Silly Turbo Question
 

I have my new turbo sitting in the shop and I plan to start the installation soon. It's all fresh and clean right now so the question is:

Has anyone tried painting the iron bits with, say, header paint? I realize I could send it out for ceramic coating or some such but I really don't want to take it all apart and send it away (no one does that here in town to the best of my knowledge). If I could mask it off, wipe it down, and spray can it I'd go for it but maybe it's just as well to let it rust a bit as they do.

Anyhow, has anyone tried this?

Dan

Yes. When I sent my turbo out to be rebuilt, it came back painted silver. Looks much better. Be sure to prep the area your going to paint before hand and you should be all good.

Thanks! Any idea of what kind of paint they used? And how has it held up?

Dan

I suggest painting it rusty brown so it will look the same after it burns off!;)

Seriously I have some glossy black paint I bought decades ago from JC Whitney that I break out every so often to paint something that will be getting very hot. It probably has every banned substance in it ever dreamed up.;)

There are high temperature enamels available for wood stoves. Bill Hirsh in Newark New Jersey also sold very high temperature manifold paints.


These turbos run really hot in my opinion like an exhaust manifold header probably. Generally though all types of paint will deteriorate with high heat. Some just faster than others.


They run cooler than a turbo on a gas engine perhaps but still pretty hot. As they are part of the exhaust system and not far from the engine.


If there ever was a reason to let the engine idle for a minute before shutting it down. The loss of the oil flowing through the bearing of the turbo sucking massive amount of heat away with it is. Static oil in the bearing especially after pulling of the highway will want to coke. Oil starts changing above 600 degrees. Even with the effect of the oil cooling present 900 to 1100 degrees may not be unusual. Letting the engine idle will pull the temperature down faster.

I painted the exhaust manifold on my 124.193 OM603 with some paint for that purpose I found at Wal-Mart. I chose the color black, followed the directions, and it is holding up just fine.

Black will help radiate heat away from the turbo.

Thanks all.

Max - I'll be painting (IF I'm painting) the turbine housing, not the manifold. I've seen them cherry red on the dyno and I'm giving it a similar workout. Some of the header paint spray cans have a ceramic-based paint that's supposed to cook on when heated so maybe I'll be giving it the ultimate bake job! Not sure if it'll exceed 1300*F which I think is the advertised upper temp but it'll be HOT.

Dan

I am rebuilding a turbo. Good idea to paint the turbine housing. I'll use rattle-can exhaust paint (~1200 F). It needs curing, and unsure when my son will return the car to install, so I'll cure in the oven (has exhaust fan). "Engine" paints seem more durable, but are rated ~550 F. They claim to have ceramic particles, though "ceramic" is not an exact term (research ceramic brake pads). In-between is "caliper" paint (~900 F) and it comes in cool colors. Ideal would be a baked on ceramic coating, as done on muscle car headers. I think they use charged spray application, like power-coating then oven-bake.

I've used 2200* VHT paint with good results, just follow the directions.

And keep it away from salt spray-nothing survives salt spray.

I had forgotten about that 2200 degree stuff. That ought to do the deed.

No issue with salt spray - even if we got ice here (pretty darn rare) Mutt is all snuggled up in the shop all winter long.

Dan