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Author Topic: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?  (Read 3854 times)

Offline Tony Leong

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Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« on: March 20, 2015, 12:38:53 pm »
Just checked out this video:

http://www.ilovetoboost.com/black-intercoolers-myth-busted/

Looks like one answer is ...
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Offline Matt Vangaalen

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Re: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2015, 02:50:57 pm »
WOW Tony thanks for the video. I annodized my intercooler black. Im blown away that the paint only insulates 3 degrees during air flow test compared to non painted. Annodizing is more of a "dye" I bet there is little to no insulation. I wonder how sheelas transfer ceramic would test out.
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Offline Brett Haviland

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Re: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2015, 11:16:16 pm »
yeah, that's exactly the same thing I was thinking matt!  I wanna see the heat transfer coating results!
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Offline Matt Vangaalen

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Re: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2015, 10:51:45 am »
I have a 10.5 tall intercooler black annodized and a 7" intercooler with the transfer coating. Both ets. Does anyone have a bare ets intercooler for my test? I have the proper thermometer sensor set up at work we use for testing bearing heat. Or is anyone planning on buying one soon?
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6 bolt short block (.02 over evo9 pistons). Straight cut oil pump gears. Ported 2g head and manifolds, GSC S1 cams(adjustable gears), undercut SS valves, bronze guides, Manley springs. Fp's Big T28, stock 02 into 2.5 downpipe, 3" from the flex section back. Apex'i N1 muffler. ETS fmic. 1g bov. 1g throttle body. 255lph pump. 660cc injectors. AFPR. SD on Link V3. 345 ft lbs 345 hp.

Offline John Hartman

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Re: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2015, 10:25:22 pm »
on cars with boost air temp sensors to compare to their intake air temp sensors, clean shiny intercoolers always produce cooler BATs than dark coloured ones.
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91 Eagle Talon TSi 5spd awd.  GT-12, TriFlow Cams, 850s, Tial, JIC, Jackal, sticky rubber.
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Offline Graeme H Burvill

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Re: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2015, 03:25:47 pm »
Mighty car mods says black is best!  8)
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Offline Jason Harwood

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Re: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2015, 01:36:04 pm »
Shiny + Waterspray.

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Offline Jordan Kruger

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Re: Intercoolers, painted or left shiney - which is better for performance?
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2015, 10:36:24 am »
My bet says an uncoated and pitted surface like a rough casting, opposed to shiny, would yield the best cooling.
The same theory applies to a cylinder head. If you polish the entire head, the surface wont allow for the same amount of temperature transfer and it could warp easier.  If the intercooler tanks and flat surfaces of the intercooler were roughed up, that would probably work best.
But on the flip side,  who wants a cloudy aluminum intercooler. haha

Mine is roughed up and cloudy because Ive been lazy. haha
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