Intercooler hard piping paint

[Nikolay_Ruskov]

Do i have to use high temp engine paint to paint my intercooler pipes?

 

[Calan]

I really hope not.

Just use some Duplicolor engine paint. Good stuff and 500 degrees is WAY more than your IC pipes should ever see.

If your UICO pipe gets much above ambient bay temperatures, you've got some IAT and knock issues to deal with.

 

[Silver99GSX]

what about polishing your hard pipe

 

[Calan]

and what he said ^^^, especially if they are nice aluminum pipes. More more work, but much nicer to look at IMHO.

 

[mikhro]

I would polish them instead.....If you paint them, they would like crap once you start working on the engine bay and get scratches on them

 

[Nikolay_Ruskov]

they are greddy but the old owner painted them and now they look like crap. How to polish them?

 

[mikhro]

Since I'm on my phone now, it's hard to type a "how-to" but tomorrow il get on the computer and give you a good idea on what's needed and steps to do it

 

[Nikolay_Ruskov]

ok 10x. dont forget me

 

[mikhro]

How I did my pipes


I had a bench grinder with buffer wheels installed (good for applying pressure)
Dremel for sharp corners or weld areas
Angel grinder with buffer wheels for hand polishing
Bucket of water
320 and 500 sand paper for water sanding, I wouldnt use the ones for dry sanding (IMO)
Tripoli Compound or Aluminum Oxide compound
Chromium Oxide (super fine) abrasive compound





I used one of the those Airplane Paint remover that you can buy at any Autoparts and remove the paint, I wouldnt sand the paint.

Once you remove all the paint, I used a dishwasher detergent to get all the residue and grease off the pipes.

Depending on any scratches that pipe may have, I water sanded with a fine grit, like 320 then 500 grit until very smooth, I used a finer one after that but cant remember the exact grit, but it was very fine grit.

Again, clean the pipes with clean water and dishwasher detergent.

I used a Tripoli compound with a angle grinder/buffer wheel and polished the aluinum until some shine would start to show.

Then I used a Chromium Oxide compound to finish the aluminum, and bring it more close to a mirror shine

Be gentle with the aluminum, and buff it evenly



This was my way of doing, maybe others have done it a different way

 

[Nikolay_Ruskov]

before and after

 

[Nikolay_Ruskov]

before

 

[97 GSX 97]

I have the 2G Greddy polished piping kit. The reason he probably painted it is because he never bought the polished version and thought it looked cool, or the "polished" part started to peel. They put a thin metal film overtop the pipe that is polished so the actual hard pipe itself is not polished. Over time it slowly peels off.

 

[thetalonator]

I have the 2G Greddy polished piping kit. The reason he probably painted it is because he never bought the polished version and thought it looked cool, or the "polished" part started to peel. They put a thin metal film overtop the pipe that is polished so the actual hard pipe itself is not polished. Over time it slowly peels off.

what kind of finish is that, that peels off?

 

[4g63and420a]

I just bought a powder coating system and put a old oven in my garage. My intercooling piping is first on the list to get powder coated.

 

[thetalonator]

If the pipes are aluminum put a continuity tester to em. If it completes the current the aluminum is raw and can be painted or pollished the right way with a buff. If its anodized and you want to paint it with out bead blasting the ano off take it to a local anodize company and have it striped or a little scary but you can strip it at home if you submerge the pipe in a caustic acid base toilet bowl cleaner such as the "Works" use caution chemicals will burn you. so if you feel a slight itch or tingle wash asap. the longer you soak it the hotter the part will get so keep that in mind also. never paint over anodize it wont stick. powdercoat or anodize is the best butif you must paint ruff up the raw aluminum prime and then paint then for best results.

 

[thetalonator]

I just bought a powder coating system and put a old oven in my garage. My intercooling piping is first on the list to get powder coated.

where can i get a powdercoating home kit?

 

[907gs-t]

The Eastwood company carries a powder coating kit.