[Guest]

would powdercoating a fmic and the pipes affect the performance? Friend wants to do it to his eclipse so the fmic blends in with his car

 

[tsuper92]

i wouldn't do the fin's of the ic,but the end tanks and pipe's will be ok.

 

[TaSe]

could you anodize an IC and have it perform the same?

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Theoretically, black makes the best heatsink and will be the best. Whether or not it'll make any difference is another story

I'll be trying it though more because I think it'd look better

 

[TaSe]

yea i know darker colors = heat grabbing whores but hey hidding the IC on an unsuspecting racer why not?

 

[Guest]

so, the fins are a no no.. is this for sure!?

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Less attention is always good. Hell I think its going to be hilarious after I finish my project having a car with a body like mine. Maybe a dent, but all sorts of scratches and paint blemeshes. Black hood on maroon car, black FMIC...the car will look like an old random cheapskates car, but will be quite the opposite

 

[Guest]

yea, i think hiding the intercooler would be better, cops would think its a radiator or something. :nutkickhi

 

[91T4]

Black=better radiation but this is offset by the extra layer of paint. If you must paint it, use radiator paint (has higher conductivity); if you are doing this for the sleeper effect, you can get some steel mesh, paint it black and place that on front of the intercooler.

 

[Guest]

sleeper effect... lol soudns cool

 

[tsuper92]

powder coat goes on real thick.that is why i said i wouldn't do the fin's.it would be hard trying to get the powder to get deep into the fin's.it is shot with 10 psi of air pressure.spray paint would be better for the fin's.ic pipe's come out nice.i powder coat all my parts because they hold up nice and are easy to clean.i have my own set up with over 20 color's too,so it cheap for me to do

 

[cassio]

i spray painted my FMIC black, used light coating on the fins. i dont like the chrome look and the black hides it nicely.

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Black=better radiation but this is offset by the extra layer of paint. If you must paint it, use radiator paint (has higher conductivity); if you are doing this for the sleeper effect, you can get some steel mesh, paint it black and place that on front of the intercooler.

Another excuse to get the mesh is because you can create a venturi effect to cool down the air. A tightly woven mesh should help create an excellent pressure drop (thus cooling the air, which is why A/C works). Another reason to get a tight mesh is to help keep rocks and bugs and shit from ruining the intercooler

Looking around, I think so far the ZO6/CTS, Cadillac etc. mesh is the best overall choice if you can find it for cheap

 

[Keithh]

Go for a thermal dispersant coating. Then you can improve the cooling of the IC rather than trapping the heat in.

 

[Guest]

i see, good ideas

 

[boosted-bird]

I remember a giant thread like this on DSMtuners a few years back and after extensive testing, it was concluded that the layer or two of paint that is applied holds in little if any heat. Certainly not enough to affect performance. Also, why would a dark color matter if the intercooler is hidden back in the depths of the bumper and doesn't have sunlight blasting on it all day.

I didn't paint mine cuz I liked the silver look but if you want to give it a quick coat of paint, go for it. You'll be fine, theres bigger stuff to worry about.

 

[Guest]

we all know black doesn't reflect any if not little light.

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Also, why would a dark color matter if the intercooler is hidden back in the depths of the bumper and doesn't have sunlight blasting on it all day.

Well heat sinks in computers and elsewhere are often black...I'm not 100% sure but I believe it still absorbs heat better even without light.

we all know black doesn't reflect any if not little light.

Thats not the idea..

 

[TheHeffNerr]

Well heat sinks in computers and elsewhere are often black...I'm not 100% sure but I believe it still absorbs heat better even without light.

not rly, usealy unpainted copper (ftw) or alumanum (Sp (ftl))

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Aluminum. But yeah it depends what the material is. I believe the black I'm thinking of that I've seen a few times is plastic