FMIC tubing - Polished vs. Wrinkle Black

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BXSS
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FMIC tubing - Polished vs. Wrinkle Black

Post by BXSS »

This is a silly question, but is there an advantage to using polished or wrinkle black painted FMIC tubing (aluminum) on either the hot, cold, or both sides of FMIC piping?

I ask because I noticed a few serious cars having wrinkle black FMIC tubing instead of polished tubing (the pipes were aluminum), & figuered maybe there was something to it other than painting being easier to do than polishing.
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thehookeup
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Post by thehookeup »

were the wrinkled black ones aluminum? i have seen those wrinkled black ones and these were a super super hard plastic? Im sure they make different coats. i have no idea what the advantages are except for maybe engine bay heat transfer into the aluminum pipes
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Post by BXSS »

Yup, the wrinkle black painted ones were aluminum tubes.
I'd write this off as laziness, but I've seen a few WELL done cars with wrinkle black IC tubing.

My turbo to IC polished tubes get HOT as does the hot-side endtank of the IC, but my IC to t-body ones & cool side IC end tank stay cool.

I was thinking either polished or Wrinkle black painted tubes would help the heat transfer from the hotside tube.

I read something about black radiating heat in the "Should I paint my FMIC Black" post.
If that is true then wrinkle black should create a bit more surface area for heat transfer than regular black which I think would be good fro the hotside tube.
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Post by Steeper »

i would imagine the painting of the tubes is purely for looks.
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Post by BXSS »

???????
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dirtyhandssubaru555
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Post by dirtyhandssubaru555 »

my guess is its some kind of paint that has some thermal properties of some kind, even with out being a special paint, just the thinkness of the paint i think would for sure have some kind of effect, positive or negative. but i could be way off. if you want to try to keep your ic pipeing cool try some exhaust tape/wrap, maybe a couple of layers to keep the heat out
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Post by Boostedballs »

It's all just bling.

If you are going to do wrinkle black (or red) then you will need a good zinc self-etching primer first. But why bother unless you are on a budget?

Get them powdercoated in ANY texture you want. That's durability and heat resistance. Hammertone gray is bitchen.

If you just want functionality, and no bling- wrap the tube that goes from the intercooler to the TB in fiberglass exhaust wrap, then get some industrial aluminum foil and wrap over the fiberglass. That's how the big trucks do it. The tube coming right out of the turbo to the intercooler needs no insulation.
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Post by BXSS »

DEI makes a reflective heat tape that I used on the tube coming off the turbo since it passes over the DP/Turbo exhaust housing & was alway super hot.

Once the air passes through the I/C the tube going up to the t-body is COOL with no heat barrier (my tubes are polished aluminum).

I thought there may have been something to the black paint, but its probably just laziness (it takes a bunch of sanding to polish the tubes).
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heat wrap paint

Post by the_watts10 »

yeah the paint is probaly some kind of heat asorbing material that keeps the pipe cooler keeping the engine bay and the air inside cooler but probaly has no more of an advantage than heat wrap

just a thought?
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