Painting Intercoolers

[viperbl]

Guys,

I am looking to spray my silver FMIC black, as well as the pipes.

Although I am sure the pipes are not a worry, I don't want to affect the performance of the IC too much by spraying it ...

Any particular paints/sprays I should /should't use ???

[MarkB]

Black might even help the heat transfer? Just don't spray it on too thick on the cooling fins

[viperbl]

Black might even help the heat transfer? Just don't spray it on too thick on the cooling fins

That would be good

My thinking was do the metal in between the fines with a slightly thicker coat (mask off the fins) and as you said, just do a very light coat on the fins (if even needed)

How hot does an IC get??? Do I need to check what temp the paint can go up to ???

[MarkB]

Don't MRC use something like B&Q BBQ paint on the pipes? Something that handles high heat would be advisable

[viperbl]

I'm gonna give Doug a call this afternoon, I will ask him ... but makes sense to use something that can handle a little heat, its not manifold head, but still must/might get quite hot ...

[DavidT]

I think Doug has painted his ?

[viperbl]

Spoke to Doug, he uses hi temp paint from halfords ... matt black ... works fine. Pity we don't have a halfords out here!

Might just look for some hi temp paint and give it a go ... worst it can do is peel off I guess!

[dummi]

excellent i was going to go black too

[s4woody]

but doesn't black absorb heat..surely silver or even white would reflect the heat and keep it cooler..or am i getting things asre about face...

[GrahamS4]

I figure you would want them black internally and silver/white externally.

[S4TAN]

I figure you would want them black internally and silver/white externally.

I'd agree with that (if it was possible to do)

[viperbl]

I figure you would want them black internally and silver/white externally.

Suppose that makes sense ...

But hopefully painting black on the outside will not make too much of a difference ....

[S4TAN]

But hopefully painting black on the outside will not make too much of a difference ....

Black objects absorb heat more readily than non-black objects (basic physics)... if you paint them on the outside then won't they simply become a hotter object for your charged air to pass through on it's way to your throttle body? Given the speed that the air passes through them though I'm not sure if it'll have much of an effect ... but then again they are meant to cool the air as it passes, so I'd've thought black would be the worse colour to paint your coolers if you're going to paint them at all ...

[MarkB]

but wouldn't the black paint absorb the heat from the metal drawing it to the surface to be transfered to the air

[s4woody]

isnt that what i said..mark i think tha the whole cooler would just be hotter..radiators in homes are white to radiate heat..if they were black would they work better or not..?

Black objects absorb heat more readily than non-black objects (basic physics)...