MTFCA Forum

On the fence about glyptal painting generator, starter housing insides before installing rebuilt field coils.

Why would you do that?

I suggest you apply glyptal after installing the field windings and tighten the pole shoes screws. .
If you paint the inside of the generator (or starter) case beforhand you may have trouble getting the pole shoe go-no go measurements correct.
Ron Patterson.

How are you able to paint the inside of the casing with the field windings installed?

Why would you want to trap heat inside either of them? same as painting the inside of an engine without an external oil cooler, something like 18% of oil temperature is transferred through the metal of an engine.

Kerry wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 02, 2024 4:17 pm

Why would you want to trap heat inside either of them? same as painting the inside of an engine without an external oil cooler, something like 18% of oil temperature is transferred through the metal of an engine.

I have been an insulation contractor for the last 20 plus years. The heat will transfer regardless of any kind of paint. Just a fact. If there is a paint that will increase the R value of a wall assembly that would would be incredible!

Oh Shucks....I will be criticized severely for posting this, but something needs to be said about paint....

There have been many posts on this Forum about painting auto radiators - A VERY SERIOUS MISTAKE, as layers of paint do, in fact inhibit the transfer of heat.

I have owned buildings for 50 + years that were heated by steam - the steam being piped into the tall "old fashioned" cast iron radiators. There have been many articles written by heating people for Property Owners advising against applying paint to radiators....and when it is necessary to do so for cosmetic reasons, it is advisable to remove the existing paint, and apply the thinnest available paint, as ANY amount reduces the transfer of heat.

Sorry to disagree Michael....but experience tells me that you are mistaken. There you have it....a choice....

As Glyptal was made to be an insulator obviously it is meant to inhibit the transfer of heat as Kerry and Dave point out.
big no - no is unless you are trying to add insuation, why are you putting it inside the motor anywhere?
Unless the surface is extremely clean and there is no oil in the surface of the metal it should stick. if not you run the risk of the Glyptal peeling off and getting mushed up in the oil. One of our members Gyptaled the inside of his 1910 block (no one will ever see the great paint job) and it all flaked off, blocked all the lubricating holes, pipes tube gaps and seezed the motor. Had to have new crank, pistons all bearings and took many hours to clean out all the Gyptal.

Which of the 15,000,000 model Ts left the factory with glyptal painted generators or engines? If it wasn't needed then, it is not needed now.
I rest my case.

A better question might be can you even buy it in Ca?

I love how it performs inside of the block of my '12 engine. When you drain the oil or open the inspection covers all the painted areas are spic n span clean of oil residue. I think it has something to do with surface tension. There is a reason that high performance racers use it? YMMV

Luxford wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 02, 2024 8:22 pm

As Glyptal was made to be an insulator obviously it is meant to inhibit the transfer of heat ...

Electrical insulator.

Both the inside of my 1926 Franklin engine and transmission were coated with Glyptal, as a means of stopping irritating leaks in the aluminum castings used at the time, because they were so porous. I have seen several other older cars with aluminum engine cases and transmission cases that were treated with this as well, including the Mercedes SK and SSK Roadsters. I was visiting the car museum in Sylmar, and they had a Mercedes Roadster apart in the shop, and it's engine had been treated with that material from the factory. The mechanic working on the engine said it had never been apart before they took it apart, and they were doing a ground-up restoration on the car.

I can see using it for an electrical insulation purpose, but not for painting the entire inside of a starter or a generator. I have never seen a Model T starter or Generator that had the inside of the casing painted with Glyptal.

Both the inside of my 1926 Franklin engine and transmission were coated with Glyptal, as a means of stopping irritating leaks in the aluminum castings used at the time, because they were so porous. I have seen several other older cars with aluminum engine cases and transmission cases that were treated with this as well, including the Mercedes SK and SSK Roadsters. I was visiting the car museum in Sylmar, and they had a Mercedes Roadster apart in the shop, and it's engine had been treated with that material from the factory. The mechanic working on the engine said it had never been apart before they took it apart, and they were doing a ground-up restoration on the car.

I can see using it for an electrical insulation purpose, but not for painting the entire inside of a starter or a generator. I have never seen a Model T starter or Generator that had the inside of the casing painted with Glyptal.

Glyptal is impervious to oil and petroleum solvents. The thinner used is usually MEK.

I can understand using it to seal the porosity of early aluminum castings (to stop weeping).
I can see it in high performance (high RPM) engines where you want to get the oil back down in the pan as quickly as possible so you don’t just pump all the oil real fast into the top end and run out of oil in the pan for the oil pump.

Why would you paint the inside of a T engine, where the lubrication actually relies on the oil hanging around up forward to get splashed around? A slippery surface so the oil slides back down into the sump quickly is counterproductive in a T.

While I have seen starters & generators painted on the inside with it, why would you do that on a T, where it was never done originally?
I agree, paint is an insulator (though poor), and will only act to hold in heat.

A Gyptal painted crank spins faster, more speed

Oh...and Gyptal has been painted inside engine blocks for a very long time.