Should i paint my intercooler?
#1
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Should i paint my intercooler?
Hello, I'm a bit on the fence as to wether I should paint my intercooler, so i thought i'd ask your opinion on here? also how much would a layer of paint affect the intercoolers performance? It's an HDI ic if that helps.
Thanks a lot.
Thanks a lot.
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#15
I think you should paint it, surely a thin layer of paint is not going to affect cooling that much. I have mine painted black over a year now, it looks better painted.
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I was told by Harvey not to paint mine,
1) Because it restricts the air flow.
2) Because of its location the paint will only get damaged and will look tacky in no time and you will for ever be repainting it.
solution = mesh grille
1) Because it restricts the air flow.
2) Because of its location the paint will only get damaged and will look tacky in no time and you will for ever be repainting it.
solution = mesh grille
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Thanks for the comments. It does look good in black, Not keen on it affecting performance however. I know currently (sub 300bhp) the ic isn't doing a whole lot of good, but it's only in there for future engine plans. I think mesh is a great idea though and keeps the ic free from bent fins blah blah blah.
#26
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If you have a front mount intercooler fitted for performance reasons, do not paint it.
If looks are more important than performance then paint it any colour that suits you.
For me, painting an intercooler defeats the whole purpose of having one and those people that have them powder coated will lose a large chunk of performance. Anyone who doubts this might like to invest in an air charge temperature guage.
If looks are more important than performance then paint it any colour that suits you.
For me, painting an intercooler defeats the whole purpose of having one and those people that have them powder coated will lose a large chunk of performance. Anyone who doubts this might like to invest in an air charge temperature guage.
#28
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If you have a front mount intercooler fitted for performance reasons, do not paint it.
If looks are more important than performance then paint it any colour that suits you.
For me, painting an intercooler defeats the whole purpose of having one and those people that have them powder coated will lose a large chunk of performance. Anyone who doubts this might like to invest in an air charge temperature guage.
If looks are more important than performance then paint it any colour that suits you.
For me, painting an intercooler defeats the whole purpose of having one and those people that have them powder coated will lose a large chunk of performance. Anyone who doubts this might like to invest in an air charge temperature guage.
I'm interested in this.
Have you tested temps Harvey ? Before and after a thin layer of paint, what were the results and what was the outcome with regard to performance figures ?
I'm also interested in your reasoning behind not wrapping the hot side pipe. Surely the wrap holds the heat inside the pipe so it does not dissipate into the engine bay. My hot side pipe for instance runs very close to my induction filter, dissipated heat near that would have a obvious negative effect. The heat is lost when it enters the core so I can't see the point in trying to dissipate heat before it reaches the core.