# Refinishing Intercooler Piping
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759
**Category:** Canada Nissan Automotive
**Created:** [August 11, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759 "2006-08-11T05:56:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TylerH](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TylerH)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/1 "2006-08-11T05:56:39Z")
**_Step 1: Materials & Tools_**
- 3M Synthetic Steel Wool Medium coarse
- Tremclad Flat Black High Temp (1200°F)
- Protective Face Mask
- Wire Brush
- Rubber Gloves
**_Step 2: Preparing Piping for Paint_**
Okay so here is the sample piece for this write-up. Start out by using the wire brush, it makes a huge difference. I just used the steel wool on one piece and it look at least twice as long. Anyways, just keep getting all that main surface rust off until the piece has a uniform look to it (still reddish, but don’t worry). It will feel like the brush has stopped doing anything to the pipe, thats when you switch to the steel wool.
Pull out the steel wool and being circular motions and watch the rust fly! I usually start with the harder places to get into and then take a bit of a “break” by doing the easy sections. Don’t be afrtiad to use up multiple pads here, it’s not exactly expensive material and shorting yourself on a few bucks isn’t worth the not-so-nice results of poor preparation.
Also, be sure to wear the rubber gloves while sanding and handling the bare pipe. No need to get all your sweat and grease all over the pipe since the paint won’t stick here and all your time would be wasted.
Here is a picture of the piece ready for paint:
**_Step 3: Painting_**
Okay so try and figure out some ingenious way to hang your piece. I used a coat hanger, and hung it off of a wire connected between 2 ladders. Now I don’t reccommend painting outside due to wind and debris, but I had no choice here (and it was calm).
I’m sure you can read up with people who are more experienced in painting but what I did was lay a “tack coat” down, so a very light coat (I could just barely see the black). I let this sit for maybe 2 mins since the bottle said it was tackless in 5. After that, I did another final pass on the pipe, making sure to stay an even distance away from the piece.
Just let it dry for a good while. I left it out there for an hour and then brought it into the garage to dry for another 24 hours, trying to touch it as little as possible.
Here is a comparison between the nice flat black and the rusty piece:
[/b]
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### Author:  [@TyPhOOn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TyPhOOn)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 7:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/2 "2006-08-11T07:16:50Z")
looks good and definately worth the time you put into it , I wonder why it wasnt at LEAST painted before as in a month or so it always gets surface rust when not coated
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### Author:  [@canadianskyline](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/canadianskyline)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 7:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/3 "2006-08-11T07:19:03Z")
Tremclad FTW!
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### Author:  [@TylerH](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TylerH)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/4 "2006-08-11T07:28:01Z")
> [@TyPhOOn](#):
>
> looks good and definately worth the time you put into it , I wonder why it wasnt at LEAST painted before as in a month or so it always gets surface rust when not coated
Yea I have no idea why he didn’t paint it
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### Author:  [@jdms13rhd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jdms13rhd)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/5 "2006-08-11T20:27:09Z")
this is like one of those car tips you always see in option mag.
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### Author:  [@Invalid\_Zero](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Invalid_Zero)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/6 "2006-08-11T20:35:10Z")
You can save a ton of time if you have access to a sandblaster or a grinder with a buffing wheel.
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### Author:  [@imported\_silvia](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/imported_silvia)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/7 "2006-08-11T22:00:07Z")
hand polish it to a mirror like finish! that’ll take a little time, but man is it worth it!!
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### Author:  [@JVD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JVD)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/8 "2006-08-11T22:11:52Z")
> [@silvia](#):
>
> hand polish it to a mirror like finish! that’ll take a little time, but man is it worth it!!
Mothers Aluminum Polish FTW! It turns to shit in a week though. Maybe some kind of clear coat after polishing???
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### Author:  [@Invalid\_Zero](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Invalid_Zero)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/9 "2006-08-11T22:22:38Z")
Too bad that isn’t aluminum. :lol:
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### Author:  [@SRBURG13](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SRBURG13)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/10 "2006-08-12T00:12:30Z")
Very nice write up Tyler. Well done.
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### Author:  [@vader3120](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/vader3120)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 6:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/11 "2006-08-12T06:33:54Z")
looks great man, i just did the same thing with mine, although i dont think i have a good beofre pic, but i can take some after shots. I will say that the welding doesnt look the best, but it works, and thats all that mattered
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### Author:  [@TylerH](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TylerH)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/12 "2006-08-12T09:22:51Z")
> [@silvia](#):
>
> hand polish it to a mirror like finish! that’ll take a little time, but man is it worth it!!
I CHOOSE flat black 😉 I don’t want people to be able to see all this blinging piping in the Type-R.
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### Author:  [@JVD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JVD)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/13 "2006-08-12T23:28:12Z")
> [@2003specv](#):
>
> Too bad that isn’t aluminum. :lol:
Works on any metal basically. That’s just the name of it…
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### Author:  [@Lo\_2enz0](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Lo_2enz0)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/14 "2006-08-13T13:37:32Z")
awsome write up
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### Author:  [@Jason\_Lange](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jason_Lange)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/15 "2006-10-22T00:19:25Z")
> [@JVD240](#):
>
> [quote=2003specv]Too bad that isn’t aluminum. :lol:
Works on any metal basically. That’s just the name of it…[/quote]
ya but it wouldnt last long even with atmospheric moisture. Anyways I’d suggest painting or powdercoating before you need to remove the rust on the pipes. Also you should put a couple stitches on the ends of the pipes to prevent them from blowing off under boost.
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### Author:  [@Evan\_Mcclleland](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Evan_Mcclleland)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/refinishing-intercooler-piping/143759/16 "2006-10-22T03:54:29Z")
some times mine blow off jason…