5 replies to this topic

[rob998]

would i need heat proof paint for my cooper s disk calipers or would standard hamerite do? 

is this the same with the engine? 

thanks 

[Carlsmini]

I don't know about the calipers but for the engine block, hammerite will be fine. I used hammerite to paint the engine block of my mini and it worked well. The only thing is that the heat does cause the paint to lighten in colour slightly but I quite like the effect in my engine bay. I haven't noticed the paint peeling or anything due to the heat. I think there is a thread somewhere about engine paint.

[tiger99]

The engine block does not exceed the coolant temperature, which is under 100 deg C usually, so many types of paint, including cellulose and certain types of household gloss, have been used successfully.

 

I suggest that you use proper caliper paint for those, as they do get somewhat hotter. Dot 4 fluid boils at 230 deg C, unless contaminated by water, and that would indicate the likely maximum temperature of the hottest part of the caliper body. It is known that the wet boiling point of the fluid is only 155 deg C, and many Minis do suffer brake failure due to boiling fluid, if it has not been changed regularly, so you can reasonably expect the temperature to go above 155 dge C occasionally. Yes I know, many Minis have not been uprated sufficiently to need DOT 4 fluid, and the temperatures will be slightly lower, but it gives some idea of what the paint may have to stand.

 

The proper caliper paint can also be used on the disks (except the friction surfaces) which get even hotter. Especially with vented discs, many people choose to paint the outer edge, and the centre.

 

I recommend looking around your local supplier, or Halfords, to see what paints are available for the brakes, and choose something cheaper and possibly more colourful for the engine.

[Frisco]

Hammerite holds up fine on calipers

[Tamworthbay]

Avoid halfords caliper paint. To be fair I have only used the yellow but it was like pee, took about 15 coats to get a decent colour.

[HarrysMini]

Unless you plan on taking it on a lot of race tracks, it would be a waste of money buying high temperature paint for anything on a Mini. Hammerite is actually the best paint I have used for callipers and engine blocks as the red is the perfect shade IMO and it provides a tough coating. Even on a 200bhp Golf, Hammerite is absolutely fine so a Mini which is considerably lighter and less powerful is fine as the brakes really don't actually get extremely hot.

So in conclusion, use Hammerite