Power coating in the engine block lifter vally?

[chewychevy67]

Ok. I am probably going to powder coat my engine BEFORE I get it machined. Nothing new, lots of ppl have done it but as I'm going thru pictures I am coming across some where the valley is done as well? I was under the impression that paint inside an engine was a big no no. Any reason for this other than lazy masking? Even the top inside of the heads were done.

[72c20customcamper]

Painting the lifter valley has been done for a long time. Theory is oil drains back faster and sludge can't stick . Some guys polish the valley area for the same reasons. I would think powder coating would be tougher than regular paint.

[chewychevy67]

Ok. That kind of makes sense I guess.

[davepl]

As long as it stays in place. I tear down a lot of motors so I see a lot of old valley paint. If it's flaked off, it's going somewhere! I've got to imagine powdercoat stays put though.

[chewychevy67]

Yeah its not something I would do to an engine I'm building. I was just curious if this was a thing or just lazy. I would beat myself up if it came off and messed my motor up. Plenty of mistakes to be made elsewhere lol.

[KQQL IT]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...2gbEoz&ampcf=1


Glyptol uses to be fairly common in the valley

[jocko]

Glyptal is the only paint I’ve ever heard of being used in the lifter valley.
The reason has always been to increase drainage in the lifter valley.
Personally, I never really believed drainage, or speed of drainage, was anything that needed to be improved upon - especially in a street motor. If there is no paint in the lifter valley, it can never chip off and ruin your day. Or, maybe better put - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I would not powder coat or paint any internal engine surface. Deburring the drainage holes and stuff like that, on the other hand, is time well spent before machining (just my opinion).

How has powder coat proven to last on engine blocks? Interesting approach (for the outside of the block anyway)

[71threequarterton]

A company I worked for as a teen used Glyptol on the race engines they built for GTP cars and off-road race trucks. Those engines were torn down and rebuilt on a regular basis though. Powder coat seems great for a lot of things but I've also seen it peel up on the edges. I'm sure it depends on the job/skills doing the prep and coat, etc.

[HO455]

I believe the "makes the oil drain better" is an urban myth. Probably started by a pit crewman making a smartass remark to a question from a reporter. I do know that having the valley and other areas painted makes to easier clean the block and may also help in spotting cracks. Which on engines that are frequently torn down certainly is a benefit.

[CastIron]

I wouldn't paint or powder coat anything inside the engine. I wouldn't bother to smooth anything out either. I just don't believe it would do anything either way. Just keep your oil changed and it will stay clean and last a long time.
On a related subject, I will never use powder coating anywhere it could just scratched or exposed to water. It tends to trap water and speed up corrosion if it get a scratch or chip in it. So absolutely no powder coat on control arms, springs, shackles etc. I've seen that many times in Oregon, where it's wet but they don't salt the roads in the winter.