? The pricy parts would be cam, lifters, pushrods, and springs. I could take the PAC-1325 springs off the old Victor MW heads, but I think they might be too high pressure for the mild cam I'm thinking of using. Have two old and bent high volume oil pans that I might use it they don't leak after pounding them back into shape.
Anyhow, just dreaming up a plan for the 440 at 3:30 AM while stressing out that my wife is in the Hospital with a 9mm kidney stone, and my daughter is in the hospital because she had SI fusion surgery today.

 

[Dave Eamon]

The factory never painted the inside of an engine. Why the F would do this? Leave it alone! To paint the inside of an engine is just ludicrous! The oil will flow back to pan just fine without painting. You would be far better off to change the oil and filter on a regular basis. Imagine what the paint will do to your engine when it comes off...and it will...

 

[rmchrgr]

The factory never painted the inside of an engine.

That probably had less to do with the engineering aspect of it and more to do with Chrysler's well-known cheapness. Case in point - most would agree that ALL assembly line platforms from a 170 Slant 6 A body to a Hemi 4 speed B body would have clearly benefited from frame connectors installed at the factory but they didn't get them. Why? Steel costs money. Multiply that by millions of cars.... But even if it grew on trees, the labor cost to make and install them on the line would have been exponentially more costly than what they budgeted for.

Same with engines. Can you imagine dedicated assembly line workers painting lifter valleys with Glyptal then having to wait for the stuff to dry before they could finish the engine? No way. Also, there would have been too much of a chance to get it it the wrong places and too many variables with plant temperatures, different batches of material from different vendors, different application tools, night vs. day shifts... Sometimes it's not about the idea itself but more because of practicality in manufacturing.

Regardless, just because the factory didn't do it does not mean it won't work. Again, Glyptal is not "just paint", it won't just come off. I've never had it happen to me and I've used it several times. I've also never heard of or read of any particular instance where someone else used Glyptal in the lifter valley and it flaked off and caused damage. Show me real-world examples with before and after pictures.

It's personal choice anyway. The OP asked if anyone used it with success, I replied that I had. Don't think it's a good idea? Don't use it. I'll continue to use it until it makes sense not to.

It's crazy how such an esoteric subject can get some people so worked up including myself.

 

[451Mopar]

To me, it is an experiment. I just want to see for myself if it is worth it since I have never tried it before.
Seems that those who have used it like it?
If I like how it coats the valley area, I might do inside the crank case area too.

A few years ago, I was doing some engine work with the oil pan off, and some debris got into the assembled engine.
It was really hard to clean out the debris because it would stick to the casting. I think if it was coated, it might have been way easier to clean out?

 

[RJRENTON]

That probably had less to do with the engineering aspect of it and more to do with Chrysler's well-known cheapness. Case in point - most would agree that ALL assembly line platforms from a 170 Slant 6 A body to a Hemi 4 speed B body would have clearly benefited from frame connectors installed at the factory but they didn't get them. Why? Steel costs money. Multiply that by millions of cars.... But even if it grew on trees, the labor cost to make and install them on the line would have been exponentially more costly than what they budgeted for.

Same with engines. Can you imagine dedicated assembly line workers painting lifter valleys with Glyptal then having to wait for the stuff to dry before they could finish the engine? No way. Also, there would have been too much of a chance to get it it the wrong places and too many variables with plant temperatures, different batches of material from different vendors, different application tools, night vs. day shifts... Sometimes it's not about the idea itself but more because of practicality in manufacturing.

Regardless, just because the factory didn't do it does not mean it won't work. Again, Glyptal is not "just paint", it won't just come off. I've never had it happen to me and I've used it several times. I've also never heard of or read of any particular instance where someone else used Glyptal in the lifter valley and it flaked off and caused damage. Show me real-world examples with before and after pictures.

It's personal choice anyway. The OP asked if anyone used it with success, I replied that I had. Don't think it's a good idea? Don't use it. I'll continue to use it until it makes sense not to.

It's crazy how such an esoteric subject can get some people so worked up including myself.

EXCELLENT REBUTTAL to #32's unsubstantiated comments.....your choice of examples is noteworthy....I agree with your premise: if you want to use the material...great, if not...don't use it....it's an individual decision...
BOB RENTON

 

[451Mopar]

Because this is a hobby for me, I like trying different things.
I try to not use extra RTV and such on gaskets because next time I'm in the engine, I don't have to remove that stuff. For the few years and miles between making changes to the engine, the standard gaskets usually work just fine without RTV. With the Glyptal on the 440, the engine likely won't see a serious number of miles on it. I'm thinking of using it to replace the old 440 in the Jensen interceptor. If it ends up better than expected, I might do a double swap and put it in the Coronet Convertible, and then drop the Coronets 505" 440 into the Jensen?

 

[padam]

A local machine shop, Precision Automotive Machine, uses it and recommends it.
They are Mopar drag racers. I have talked to Jeff a couple of times and he is very knowledgeable. He runs a max wedge type car and is successful locally.
You should be able to look them up on FB.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Hope everyone gets to feeling better. You have had to spend WAY to much time in hospitals.

It's been a while but the last one with painted internals we did was for a stock car. But, I can't recall what it was done with. We were running 4500-6100 for 25 laps. It certainly didn't hurt having the smooth finish and it was very easy to clean. I looked at the engine recently and it's still holding on and it was done 30 years ago.

 

[Dibbons]

No one has mentioned it prevents rust while the block is waiting for assembly (which is going on years now). Before final assembly, I will ball hone the cylinders and brake hone the lifter bores to clean them up to perfection, then everything will be spic and span when it goes into the vehicle.

 

[AR67GTX]

I used a fair sized, professional engine builder to machine and assemble the FE motor for my ERA Cobra. He builds restoration, crate motors and custom motors and ships world-wide. He provides many of the engines that go into Kirkham Cobras if anyone is familiar with them. Mine is nothing wild, mostly built out of vintage parts but I did note he painted the valley with glypyal. I guess he believes it provides some value.