can i damage my intercooler if i painted. im triying to hide it as much as possible, i dont want that much attention.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shonnys92si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">can i damage my intercooler if i painted. im triying to hide it as much as possible, i dont want that much attention.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You can't really damage the intercooler if you paint it. But you will ruin the efficiency of the intercooler. The best thing to do would be to anodize it, this way your getting metal to metal colored contact since the paint is a metal base to it.

There was another member on this board that painted his intercooler, he tilted the intercooler so he wouldn't get any paint on the inner fins while spray painting it.

I peronally i'm going the anodizing route.

 

i still think thats BS:
bout the color:

you could just tape off the fins:

 

OK this is something I have been thinking about. Everyone wants to paint it black to hide it, but black absorbs heat so doesn't that defeat the purpose? Even if you don't paint the fins, the air has to pass through the endtanks which could be well over 100 degrees on a hot day. (As somewhat stated in the previous posts)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LiLOtaku &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
But you will ruin the efficiency of the intercooler. </TD></TR></TABLE>

BS. as long as you dont clog the fins your fine. chances are no paint will get inside the fins anyway.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC_power &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Even if you don't paint the fins, the air has to pass through the endtanks which could be well over 100 degrees on a hot day. (As somewhat stated in the previous posts)</TD></TR></TABLE>

well reguardless of the color: a hot day is a hot day and 100 degree will still flow through it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC_power &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">OK this is something I have been thinking about. Everyone wants to paint it black to hide it, but black absorbs heat so doesn't that defeat the purpose? Even if you don't paint the fins, the air has to pass through the endtanks which could be well over 100 degrees on a hot day. (As somewhat stated in the previous posts)</TD></TR></TABLE>

Black *radiates* heat outwards better than silver, in addition to absorbing radiant heat better than other colors. However- the effect is probably so minimal that color would have no noticable effect on air temps.

There are already some archived posts about this.

 

I did a little write up a couple of months back with some pictures. I painted my intercooler black before I had my car stolen. If you feel like it may screw flow up....rest assured....Road Race Engineering who deals with heavily boost DSM's had a write up on an intercooler installation and they painted there FMIC with regular enamel paint.....I called them and confirmed it........Therefore, if these 20+psi boosted DSM's paint their FMIC I'd see no problems with painting my FMIC for a 8psi app. Andozing is another great idea...I believe that some stock Skyline intercoolers came andodized black...but is a tad too pricey for me.....well i plan to paint it with my GeeSeR...and I fully recall that by tilting the intercooler while painting...I only covered the front row of fins....

 

don't paint it, it's pointless. Don't hide it, just do what i do, tell people it's one of the new radiators off the 01+ civics. They look like intercoolers almost. Show it off, almost everyone has turbo street cars now, it's not a big secret anymore.

 

the colour of the intercooler has no bearings on efficiency whatsoever. its all got to do with radiating heat, not absorbing heat!
look at Skyline GTR 'coolers, they're all black.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by autoEXturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">don't paint it, it's pointless. Don't hide it, just do what i do, tell people it's one of the new radiators off the 01+ civics. They look like intercoolers almost. Show it off, almost everyone has turbo street cars now, it's not a big secret anymore.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i very much disagree. if painting it will deture theives then paint it...this has been discussed alot...painting will NOT efect effeciency.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cramerox &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i very much disagree. if painting it will deture theives then paint it...this has been discussed alot...painting will NOT efect effeciency.</TD></TR></TABLE>.

That's fine. But this wasn't about watching out for theives. Also, some one only has to look inside and see one gauge to know if it's a turbo car, not to mention, if they want anything, they'll take it. Painting a the intercooler will not deter theives.

 

Im with lilotaku, anodize the thing. paint may not effect efficency but you are adding a layer over metal, it seems like there has to be some downside.

 

stealth is good.

thieves dont steal what they dont think is there.

 

i have mine painted black also, it doesnt really hurt it
i believe im the guy you are reffering to that painted his on an angle and used very little paint in fact its allready chipping off

if i wanted to , can i repaint it silver again? what color would i look for? or has anyone thought of maybe red or blue or maybe bronze or something? its no secret that im turbo anyways

 

I ran with a black IC for many many miles.. never a problem. Infact my IC was black when I dyno'd so yes, it makes power

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by VTC_CiViC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I ran with a black IC for many many miles.. never a problem. Infact my IC was black when I dyno'd so yes, it makes power

</TD></TR></TABLE>


This car was the inspiration for boosting my single cam .sigh. so nice

 

painting your IC reduces it's efficiency, but not by that much. it does affect it though

Same thing as you bend a fin on the intercooler and the efficiency drops.. just not by much :-)

 

Or you could take black panty hose and put it over the FMIC, it works and its not permeant.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RicerRacing69 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Or you could take black panty hose and put it over the FMIC, it works and its not permeant.</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL, my friend actually told me to do this. If I can't find anyone to anodize my IC, I'll hafta use this method .

Do you have any pics of your setup using the pantyhose?

 

I had my intercooler for 2 yrs and I painted it a satin high temp black fromt he get go. I pushed 14 bls of boost and made 250 to the wheels on a D18 sohc motor. w/o issues. and NO coloring it will NOT hurt it. you have to rememebr your moving not standing still, and this it allows for good flow through the unit. so don't worrie and paint it.