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Folks Of Interest Radiator coating

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by pbr40, Jan 31, 2022.

  1. pbr40
    Joined: Aug 10, 2008
    Posts: 874

    pbr40
    Member
    from NW Indiana

    Has anyone powder coated a brass copper radiator before? It would be just the tanks NOT the fins. It says it need to cure at 350 degrees. I would call the manufacturer but I think they are no longer in business.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2022
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    It sounds like a bad idea, to me....powder coating is a decent insulator, not something you want on a radiator.

    A light coat of black paint is good.
     
  3. Blues4U
    Joined: Oct 1, 2015
    Posts: 7,589

    Blues4U
    Member
    from So Cal

    Yeah, that was my first thought too, that the coating would insulate the tanks and prevent heat transfer.
     
  4. cs39ford
    Joined: May 1, 2012
    Posts: 960

    cs39ford
    Member

    Only polish tank or a coat of gloss paint.
     
    VANDENPLAS likes this.

  5. G-son
    Joined: Dec 19, 2012
    Posts: 1,276

    G-son
    Member
    from Sweden

    Afaik brass/copper radiators are usually soldered, depending on what it was soldered with that temperature may be too close to the melting point.
     
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  6. pbr40
    Joined: Aug 10, 2008
    Posts: 874

    pbr40
    Member
    from NW Indiana

    That’s kinda what I’m getting at. Not sure what solder is used. Seen all kinds of melting point of solder.
    I’ve painted all my radiator tank with base coat clear coat never had an issue with heat transfer
     
  7. It IS too close to the melting point, I learned that the hard way....
     
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  8. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,800

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I like semi-gloss or BBQ black myself..
     
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  9. tomcat11
    Joined: Mar 31, 2010
    Posts: 821

    tomcat11
    Member

    And.... If you ever have too have it repaired the powder coat would complicate things.
     
  10. Blues4U
    Joined: Oct 1, 2015
    Posts: 7,589

    Blues4U
    Member
    from So Cal

    Yes, same here. A flat coating will emit, or transfer, more heat than a shiny surface.
     
  11. chrisp
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,048

    chrisp
    Member

    We had a customer who had his bodyshell powder coated, it turned into a real mess with all the lead that melted. Now maybe the powder coater put a little too much heat, but the T° is so close to the lead melting point that if there is a mistake done, your radiator will be just a pile of copper sheats.
     
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  12. Solder will start 'softening' at about 325 and can 'move'. Early in my learning curve with powdercoating when I tried it for filling imperfections, I found out that cure heat is too high for good results. Lowering of the cure heat to prevent this results in a crappy finish on the coating, high enough to get a good finish and the solder runs, sometimes completely off.
     
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  13. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,516

    5window
    Member

    Eastwood has a black radiator paint in several sheens that doesn't do a lot of build-up. It worked well for me.
     
    Almostdone and jimmy six like this.
  14. larry k
    Joined: Feb 23, 2009
    Posts: 547

    larry k
    Member

    Black SPI epoxy looks perfect , scotch bright the tanks and spray it !!! It won’t come off, EVER !
     
  15. Almostdone
    Joined: Dec 19, 2019
    Posts: 892

    Almostdone
    ALLIANCE MEMBER


    What he said.

    John
     
  16. Glenn Thoreson
    Joined: Aug 13, 2010
    Posts: 926

    Glenn Thoreson
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    The Eastwood stuff sounds pretty good but only use a light coat. The old fashioned radiator repair men went by the adage: "A light coat of special radiator paint" whatever that was. I always assumed it was a thin flat black asphalt based product (?).
     
  17. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,516

    5window
    Member

    The Eastwood stuff goes on pretty thinly, but covers well.
     
  18. pbr40
    Joined: Aug 10, 2008
    Posts: 874

    pbr40
    Member
    from NW Indiana

    This was what I was looking for! Looks like base clear it is! Thanks
     
  19. pbr40
    Joined: Aug 10, 2008
    Posts: 874

    pbr40
    Member
    from NW Indiana

    thanks this is the info I was looking for. Cheers
     
  20. :eek:

    Powdercoating on a radiator? Man, some of you guys really like to over complicate things! But, as others have said, bad idea.
     
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  21. pbr40
    Joined: Aug 10, 2008
    Posts: 874

    pbr40
    Member
    from NW Indiana

    I guess the internet is full of opinions!
     
  22. The old local radiator shop used enamel black thinned with gasoline.
     
  23. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    I recently had a custom radiator built for a project I'm working on by Superior Radiator in Michigan. It's aluminum, and the guys there said there is no measurable loss of thermal efficiency with a light coat of radiator black versus bare aluminum.
     
    Tman, 5window and Elcohaulic like this.
  24. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    My coworker at the rad shop told me a story about a customer who coated his new rad with rock guard and didn't understand why it ran hot.
     
    mgtstumpy and Tman like this.

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