Painting Fmic

[sydking]

Havent been able to find the style of FM i want in black, Not real keen on a big shiney crome chunk getting attnention,

People have said anodizing it is best, Many people have also used hi temp BBQ grill paint and other just normal black spray paint with no ill effects,

Dynos before and after painting have showen zero loss in performance, Aslong as you use common sense and done paint so much its clogs up some of the fins.

Others have just wraped there FMIC in Pantyhose/stockings

Anyone tried anything??

Also are there Grilles avaible to cover up that section were the front mount sits, like a mesh type thin wire ect

[34GeeTeeTee]

Pantyhose?

There are heaps of black coolers out there.... I have the plazmaman stealth cooler but there are a heap out there making them now, i think Just Jap have cheap ones....

Pretty sure there is an old ratty black cooler in my shed that belongs to a mate too, might need a clean up but he will probably sell it to ya cheap

[sydking]

as silly as the panythose sounds, It would even help to keep the core clean, Catch bugs and small leaves and dirt ect. LOL

Sounds good mate, Shoot me a PM if you mate gets around to digging it up Cheers

[the_wolf]

I painted mine (before and after dyno runs) literally no difference to intake temps from

Cold start to warm...obviously only doing runs when warm...That was on the legnum and made 215 atw no dramas, the missus wrx has 216 atw with a black painted core...both came up really well don't chip easily etc, also did one on a mates 180 last week.

You need a can of etch primer and I used satin or matte black engine enamel but I've found satin black caliper paint to look awesome and with a better finish, but u must use the etch primer and make sure the fmic is clean first...

[sydking]

What is the purpose of the Etch primer?

And if the FMIC is not brand new, Im sure these would be ok to clean with High PRessure water gun ect.

[the_wolf]

Etch primer is so the paint can adhere or stick to the fmic properly so it does my chip off quickly, first one I did I didn't use any and within two weeks it looked shit.

If its dirty clean it with some spray on and wash off degreaser, just use a garden hose, high pressure may damage the fins, for a cleaner end result, after it's degreased and waged just let ur air dry and straighten any bent fins with a flat blade screwdriver, then spray your etch primer, let it dry then do your black coat, with both coats it's important to spray on ALL angle to get all around the fins, other wise it will look patchy on different angles. You'll see what I mean if you do it

[trustr32]

What is the purpose of the Etch primer?

And if the FMIC is not brand new, Im sure these would be ok to clean with High PRessure water gun ect.

Etch primer is acid based so it literally etches into the surface of the metal creating a bond between them instead of just sitting over the surface. I painted my cooler with UPOL powercan satin black there's some photo's in my build thread I think. That is the best 1k satin black in a can I've come across and it has a really good fan on the spray can and leaves a nice even finish even on flat surfaces.

[luke gtr]

You CAN etch primer the cooler, but also run the risk of build up in the fins.

I grabbed a can of mat black, sprayed the ends, and just enough to cover the core.

Been like that for over a year, still alright.

I didn't bother with primer, and when it gets bad enough, ill just spray it again.

With all the stuff thrown at it off the road, I don't think the primer would make a huge difference.

If you're near west Sydney, come by and check it out.