Painting Rads

For those of you who have painted your radiators, what kind of paint, and what technique did you use?

Post some pics!

That's an easy one.....radiator paint! :goofy:


I just used Krylon Stove and Radiator black paint for mine. I masked off the areas where the hoses mount and sprayed away.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/Dutch9090/VFR%20Misc/BlackVFR3.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/Dutch9090/2004%20VFR/Ozarks004.jpg

I used high heat semi-gloss engine paint on mine. I just masked mine off on the bike and painted the faces. Sorry, I'll probably get flamed for that one... :blink:









(I am a little paranoid about tampering with the cooling system on my bike given my recent experiences :mellow: )

[image: View Post]dutchinterceptor, on Oct 29 2008, 10:02 PM, said:

That's an easy one.....radiator paint! :goofy:


I just used Krylon Stove and Radiator black paint for mine. I masked off the areas where the hoses mount and sprayed away.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/Dutch9090/VFR%20Misc/BlackVFR3.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/Dutch9090/2004%20VFR/Ozarks004.jpg



Is this the same paint I would find at a hardware store? How has it held up? I think I might paint mine for a weekend project.

I used the high temp BBQ paint on my heat shilds the first time. It held up good but started chipping after a year or so.


How has the engine paint held up? I think I may use that.

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Oct 29 2008, 08:27 PM, said:

How has the engine paint held up? I think I may use that.

I just painted mine last week. Check back in about a year!

I just used the high heat BBQ paint. Basically just dropped the plastic, taped off around the edges and painted them on the bike. Took about 30 minutes. Looked good even with the fairings off......put the fairings on and you see about 1/3 of it. Not sure why you would want to bother with removing them unless you were doing other maintenance or just a lot of time on your hand. The only person you would impress is possibly your mechanic! :cool:

With nothing really touching the radiators, not sure chipping would really be an issue.

might as well add the pic even if it wasn't a good one.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1225222845/gallery_15555_4151_1141.jpg
black_rads.jpg

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Oct 29 2008, 10:27 PM, said:

[image: View Post]dutchinterceptor, on Oct 29 2008, 10:02 PM, said:

That's an easy one.....radiator paint! :goofy:


I just used Krylon Stove and Radiator black paint for mine. I masked off the areas where the hoses mount and sprayed away.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/Dutch9090/VFR%20Misc/BlackVFR3.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/Dutch9090/2004%20VFR/Ozarks004.jpg



Is this the same paint I would find at a hardware store? How has it held up? I think I might paint mine for a weekend project.

I used the high temp BBQ paint on my heat shilds the first time. It held up good but started chipping after a year or so.


How has the engine paint held up? I think I may use that.


Mine have held up well after a year with the exception of a couple of chips that were easily touched up. Even when I smashed my right radiator(doh!) the paint stayed on. They have discolored slightly but still look good. The stuff I bought was at an auto parts store and it was labeled stove and radiator paint. Prepping them amounted to me wiping them down with alcohol. I tried to keep the build-up light while still getting good coverage on the fins for fear of over heating. I didn't notice any temperature differences afterward.

Tremclad gloss black. Washed the rads thoroughly with hot soapy water (off the bike) rinse and dry.

3 coats of tremclad and they're looking great after what..... 8 years.

[image: View Post]veefer800canuck, on Oct 30 2008, 12:11 PM, said:

Tremclad gloss black. Washed the rads thoroughly with hot soapy water (off the bike) rinse and dry.

3 coats of tremclad and they're looking great after what..... 8 years.


What is that? I guess a paint brand that is not available in the states.


I will take my radiators off to clean them before painting.

I have to impress my mechanic because that is me. :biggrin:

I haven't painted the radiators on the VFR, but I took the (silver) covers off the VTR and painted them with some exhaust paint. Even with the radiators still silver, it looked a LOT better.

[image: View Post]Alien TLR, on Oct 29 2008, 09:36 PM, said:

For those of you who have painted your radiators, what kind of paint, and what technique did you use?

Post some pics!

Eastwood sells a Radiator Black (gloss or satin) in a rattle can or by the quart. It's made thinner than normal paints (so they claim) ao as to limit the buildup on the cooling fins & not reduce their efficiency. Works good. I've used it many times on my cars... hmmm got me thinking now... I may still have some kicking around...

http://eastwood.resu...=radiator+black

Don't paint bare metal. Eventually, it's going to come off. If you don't have the means to apply an epoxy primer, this stuff works great. Paint will stick to anything if you use Bulldog Adhesion Promoter on it first. The guy at the paint store said he saw a demontration where they sprayed Bulldog on a beach ball, then painted it with some sort of automobile paint and it worked perfectly. It's clear so you don't have to worry about overspray too much. Judging from the smell, your liver will probably shrivel up and die if you don't have a respirator or at least use it outside.

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/9160.gif

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Oct 30 2008, 10:52 AM, said:

[image: View Post]veefer800canuck, on Oct 30 2008, 12:11 PM, said:

Tremclad gloss black. Washed the rads thoroughly with hot soapy water (off the bike) rinse and dry.

3 coats of tremclad and they're looking great after what..... 8 years.


What is that? I guess a paint brand that is not available in the states.

Owned by Rustoleum:

http://www.rustoleum...and_id=41&SBL=5

[image: View Post]veefer800canuck, on Oct 30 2008, 07:26 PM, said:

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Oct 30 2008, 10:52 AM, said:

[image: View Post]veefer800canuck, on Oct 30 2008, 12:11 PM, said:

Tremclad gloss black. Washed the rads thoroughly with hot soapy water (off the bike) rinse and dry.

3 coats of tremclad and they're looking great after what..... 8 years.


What is that? I guess a paint brand that is not available in the states.

Owned by Rustoleum:

http://www.rustoleum...and_id=41&SBL=5



OK, thanks. It looks like the exact same products as rustoleum here.

I stopped by napa today ( an auto parts store). They had the bbq high temp paint, engine paint, and flameless header paint. The header paint had to be baked on, either in an oven or on the bike. It seems like powdercoat in an aerosol without the electrical charge to hold onto the powder.


Hey RRW, where do you get that primer? How much?

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Oct 31 2008, 02:50 PM, said:

[image: View Post]veefer800canuck, on Oct 30 2008, 07:26 PM, said:

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Oct 30 2008, 10:52 AM, said:

[image: View Post]veefer800canuck, on Oct 30 2008, 12:11 PM, said:

Tremclad gloss black. Washed the rads thoroughly with hot soapy water (off the bike) rinse and dry.

3 coats of tremclad and they're looking great after what..... 8 years.


What is that? I guess a paint brand that is not available in the states.

Owned by Rustoleum:

http://www.rustoleum...and_id=41&SBL=5



OK, thanks. It looks like the exact same products as rustoleum here.

I stopped by napa today ( an auto parts store). They had the bbq high temp paint, engine paint, and flameless header paint. The header paint had to be baked on, either in an oven or on the bike. It seems like powdercoat in an aerosol without the electrical charge to hold onto the powder.


Hey RRW, where do you get that primer? How much?

I've seen it in wal-mart and the auto supply stores. It runs from 10 bucks or there abouts to just the other side of "you're freakin' kidding me, right?" at a auto paint supply store.

My wife says, "hey why not do the oil cooler as well'? She is such a special lady. :cool:

Well guys... I've just put rad paint on my to do list for the winter. I'm quite impressed with the effects it shows. Really cleans up the bike and just plain looks better.

Muff

I am goig to use the eastwodd radiator paint. It's only $12.99 and is meant just for bare radiators. It also says it is very light to avoid any cooling problems from the paint holding in heat.

Eastwood has good products. Thanks.

I have the rads off and cleaned. I just did the oil cooler and it looks great. I will post pics. of the final example. I went with the eastwood radiator paint.

Pics!!!

Did mine last spring. Just removed both fairings and masked off around the bike. Look great and are holding up fine. Used high temp black grill paint.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1205713447/gallery_2084_112_12061.jpg
Carbon Fiber clutch cover & clear turn signals

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1205713447/gallery_2084_112_160573.jpg
Carbon Fiber clutch cover & clear turn signals

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1205713447/gallery_2084_112_152980.jpg
Carbon Fiber clutch cover & clear turn signals

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1205713447/gallery_2084_112_293733.jpg
bike08left.JPG

I had to wait forever to get a decent day to paint. It was still kind of iffy. I used the eastwood rad. paint and already have one tiny chip on the oil cooler.

Can radiators be powdercoated? I will be powdercoating more soon. What do you lads think?

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee318/hotwheels56/picsofvfrrads017Small.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee318/hotwheels56/picsofvfrrads020Small.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee318/hotwheels56/picsofvfrrads023Small.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee318/hotwheels56/picsofvfrrads041Small.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee318/hotwheels56/picsofvfrrads030Small.jpg

I hadn't thought about the oil cooler. Looks good! :fing02:

:fing02:

Nice Job.... Looks real nice, now has me thinking. lol

Thanks guys. It really does look a lot better in black.

Looks like Ray Charles grabbed hold of some Krylon. :biggrin: Nice!

[image: View Post]dbs05, on Dec 21 2008, 08:37 PM, said:

Looks like Ray Charles grabbed hold of some Krylon. :biggrin: Nice!



I can spray paint like a mofo. I'm the man with 12oz can.

[image: View Post]soichiro, on Dec 21 2008, 08:50 PM, said:

[image: View Post]dbs05, on Dec 21 2008, 08:37 PM, said:

Looks like Ray Charles grabbed hold of some Krylon. :biggrin: Nice!



I can spray paint like a mofo. I'm the man with 12oz can.

LMAO!!! Looks nice Doug... now I gotta go pull my plastic :(