I've been building engines for over 50yrs, and painting them INSIDE and OUTSIDE FOR 40yrs.
Does anyone besides me do this?
MANY years ago, I read an article about painting an engine in one of the automotive publications. It was recommended to paint the engine/heads inside and outside prior to assembly. The reasoning is that the paint seals the pores of the cast iron and the smoother painted surface will improve oil drain back into the pan. Also, it may help keep the oil cleaner.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, for over 40yrs of painting many engines, I have NEVER seen any adverse issues. Several years later, I've disassembled engines that I've painted inside and there has been ZERO paint flaked off.

After the cam bearings and freeze plugs have been installed at the machine shop, I install an old cam and set of lifters before painting. When painting is finished, I use lacquer thinner on a rag and wipe off overspray from the cylinders and cylinder deck.
Just curious if anyone else does this kind of painting.





















This is a Chevy SB400 that I disassembled 20yrs later after I built and painted it. The paint inside has held up just fine.

 

Tom, those are some beautiful engines. When I painted my 455 I installed the heads on the short block and used old valve covers and tape to paint the area around the intake. I didn't paint the area inside the timing chain housing. My oil pan and valve covers were done separately since they were silver with a blue engine. After seeing your engines it strikes me as a good idea. What kind of paint did you use? The POR-15 I used on my 455 would last forever no matter where you painted it.

 

I paint all my pieces before assembly as you do. I like the clean look with the new bolts in place etc.

 

I use Dupli Color rattle cans from my local O'Reilly store.
The 455 Olds above is in my FACTORY 5sp 76 Cutlass (I ordered it new), so I used the GM engine blue.
I use Chevy Orange on my Chevy engines.

 

I painted this one before assembly. Looks cleaner IMO.

 

I painted my 1975 350 last year during assembly. See how long it lasts.
Used Lemans blue paint.

Jeff

 

Very nice looking engines. I wouldn't paint gasket surfaces or areas. I have played with the idea of using Glyptal in oil contact areas like the heads or block valley areas. If I recall correctly, I read an article in a hot rod magazine many years ago they used Glyptal for interior areas.

 

I've used Gyptal on the insides of the engine (it's well proven to be durable), but never regular paint... especially rattle can varieties.
If it starts coming loose, it can plug the oil pump pickup & cause engine casualties.

I'm glad it worked out well for you, but I would never chance it personally.

I do paint the exterior in pieces on all my builds.

When I want to aid oil return, I typically polish the internal surfaces with a cartridge roll, but this takes quite a bit of time.

 

For mostly street engines, the oil keeps everything nice and clean on the inside. On some engines the outside too.

 

Tom,
Not sure if Chevelle people are allowed over here

I have tried but always seem to miss a spot that is not covered with a gasket. Not sure if I would trust regular engine paint in the valley like that though ?? Guys used to use glyptol but I just prefer to use sanding rolls on the real rough spots and leave the rest of it alone.

 

Did you see my SB400 above that was torn down 20yrs after it was painted and built? ZERO evidence of paint flaking off!

 

This is the way I painted my 394 . ( Made sense to me . )
I assembled the shortblock , front cover , balancer , and oil pan .



I then painted the bottom side of the engine . Being careful not to get too close to the cylinder decks .



Then I turned the engine over and installed the cylinder heads and valley cover .
I masked the intake port surfaces with an old gasket and tape . Masked valve covers were installed .



Then the topside of the engine was painted .


Then the intake was painted separately and installed .


The rocker covers were also painted "chrome " separately .
The engine was painted with Duplicolor " Ford red " in a spray can .

 

charlie,
That sure looks nice. How about showing the rest of the car.

 

Here's the chassis ;


The engine installed in the chassis ;



The seats ;




The body ;


A turn signal lamp ;


Hubcaps ;



You get the idea ?

 

I LIKE IT!!!!
I'm not sure about the bell housing. What transmission are you going with?

 

 

Super T-10 ( Richmond )
https://www.jegs.com/i/Richmond-Gear...21560/10002/-1

 

A manual tranny in an Olds--------------MY KIND OF CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very refreshing! Most cars like Olds, Buick, Pont---------------------and even worse, streetrods, are getting auto trannys these days. Too many people are becoming softies these days.

 

I love 4 speeds ! I grew up on a farm and drove trucks and tractors long before I had a license .
I drove old trucks with non - syncromesh transmissions (crashboxes ) smoothly ,using the art of "double clutching " .

The only thing I DIDN'T want in this car was a "slim Jim" .

 

Well, with that thought in mind, I always kind of wanted a 442 or GTO. Things just never worked out (Army, college, family, station wagon, etc) until 1976. I sorta kinda liked the 76 body style (better than the 73-75) and wanted a 442 with a 4sp. BUUUUUUUUUUUUT, I just could not stand that BIG WIDE stripe down the side and the BIG 442 on the side, nor that BIG vinyl 442 on the trunk. YUK!!!! So I ordered just the plane Cutlass S and then added many of the options that were standard with the 442 pkg. I also ordered it with the 5sp.UNFORTUNATELY, the 455 was not available with the 5sp, so I got the small V8.
In 87-88 I built a 455 and replaced the factory 5sp (already broke 3 of them) with a Richmond 5sp. Haven't touched the Richmond since!!!
Then a few years ago, I rebuilt the 455 to 70 W30 specs with Edlebrock heads and intake.and repo W30 ex manifolds.

 

Love your car Tom.

 

Well, _ _ _ for over 50 years, you just dated yourself ! hahaha _ _ _ me too, and most engines backyard home builds. I have only farmed-out One engine in my lifetime, and all others were my assembly. All my engines have been pretty much stock builds for dependability and not 1/4-mile.
I agree that if the parts are very clean, I don't see any reason for the paint to come off even on the inside. I should have bought stock in Krylon 50-years ago.

Now then, I wish my 455 engine project was ready for Paint. My self, I really haven't painted the insides, but in the past I have been tempted. Now, at age 67, I am still rebuilding engines, and have actually been focusing on late '90's fuel-injected imports. ( rubber-band motors ). And so far, I have not crashed my WRX after 12-years running.
But there is No Substitute for Pretty Paint and Cubic Inches.

 

For years I have used Glyptal on my heads and in my lifter vallies for most of my life. When I built race engines for a living we polished the lifter vallies and head area to promote oil drainging down into the oil pan. I have heared of people painting the complete inside of the engine, but I have not done that myself. you can start with carbide cutters and move up to cartridge rolls just like head porting.

As much as I hate to admit it, my go to color for engine paint was Ford Blue Engine paint. I hated black, Chevy orange just didn't cut it on some engines. But as a Pontiac man for years at dealerships and as a owner too. I could not paint anything that was not a Pontiac engine in Pontiac Blue.