I know this is a stupid question, but, I am reinstalling my radiator after having it boiled, rodded, etc. If I paint the fins, this will inhibit the ability to dissipate heat, right? Thanks in advance, Don http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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Don McGowen
1970 SS El Camino
Gold #179

Don, good question. An old boss of mine used to claim that a thin coat of flat black would cause better heat dissipation ( on anything ). Can't see why a light coat of flat black would hurt anything.

Chaas
Gold #62
67 SS396/ L88

Hey Don,
I'm pretty sure Eastwood sells a special paint for radiators. You're right, you can't use just ordinary paint. www.eastwood.com (http://www.eastwoodco.com)

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Nick P.
Team Chevelle Gold #36
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/nicpal/home.htm www.chevelles.com/showroom/Nick's1970ChevelleSS396.jpg (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Nick's1970ChevelleSS396.jpg)

[This message has been edited by Narti (edited 01-27-2000).]

this is a toss up. A clean coat of paint will keep the corrosion in check, but it will not help dissipate heat any better.The radiation factor becomes very important when the temperatures are very high (like red-hot or better) and this is where the color comes in. For ordinary heat transfer, a good clean radiator will do just fine. In the end, a very thin coat of paint the keeps the corrosion down will be just fine.

I have used the paint that eastwood sells, it looks good. Just be careful with the radiator and don't put a hole in it will reinstalling it. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

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Bryan Shook
www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/6673 (http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/6673)
Favorite Quote: Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.

Sometimes I'm cheap, sometimes I'm not. This is one of those times, a good flat black engine paint. I would only give it a dusting anyway. Incidentally, I touched up my upper tank with Rustoleum gloss black. looks mint after 1 season.

I have used regular black engine paint before an just the tanks and it held up real well.

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Steve

I just got mine back from a well-known Northwest chain of Muffler/Radiator shops and I requested they not paint it which they normally will do unless you tell them not to. I did this because they told me they don't use a special radiator paint on the fins. Mine required more than a light dusting because their tanking process took off quite a bit of the original paint. I used Eastwoods Radiator Paint to cover it, then used a high gloss black on the upper portion, after grinding the old paint off - looks killer! Eastwood does go on real thin.

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Stan Hanek
'66 SS - 396 4 sp.
stan.hanek@weyerhaeuser.com

Here's a thought for those guys that like a little x-tra polishing. I've seen alot of pre 68 cars, If you have that type, polish the brass top tank. This is a little more work but then you could shoot it with some clear.