This is a reply to an old post dealing w/color and heat transfer, etc. Lets go back to science 101: Black is the absence of color(i.e. reflects no color), white is the existance of all color(reflects all colors). When painting a motor, tranny, diff., etc., the darker the color, the better. Remember, heat transfers from hottest to coolest. If you are trying to promote cooling in your engine, raiator, diff, tranny, etc., a dark paint,(black), is best. Heat is just at a lower portion of the spectrum as color or light. Remember; paint is the same color on the outside where you can see it as it is on the inside(where it meets the base metal). Therefore; if you paint a motor white, it will reflect the heat of the motor back to itself, while if you paint it black, or a dark color, it will absorb the heat, and help to transfer the heat away from the hot eng. etc., to the cooler ambient outside air. One of the worst things you can do is to install chrome oilpans, oilfilter covers, etc., as all these do is to help reflect heat back into the engine![

 

Anyone have some opinions on this idea?

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

I can't speak for what the chrome plating does to heat radiation, but painting your motor white won't cause it to shed any more heat than if you painted it black. The color of the paint effects the light energy reflected, not the heat energy. A white object in darkness absorbs/sheds the same amount of heat as a black object in darkness.

 

Yea the color of the motor doesnt matter. White reflects visible light not heat radiation. Different types of energies. Even if it did make a difference, it probably wouldnt even be noticable.

**Now if you have no hood and your engine is extreamly exposed to the sunlight then white paint would be beneficial at reflecting the suns visible light rays. However once again the difference it would make would be totally diminished compared to the heat the engine itself produces.

 

I can vouch for the chrome plating and its heat retention properties. My friend used to have an IROC and he decided to put a chrome alternator on the car. After about 2 months, the battery light came on. The battery checked out fine but the alt. was smoked. So he got a new chrome alt. same brand and everything. Once again, about 3 months later, alt. fried. Took it out and sent it to a repair shop. The windings were all melted and overheated. Once we finally convinced him to put a regular alt. on it, he was much happier. He still has that alt. to this day, and that was about 3 years ago.

 

Exactly right.