Repainting a Radiator

[mcgovern61]

I am going to be pulling my engine and stripping the bike back to the frame to get the center stand repaired. Since I am going to have everything off, it is a good time to touch up and paint items that have not been painted yet. My radiator works like a champ, but it is getting kinda dingy looking.

What is the best way to clean it up and repaint (short of going to a shop?)

What is the recommended paint?

 

[Steve83]

I've always heard to paint the tanks, but not the fins, since the paint will act like an insulator against heat transfer. I don't necessarily follow the rules, and I've never had an overheating problem caused by painted fins. I just use black engine enamel and no primer. Someone will have a better suggestion, I'm sure.

To clean, I just take it to the car wash and use the pressure washer.

 

[dan filipi]

Pressure wash and black paint will make it look like new again.

 

[Joep]

I would go lightly on the fins.. light coats just enough to give the color you want... that way you don't start filing in the airflow channels... jmho

 

[Ansimp]

+1 black engine enamel and only mist coat the fins, deluxe job on the tanks and I tape up the inlet and outlet so the hoses don't end up painted on

 

[backyardtrouble]

..I've tried many different types of paint, but i decided that Black Epoxy for Appliances was the best. It gives a good finish plus the extra hard finish after it dries good(this can take a couple of hours) even in some good heat., but it makes it durable. Paint the fins lightly.

I have a good pic of one painted here in the pics, the slider gallery will bring it up. My new Restoration site...
https://goldwingrestoratio.wix.com/-goldwings-restored

 

[mcgovern61]

Paul, in that radiator pic, did you also repaint the rock guard? The black on the radiator and those other brackets look great! Was the fan motor rebuilt or just cleaned up?

 

[backyardtrouble]

yes...i painted it all...i just taped the around the edge of the rock guard and painted. The fan motor was just cleaned and painted.
All the other brackets are painted with the same paint also. I usually put a light coat on, and wait about 10 minutes and repaint, this way you can catch it before it really dries and the second coat will adhere to the first coat easily. It's a little longer process because i just paint one side at a time and let dry good, then turn and paint again.....but well worth it in the end.

 

[AApple]

Be extra careful using a pressure washer, or car wash wand to clean the fin area...you can bend the fins over very easily with a little to much water/air pressure, especially iffin ya gets too close with the wand. :Awe:
The safest way would be to blow the fins area out with air first, to get the big bugs and crap out, then soak that puppy down with engine degreaser and let it sit. Then rinse off with a water hose, from both sides. When I did mine, I just brought it to work and stuck it in the parts washer, which is basically just a huge dishwasher...came out clean as could be. Then painted it with semi-gloss Duplicolor engine enamel, spraying the fin area just enough to get color on it. Too much paint on the fins can keep them from transferring the heat to the air as they should, as well as partially blocking airflow. :good: