Radiator Painting

dstates · Dec 12, 2012

I'm getting my Farmall H radiator boiled and repaired this week. I am thinking this would be a good time to get some paint on it while it is clean. [b:1ccb2f43b0]Can I use the same paint for the radiator as I would for the rest of the tractor? Does anyone know if they were red from the factory?[/b:1ccb2f43b0]
Thanks!

Goose · Dec 12, 2012

Probably black. Black would help dispel heat.

Leroy · Dec 12, 2012

Usually when they come back from the shop they are already painted black, think they paint them to stop any continuing work of there cleaners.

pete 23 · Dec 12, 2012

Well, they went on tractor black but during painting
new in plant they were sprayed red. I try to protect
them with a cardboard so they stay black on the fins
and tube and just paint tanks and sides red.

Case Nutty 1660 · Dec 12, 2012

the guy who did my radiators for years always told me never to put regular paint on them he said it would not transfer heat well, he had a thermal paint that he always painted them with, just what I was told

uncle henry · Dec 12, 2012

i use bbq black it has a high temp rating

rustyj14 · Dec 12, 2012

I was informed that radiators, in car and truck use, were painted black with a thin coat of paint! The rad shop guy told me it was a special mixture they used, not the type our shop would use to paint a black car, for instance! Their type of black paint dispelled heat better, because it was thinner than regular store-bought black paint! Especially on the fins, but also on the tanks. RJ

Meangreen · Dec 12, 2012

There is a car restoration company called Eastwood and they sell specially formulated paint for radiators.

Dean · Dec 12, 2012

Radiators should be painted with radiator paint, which is thin so as to maximize heat transfer.

Radiator paint is not easily found. I have, in the past ordered it from Eastwood but the last couple of times that I did so, some of the cans would not spray.

Dean

Mike (WA) · Dec 12, 2012

Never had a radiator come back from a radiator shop unpainted- they want to paint them to make it a professional job, but also so you don't paint it with the wrong stuff, then come back complaining that your rig is heating up.

pete black · Dec 12, 2012

unsure of factory color but black is the only color
that looks good as it blends in with the insides of
the fins and core. other colors, especially red
enhances the interior portions that are not well
covered.

sd pete · Dec 12, 2012

Radiator shop has always painted them black for me.

Gambles · Dec 12, 2012

^This. I'm going to get some arguments from somebody about my post, but it's true. Despite the fact that a dark item sitting in the sun absorbs the most heat, the color black actually DISPELS heat better than any other color. That's why radiators should be painted black.

big fred · Dec 12, 2012

I can believe that. I won't believe that you'll get a measurable difference because of the color. A vehicle's radiator doesn't really dissipate heat due to radiation (for the most part), but instead by convection. And aerospace studies have shown that the difference in emissivity between black and most other colors is only on the order of 10-15%, where flat black is about .95, gloss black about .90 and just about any other color except white is between .75 and .85.

dstates · Dec 13, 2012

I got a call from the radiator shop today. He said he would have it done for me tomorrow and that he does paint them. Problem solved. He also said that it is okay when painting the tractor to throw some red on them. He said the fins should get as little red as possible (just enough to change the color).

Thanks for everyone's help! I sure am learning a lot here.

Radiator Painting

dstates

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Goose

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Leroy

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pete 23

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Case Nutty 1660

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uncle henry

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rustyj14

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Meangreen

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Dean

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Mike (WA)

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pete black

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sd pete

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Gambles

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big fred

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dstates

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