It is a PWS line, and this is Mitsu's lame attempt at a PWS cooler. The same design is incorporated in several if not all their cars. I assume painting it would be alright and not cause any issues long term. If anyone is worried, just upgrade to a better PWS fluid, like Redline, etc...

 

Actually it works So not that lame after all.
Rule of KISS.

 

^^^

How hot could the PS fluid really get under daily driving conditions? (Track days is another story...I'm focusing on the DD) If Mitsu put it there, most likely there IS an issue with overheating fluid. The lines run back near the turbo/downpipe/etc. so it may be exposed to too much heat.

However, IMO, it's a f'ing eye sore. Has anyone relocated it? Painting it sounds like it may interfere with proper cooling characteristics, but seems to be a simple option.

 

A lot of cars have power steering coolers, I think its there for agressive driving. Some of the DSM guys have eliminated theres with no reprecussions. Painting it wont hurt it, but I dont want to remove my front bumper to do it.

 

i plastidip'd mine, looks great, and heat doesn't seem to bother it. Paint or not it is still exposed to a good rush of air while driving.

 

You all know that black retain heat while silver or white (or any light color for that matter) reflect it? Test it yourself: wear a black shirt on a hot summers day. Function before form!

 

ok bill nye, while you are right, wear a black shirt on a summer day and then hang your head out the window going 60mph.....still hot? no? ok now wear a white shirt and try again? feel any cooler? no not really?

when going 60mph down a hwy it really doesn't matter. now if you are tracking your car all day everyday, then yeah you have a very valid point.

 

Maybe ok if all you do is freeway driving all the time. But, most people do a combination of stop-start, idling and freeway. How many cars do you see with any kind of cooler for the steering, engine, gearbox, diff, intercooler etc come painted, especially a dark color? There is a reason for the bare silvery metal - better heat dissipation.

 

Black absorbs light and creates thermal energy (heat)...white reflects light. If both are absent of light (shade), they will act the same.

Though adding a layer to the raw metal tubing (paint) will change the dynamic of how the surface dissipates heat, no matter the color.

I may just relocate the loop, not sure where yet. Will post when done.

 

i dont think it matters what color you paint it the extra layer of paint will effect heat transfer. it doesnt matter if it is black or white. with that said i dont think most people will see any repercussions from painting it as most people dont do hardcore trackdays with long stretches on the track as previously stated change the fluid and the great majority of us should be fine. mine is still silver btw

 

I gotta tell you all that I taught the theory and the measurementation of the actuals in grad school as an ME. The color does matter -- but not the way you think. Black not only absorbs more than white (which you are correct, reflects better). On the emissive side, the only thing that matters is the difference of temperatures. These are rules of thumb only, not taking into account surface texture and material differences, for RADIANT heat transfer. For convective (comparable to conductive, but with non solid contact), the colors do NOT matter at all. It's all about surface area first, temp difference second, and "insulation" third. I don't think the thin layer of paint will make a hellobeans difference as it's ridiculously thin and eventually that heat from under the paint will be the same temp throughout that thin paint.

I loved the art of engineering, the principles; but I got bored with the non-linear partial differential equations and tensor notation calculus.... BORING!

 

This.

Paint away!