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Painted Tranny Cooler

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ALBERTAN

Resident Window Licker
Joined
Jun 14, 2001
Messages
1,122
Just wondering if painting my tranny cooler black would have any detrimental effects on its heat transfer capabilities. I know some come black, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks.
 
Hehe. I knew it was a lame question when I typed it, but I thought someone might have some nice anecdotal input. Oh well... Where's the spray paint? :D
 
Caution!

Any turbo-car, repeat, ANY turbo-car should never attempt to use a black trans cooler!!

There was a huge article about this in a magazine that was posted on a website that someone saw on one of the turbo-boards that told a guy I know who puts in magnetic drain plugs.

HTH
 
Paint versus coatings

Paint, even flat black, will actually act as an insulator--alibet very minor. To improve heat transfer consider using ceramic coatings specifically designed to enhance heat transfer. To learn more look here http://www.techlinecoatings.com/

That being said, the best way to significantly increase heat transfer is by using a larger cooler or a better design--the heat transfer increase would be single digit improvement on a low-temp app like a trannie cooler with ceramic coatings.

I coat all my trannie shells, oil pans and intake manifolds with heat shedding product and use reflective ceramic coatings on piston tops and combustion chambers and use anit-fricition coatings on piston skirts, all bearings, oil pump gears, pinons and rings and many trannie parts.

The most measurable result comes at the engine oil pump gears. If you follow NASCAR all the teams use specialty coatings throughout.
 
At the lower temperatures we're dealing with (180 ºF -ish ?) I find it hard to accept the cost benefit of expensive ceramic coatings -- maybe at 1500 F it starts to make sense, or on a competition vehicle.

As far as color, BLACK is the best at radiating & eliminating heat (just as it is the best at absorbing heat) -- it gets closer to an ideal "black body" behaviour.

Which direction the heat energy flows will depend on relative temperature differences -- a black car quickly gets hot inside because the outside air temp is hotter than the car, and sunlight is also absorbed more efficiently. In freezing winter conditions, a warm car interior will cool off faster if the car is black!

For keeping heat IN (exhaust headers, turbo, etc), light reflective colors (bright aluminum, white, etc) accomplish that best. Heat will be reflected back IN to the pipe.
 
Thanks for the info. I liked Two Lanes reply, but Clay and Tom's were more along the lines of what I was looking for. ;)
 
Beyond Belief!

Tom H--Check the website http://www.techlinecoatings.com/ to "learn" about ceramic coatings, this company claims to supply over 90 percent of the coatings used in racing.

I would agree that at lower temps coatings are not as much of a factor--basic engineering of delta t. However, I can tell you that a coated intake on a SBC MUST have the crossover blocked or it will radiate so much heat that the carb boils out the gas anytime you slow down--I've had to go through this twice.

I've also been able to run higher compression ratios on the street that all the Stuper Chevies say is possible with combustion chamber/valve coatings.

Coatings, used extensively in NASCAR racing, are being overlooked by many serious hobbiest and auto shops.

For me personally, the fact that the coatings PERMANTLY do away with corrosion on aluminum parts is worth the effort.

I apply my own coatings so I do not consider them expensive.

Heat transfer is a more complicated than the color of the paint and the classical "black body" formulas used in school. The best ceramic heat insulator that Techline has is called Black Satin because it is black. Like I said check out the website, you may find a solution to some heat or astetic problems you've been living with.
 
Re: Caution!

Originally posted by Two Lane
Any turbo-car, repeat, ANY turbo-car should never attempt to use a black trans cooler!!

There was a huge article about this in a magazine that was posted on a website that someone saw on one of the turbo-boards that told a guy I know who puts in magnetic drain plugs.

HTH


This is not the south Two Lane...All colors are equal! LOLOLOLOL

I do not know where you heard this but I would have to say "
Horsepucky" as we have run several tests on our coolers , which are black, and had great results. Coatings are a hugh part of Nascar and must be for a reason.. hint hint. As far as coating a cooler I think there would be an advantage but with what we run I dont know if the cost would have a bearing on function. Not putting down but I think the coatings could be used elsewhere for more gain. All stacked plate coolers will surfice for us , and yes, even the turbo cars...LOL

Bruce
 
Horsepuckey

That would be "Mash" Sherman Potter I think.

All colors aside, larger and better coolers--as in stacked plate--are much better than ANY kind of coating at getting rid of heat, but then that was not the original question.

Glad to hear you're still kicking Bruce--maybe those rumors were much exaggerated
 
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