Just in case anyone was interested in these results, mishimoto did a test with painted vs nonpainted intercoolers.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/yhst-...ngineering.pdf

I know this discussion has come up before and I had not seen any hard data either way.

 

I'm not going to open the link to know paint makes zero difference. I have a brain.

 

I figured I would just post it up anyway because I have heard people express concerns about painting an intercooler black because of decrease in efficiency.

 

I always assumed since 99% of the surface area of the intercooler is in the fins it would not matter as long as you didn't clog the airflow with paint like a moron or something.

 

Congrats, you just made Brains ego even larger. Now he won't fit through even widened double doors

 

ftfy.

 

You're gonna have a field day with this thread aren't you?

Next we should discuss Konis and 1.6 Miatas

*edit: actually, 1.6 miata's on konis rockin painted intercoolers

 

I had one of those. still have 2 out of 3.

 

Learned something new today, thanks!

 

I just got a hard on

 

brain learned everything he knows from y8s

and maybe his wife.

slso not opening link because duh.

 

Does that mean brain is going to sell out too?

 

I dont even own a miata. In fact, I never have.

 

My universe is being turned upside down.

 

Summary
The testing results show that both the painted and unpainted versions of the J-Line intercooler perform virtually identical to one another.

 

You gays are crayzay. It obviously spools sooner without paint. DUrrrhurr.



On a serious note, wish they tested it with a thermal dispersant coating. I'm confident that **** works, one of my friends that does R&D on LED light bulbs says its the difference between the whole assembly melting within 10 minutes of lighting it up on a test bench and being able to able to run constantly for 10 years. He really really loves it when china decides that they dont need the coating.

 

what would be the point? the paint covers .01% of the core and 20% of the endtanks.

 

maybe it would affect the efficiently if it was painted using brain.

 

how about this: paint is super thin. probably about as thin as the natural layer of aluminum oxide already insulating the intercooler...

 

Obviously any halfway decent coating shop doing a thermal disperent coating would make sure to get all the surface area of the core covered.