Should I paint lifter galley?

[Jeff Chambers]

Can't stand to see this go on any longer without adding my two cents. First off, I can't believe that there's a professional engine builder out there that hasn't seen painting of the galleys, heads, valve covers or bottom of the intake. If there is, I've got to wonder what kind of engines that professional is building?

At any rate, painting of the galleys, heads, intake, etc is a long-standing engine builders' trick. I've got a 7-qt Canton Pro-Pan on my engine and I've sucked it dry BEFORE the end of the quarter mile with a high volume pump. Not hard to do when you're shifting gears at 7400rpm. That's why you try to promote good oil return. You can promote good return (and control) by doing some simple little tricks like contouring the oil return holes in both the galley and heads, deflashing & painting the oil return surfaces (galley, heads, etc), using baffles & screens, etc. Its just another small part of being in the middle of the crowd or at the front of the pack.