Radiator paint and water pump

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Oct 2, 2012
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Arkansas
My Car
1972 Ford Mustang Convertible
Any suggestions on a good radiator paint??? Also, my water pump is rusted. Could use suggestions on how to repaint. I have a product thru KBS coatings. It is a aqua clean and rust blast. It etches the metal. Seems to work well. It says you can primer and topcoat after the cleaner and rust blast. Any suggestions on primer (does it need to be high temperature??). I have the proper Ford Blue, Duplicolor DE1606.

 
Any suggestions on a good radiator paint??? Also, my water pump is rusted. Could use suggestions on how to repaint. I have a product thru KBS coatings. It is a aqua clean and rust blast. It etches the metal. Seems to work well. It says you can primer and topcoat after the cleaner and rust blast. Any suggestions on primer (does it need to be high temperature??). I have the proper Ford Blue, Duplicolor DE1606.
Standard, non-hi temp paints will work fine for both parts.

 
Any suggestions on a good radiator paint??? Also, my water pump is rusted. Could use suggestions on how to repaint. I have a product thru KBS coatings. It is a aqua clean and rust blast. It etches the metal. Seems to work well. It says you can primer and topcoat after the cleaner and rust blast. Any suggestions on primer (does it need to be high temperature??). I have the proper Ford Blue, Duplicolor DE1606.
Standard, non-hi temp paints will work fine for both parts.
Thanks!

 
Radiator - it is recommended only to use radiator formulated paint. It's thinner than typical spray can paint as not to clog the cooling fin area. Do not use enamel based paint.

Eastwood makes a great paint. Takes about 2 cans.

 
i used eastwood radiator paint.

basically you want to use a paint designed for a radiator because the paint is thin and its just suppose to give the radiator some coloring so it looks nice. the copper or aluminum will still show in many places but overall it looks darkly painted in the engine bay.

enamel paint is very thick for exterior coverage so it will reduce the cooling ability of the radiator because the paint will act as insulation from the cooling air blowing through the veins.

also even the radiator paint will say to just mist it onto the surface and not to use heavy repeated coats. just make it look uniformly painted then stop. some even say not to load up too much paint between the veins or fins. so at some angles it may appear the rad is not painted from looking front to back it will look painted.

also you do not prime a radiator again because the paint will insulate from air contact.

 
i used eastwood radiator paint.

basically you want to use a paint designed for a radiator because the paint is thin and its just suppose to give the radiator some coloring so it looks nice. the copper or aluminum will still show in many places but overall it looks darkly painted in the engine bay.

enamel paint is very thick for exterior coverage so it will reduce the cooling ability of the radiator because the paint will act as insulation from the cooling air blowing through the veins.

also even the radiator paint will say to just mist it onto the surface and not to use heavy repeated coats. just make it look uniformly painted then stop. some even say not to load up too much paint between the veins or fins. so at some angles it may appear the rad is not painted from looking front to back it will look painted.

also you do not prime a radiator again because the paint will insulate from air contact.


Radiator - it is recommended only to use radiator formulated paint. It's thinner than typical spray can paint as not to clog the cooling fin area. Do not use enamel based paint.

Eastwood makes a great paint. Takes about 2 cans.
Thank you, what is the correct sheen, gloss black or satin??????

 
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To assist in laying down an light, but even coat in the fin area, I used a large box fan on the opposite side pulling the air thru the fins. Mist one side, then re-arrange to do the other side. I taped off the side tanks from the fin area and visa-versa to paint them separately to keep over-spray from occurring.

Turned out so nice, it was painful to see bugs embedded in the fins after driving in the summer evenings....

 
Radiator - it is recommended only to use radiator formulated paint. It's thinner than typical spray can paint as not to clog the cooling fin area. Do not use enamel based paint.

Eastwood makes a great paint. Takes about 2 cans.
Just got done using the Eastwood, very nice and quick drying. Thanx for the advice!

 
Turned out so nice, it was painful to see bugs embedded in the fins after driving in the summer evenings....
yes, that sucks. I plan to use a fine meshy screen infront my radiator that i can just take out and put in when the bugs get on it. that way at car shows i can take the screen out and look pretty and plop it in to go down the road.

 
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