Radiator upgrade
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
The questions about color heat rejection and coatings are true in concept but so minute that it doesn't come into play. Here is the details I wrote on the product that DeWitts sells.
Black Ice is a unique product specifically designed for coating aluminum radiators. This two-part epoxy paint will adhere to raw aluminum and will never flake or peel. This kit includes two half pint cans. When combined it creates enough paint to coat two large radiators. The product is applied using an air type spray gun and only one or two coats is necessary. The activated product will cure to the touch in about twelve hours at room temperature. As the formula cures, the solvents evaporate and the product shrinks, to form a skin as little as .002" thin. This thin skin will protect the aluminum surface without any effect on heat transfer.
In addition to the thin skin coating, 90% of the paint is applied to the end tanks and side channels that don't do any cooling. Only the face of the core is coated with paint, the inside of the core (where the heat exchange takes place) is not coated. The only case where paint would effect the cooling is if you were to Dip coat the radiator. This would be a real bad idea and could potentially make the radiator useless.
The Black Ice epoxy is just paint, but this particular formula was selected because of it's ability to adhere to smooth aluminum, finish color and sheene, and the thin cured thickness. I love this product and I am surprised DeWitts doesn't sell a ton of it. You can also use it to paint bare metal parts without primer and the result looks like Powder coat. If anyone wants to do a product review I could get you a free sample. I painted the whole frame on my 1963 in this product despite taking a hit at all the high level ncrs car shows. Much better than the asphalt base crap that rubs off with tall grass. I sold DeWitts in 2015, and I do not profit from any sales of this stuff.
Product page here
Last edited by Tom@Dewitt; Dec 1, 2017 at 03:17 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,953
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
I don't know, why Black, but this explanation is as good as any.
The questions about color heat rejection and coatings are true in concept but so minute that it doesn't come into play. Here is the details I wrote on the product that DeWitts sells.
Black Ice is a unique product specifically designed for coating aluminum radiators. This two-part epoxy paint will adhere to raw aluminum and will never flake or peel. This kit includes two half pint cans. When combined it creates enough paint to coat two large radiators. The product is applied using an air type spray gun and only one or two coats is necessary. The activated product will cure to the touch in about twelve hours at room temperature. As the formula cures, the solvents evaporate and the product shrinks, to form a skin as little as .002" thin. This thin skin will protect the aluminum surface without any effect on heat transfer.
In addition to the thin skin coating, 90% of the paint is applied to the end tanks and side channels that don't do any cooling. Only the face of the core is coated with paint, the inside of the core (where the heat exchange takes place) is not coated. The only case where paint would effect the cooling is if you were to Dip coat the radiator. This would be a real bad idea and could potentially make the radiator useless.
The Black Ice epoxy is just paint, but this particular formula was selected because of it's ability to adhere to smooth aluminum, finish color and sheene, and the thin cured thickness. I love this product and I am surprised DeWitts doesn't sell a ton of it. You can also use it to paint bare metal parts without primer and the result looks like Powder coat. If anyone wants to do a product review I could get you a free sample. I painted the whole frame on my 1963 in this product despite taking a hit at all the high level ncrs car shows. Much better than the asphalt base crap that rubs off with tall grass. I sold DeWitts in 2015, and I do not profit from any sales of this stuff.
Product page here
The questions about color heat rejection and coatings are true in concept but so minute that it doesn't come into play. Here is the details I wrote on the product that DeWitts sells.
Black Ice is a unique product specifically designed for coating aluminum radiators. This two-part epoxy paint will adhere to raw aluminum and will never flake or peel. This kit includes two half pint cans. When combined it creates enough paint to coat two large radiators. The product is applied using an air type spray gun and only one or two coats is necessary. The activated product will cure to the touch in about twelve hours at room temperature. As the formula cures, the solvents evaporate and the product shrinks, to form a skin as little as .002" thin. This thin skin will protect the aluminum surface without any effect on heat transfer.
In addition to the thin skin coating, 90% of the paint is applied to the end tanks and side channels that don't do any cooling. Only the face of the core is coated with paint, the inside of the core (where the heat exchange takes place) is not coated. The only case where paint would effect the cooling is if you were to Dip coat the radiator. This would be a real bad idea and could potentially make the radiator useless.
The Black Ice epoxy is just paint, but this particular formula was selected because of it's ability to adhere to smooth aluminum, finish color and sheene, and the thin cured thickness. I love this product and I am surprised DeWitts doesn't sell a ton of it. You can also use it to paint bare metal parts without primer and the result looks like Powder coat. If anyone wants to do a product review I could get you a free sample. I painted the whole frame on my 1963 in this product despite taking a hit at all the high level ncrs car shows. Much better than the asphalt base crap that rubs off with tall grass. I sold DeWitts in 2015, and I do not profit from any sales of this stuff.
Product page here
Please feel free to tell me to mind my own damn business.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
Retired. I do part time consulting and engineering projects for DeWitts but mainly tooling and automation development. My old team of John and Shree are still running the business as well as all the welders and brazing production.
