Just a question for DaveCo and any others out there in Class 11 wonderland. When building motors, even tranny cases, is it a good idea to paint the outer surfaces a flat black for heat dissipation? This would be like case halves, heads, cylinders, etc. Most of the photos I see don't give much detail. If this is a good idea, does anybody have a favorite method or product?

no, I do not paint the case heads, or cylinders. I dont know anybody that does

Just for clarification...Black paint dissipates heat better than other colors of paint. But ANY paint on the cases is like wrapping a blanket around it. Some blankets may be cooler than others, but they all keep one warmer than no blanket.

DustyMojave wrote:


I prefer my engine naked and cool, \"air cooled\" that is. She'll get no blanket, no panties, nothing ecpect maybe a little space heater on a cold race morning.

Uncle Ed 1189 wrote:
At least yours gets a space heaterLOL mine gets rolled over a camp fire

DaveCo11 wrote:


I'm sure there's a few on here that witnessed me popping my oil cooler 10 minutes before the 2008 MORE Toys 4 Tots race. Now she gets a heater and no rev! Thank God for Doug Silcock having the loaner cooler or else I wouldn't been able to break the car on the last lap and leave me and ChipCo hiking.

There was a discussion about this on www.Shoptalkforums.com a few years ago. Someone did a test with different paints. Some areosapce paint did shed a few degrees over a bare case. Can't remember the price but as I recall it would not be worth it, at least to me.

DustyMojave wrote:


How would the color of the paint affect heat dissipation?
that's not an accusation im just curious.

Uncle Ed 1189 wrote:
Now that is funny. I have not had it happen to me but when cars were impounded you would see several pop at a Parker 400 because of the cold. Those pesky relief valves stick

DaveCo11 wrote:


It's always funny hearing about mishaps and it's and even better telling/confessing the stories over a beer or a coke.

Of course Chip tells this particular story better than I do, but it quickly moves from the non-fiction area of the bookstore to the fiction area and borders on the science fiction fantasy when him or Dave COte tell it.