How to make an old radiator look brand new, for CHEAP!

[@Jayztwocents]

Well I tried to make a helpful video and it seems that people don’t want really want to learn, they just want to be entertained so I probably won’t do any more tutorials. Tried and failed. Sorry guys

[@TheBlackstarrt]

That really sucks to hear, I appreciate this video. Thank you for making it.

[@AdrasteTV]

I watch any video you make Jay, everything you make is amazing.

[@rspanther]

That's unfortunate for us who are always wanting to learn more. Because learning is entertaining.

[@yurimodin7333]

I know I am just one viewer and even though I already knew most of this I did enjoy the video......sorry it got a bad reception :(

[@AKTuttle907]

I'm sorry to hear that. I like stuff like this.

[@STUMP_]

"see even though they were submerged they still got wet." ~JayzTwoCents Mind = blown O_O

[@rykkuuu]

also JayzTwocents "loosing my towels." lol

[@joeytheghost4211]

Very big brain.

[@mjc0961]

Funny until you see the context and learn he was talking about the screw threads that were, in fact, submerged into the body of the radiator.

[@STUMP_]

@@mjc0961 #wefoundbuzzkillington

[@msonisama8656]

Didn't laugh so HARD Since last week, Thanks Brother.

[@MSPaintDaily]

Bold move assuming I can afford any radiator

[@Lucian_Andries]

Does your neighbor have a car? :/

[@MSPaintDaily]

@@Lucian_Andries no i live in a desert

[@1NIGHTMAREGAMER]

They makr 70$ watter cooling kits lol ebay

[@Lucian_Andries]

@@MSPaintDaily Does your neighbor have a camel?

[@SkyForce6700]

Good time to buy a AIO cooler is on Black Friday, they tend to be discounted then....

[@sethmanca]

So the best tool is that pick. I work at a factory that build automotive rads and that basically the same pick I use.

[@xX-Expendable-Xx]

For the rusted screws, you could drop em in a small container of vinegar for a short while.

[@JETWTF]

What's a gallon of vinegar cost? $1.50-$2? compared to $200 for the Dremel? Could drop them in the whole jug for a short while.

[@abdulmuhaimin5274]

@PaulsLey Yeah if you waste you drink Diet Coke

[@saber-jocky3436]

@PaulsLey The acid in your stomach will do far more than that to paint and iron.

[@lordtartarsauceb8348]

@@JETWTF how much does a wire brush cost?

[@CommodoreFan64]

I was going to say that before I saw your comment, I've also done a steel case side panels where it had rust spots from sitting out in a neighbors shed for several years, before sanding the case down, and hitting it with some rattle cans of red spray paint, and UGA Bulldog logos on the case, and his wife surprised him with a new computer rebuild for his b-day.

[@SkyForce6700]

This is something I will never do since I never abuse any radiators but I still enjoyed watching it because it is JayzTwoCents...😁

[@maxzett]

"A Rad like this is like 100$" Cries in german, where it would be like 140€ (~170ish$)

[@Papamax45]

cries in australian 150aud

[@1_nS1d3]

@@Papamax45 = 94$

[@vojtas_cz]

There, there... 4000 CZk=165€=$180

[@heru_ur6017]

4000 N$ and thats $260 us

[@Herbertti3]

90€~100$ Does this somehow mean I'm lucky? Still hella expensive. Freaking car radiator is less.

[@SolarMechanic]

Only thing I think worth mentioning is the order of opperation here is a bit messed up. The radiator fins should be straightened first, then flushed right after to make sure you haven't caused any damage in fixing them. Imagine doing all that sanding, dremelling, painting and reassembling only to find the rad is hemmoraging fluid and the whole thing was pointless.

[@natterman2037]

Over the years I've gotten EK, Alphacool and HWL radiators that just need a little cleaning and some paint for pretty cheap. Put them up for sell on your local used market before throwing them away please👍❤✌

[@somethingsnowing]

I’ve seen some one use earplugs in threaded and non-threaded holes to prevent the threads and holes from getting painted. For the rusted screws, I’ve soaked rusted screws and tools in EvapoRust with great results. I imagine the engine paint is a great choice because it’s made to handle heat (much higher temps than a PC rad will see) which probably means the paint is not a very good insulator.

[@AKTuttle907]

Look up a radiator comb or a fin straightening tool. Less than. 20 bucks on Amazon and they have multiple heads for different radiator fin sizes. As a guy that water cools everything I think you'll get some use out of it.

[@Aepek]

@JayzTwoCents, not sure if know, but they do have very inexpensive “fin” combs you can buy to do this a lot easier. For an example....check out the LINK: amzn.to/2MDmjMQ Also, can use these for your home A/C unit to fix those “fins” as well😉 Cheers✌🏼

[@shaneeslick]

G'day Jay, at 3:42 you mention the Debate of paint limiting the heat dissipation, I once got told by a Genius that because I painted the head & rocker cover on my car engine with Engine Enamel it was going to make my engine overheat 🤔, I have an XP PC in an old HP case which I painted the Dark Blue parts Matt Black because it was all scratched, It came up really well, also I used JIF to clean all the Silver Plastic pieces which cleaned them up nicely also

[@shadowr2d2]

This could also work on AIO. This was very helpful. Tech Community is Awesome.

[@jasonb938]

Run the radiator cleaner/flush before straightening and paint. Also be a good idea to put a clear coat over the screws since they are now just bare metal.

[@joelwilson8496]

I did this exact thing to an EK Rad about 6 months ago, but I used paint stripper on the outer pieces, then used scotch brite before painting the metal. I then baked the paint and the paint is rock hard now. Looks next to brand new.

[@nellyjmc8919]

Wax n Grease remover, really good to remove any debris or dust. Quick note, the paint to be used on the radiator isn't too important, even the cheapest stuff will work, Australian Export, is about $3 a can, probably less and it will work great. Here he is using Engine Enamel, probably because Jay is a car guy haha.

[@weswolf73]

Get a radiator comb. I believe Amazon carries them.

[@TheBrandoGR]

@@AEON. This ain't common, but it sure makes sense.

[@ethanharris108]

@@AEON. nope, not trade war related at all, just typical china shipping on a dinghy across the ocean

[@fredEVOIX]

@@AEON. yep it's normal even in Europe it takes 2-4 weeks and that's after they actually shipped it, because it can take the same time for them to do it, stick to small items and it's usually faster, large ones can come by boat and it happens that some containers are lost at sea (for example several friends and me never received orders we made in the same timeframe from different companies @aliexpr clearly something happened)

[@tomr3422]

the spacing between the tubes is very small not sure you can really comb them out. But It would be worth a try and Jays loaded any way

[@thewizardoftech5075]

i dont think it would work with this kind of rad. usually you use the combs on ac units , were all the fins are parallel. . a rad like that has the fins in zig zags

[@BulletMagnetMan]

13:20 - I wouldn't recommend using gaffa tape as it has a strong adhesive and is more likely to rip the paint off. You're better off using blue, or even green, painters tape, which is masking tape and has a low adhesive strength.

[@SFFnation]

Learned so much from this, keep up the tutorial video's. Best water cooling channel on youtube. Always top notch.

[@jubthreesixnine688]

When I repaired the fins on my rads, I poked a almost perfect size zip tie almost all the way through, watching how much the pointy tip pushed out the damaged fin. Worked a treat.

[@DanPellegrino486]

I loved this video. I find myself fixing lots of things people would normally throw away. Sometimes they even want them back after! This is a perfect example.

[@chrisl2090]

Lol I wouldn't throw that away. I would love to have any rad bigger than a 120 AIO you know since I have an i7 8700k. Cant overclock much. But at 4.9GHZ all cores I can keep it under 87°C medium sets on prime95. Also maybe I'm wrong since I have never done it. But wouldn't painting the fins like that clog it up a bit if the paint was too thick.

[@colbywhitaker]

Deloss92 I’m sure if you hit them with jayz dusting method it wouldn’t cause you to lose any airflow through the rad.

[@TheUnsungGamer]

Trade that AIO in for a tower air cooler, NH-D15 or Dark Rock Pro 4.

[@charleso465]

For the screws drop them in an Ultrasonic cleaner. Yes the cleaner is about $80 at harbor freight but you just drop it in turn it on and when the timer pings take them out and dry them. They will be clean. You can save yourself some time and effort. I liked the video, and would be interested in more videos like this.

[@zachcrawford5]

I have that exact I-fix It kit. I've fixed a bunch of my family's tech with it and removed various splinters from myself and even a tick from my cat. It's paid for itself many times over at this point.

[@JacobVangChristensen]

You can really feel and see the creativity gained from moving to and building the new workshop. Keep up the good vids!

[@Jylakir]

For rusty steal you could also use something like citric acid mixed with water or vinegar and just keep the screws for about a day into it. I clean my diving knifes with this methos and it works pretty easy with any mechanical cleaning.

[@decryptedchaos]

I have considered doing the painted fins several times, but what always stops me, is how much will the paint create a thermal barrier, Jay since you seem to be doing this a lot, I suspect you have tested the thermal delta between unpainted / painted, that would be an informative video.

[@slowrps13]

Only a youtubers would assume people would throw away pc water cooling parts because it looks dirty.

[@lumbeeman01]

No, there are plenty of people who do things like that all the time. Lots of people have more money than common sense.

[@4idiots_garage]

Well, if the fins where crushed i would have thrown it out

[@combatjm89]

The only thing I would change is curing it in an OLD toaster oven at 100F for 20-30 minutes. It will help toughen the finish against scratches upon re-assembly.

[@spitfire3975]

The ability to remove the shroud on EK rads is a nice feature for custom builds. Personally painted mine orange for my titanfall themed build.

[@LeoDavidson]

Been tempted to do this with rads right out of the box, since the paint on the fins is so uneven sometimes. Found an orientation where it wasn't that visible from any angle the PC was likely to be looked at, but it was still tempting because looking at it from some directions makes the whole rad turn copper coloured instead of black. Makes me wonder why the paint jobs are not better from the factory.

[@spacefx1340]

Can i do this with my wife?, shes getting old and rusty, thank you...

[@TheAJKahn]

You sir... win the internet today!

[@CompproB237]

You're going to need some penetrating oil for that. 😏

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

Sounds like something AvE would say xD

[@HaiseewithaZ]

Really appreciate the tutorials of yours Jay! Keep it up, don't mind the haters pointing out this and that and those that are wrong in their mind.

[@stevealfred3951]

Just a note about the paint used, it needs to be "baked on" in an oven to properly cure. It would be more resistant to scratches and wearing if done. Instructions are on the label. I know from using the brand's VHT product that its a multiple step process requiring heating and cooling it. Though I'm not sure if the enamel has a one time heat treatment process to cure or not.

[@Qkriek]

Reminds me of the time I was washing my engine bay with a pressure washer (Subaru WRX) and thought it would be a good idea to try and blow water through my top mount intercooler fins.Had no money for a new intercooler, so sat for about 3 hours straightening fins... Also used tweezers. Worked fine afterwards though :)

[@phillipramz8882]

Thing is. Most users don't do insane overclocking, or always moving the rads around. I've had mine for 2 years now, and it still looms great. Just a dusting and wiping now and then.

[@Herbertti3]

"throw away" This physically hurts. Jay you have officially ascended above your audience. That's perfectly good radiator as is.

[@Jayztwocents]

If I had ascended above my audience I would have never made this video.

[@Herbertti3]

@@Jayztwocents Omg reply from the man himself. *hides behind curtain* I wan't to use this opportunity to say keep up the great work! I really like the videos, keep the silliness in, it always makes my day! On the my comment side of things I by no means mean to be rude but I would humbly ask to be mindful that some of us are very poor but yet very enthustiastic about PC's. Throw away is other man's treasure.

[@Rob-vl9ux]

You can get fin combs used by air conditioning techs to straighten smashed coils hit by hail etc. they also have a rust reformer paint that converts rust to paint to stop oxidation.

[@wyattkane]

I swear to Zuul if this is another flex tape commercial....

[@R-y-4]

4:06 Jay, just a quick FYI about the ifixit kit, they have an adapter in there that makes the smaller bits fit into a standard bit adapter on a drill.

[@forktailedd3vil82]

They make fin straighteners (fin combs) to take care of the bent fins. It's save you quite a bit of time I imagine assuming it works as well as it did on my intercoolers.

[@ReginaldSharma]

Awesome video Jay. Can't believe what a difference that made.

[@MrTheexplorer128]

Eastwood actually makes paint for radiators to help thermal transfer rather than impede it, its not going to be a huge issue with that paint (thicker is worse), but its something to keep in mind.

[@ryansrandomshop]

I did a similar thing, I scored an ek rad that had a hole in a tube for only $4, a little plumbing solder and paint and it's good as new

[@fromearth6282]

Amazing video Jay. This reminds me of how your older videos made me fall in love with water cooling. Although this takes it to a whole other level!

[@opshlds]

'Hey look, I'm Jordie." LOL! Love it!

[@NovusDundus]

Would the "dust" from the paint effect the cooling performance of the fins at all?

[@RichieWorden]

Check out evpo rust for removing rust on screws. Takes a bit longer, but just let them soak while doing other things for the rad

[@SigneOtter]

In order to avoid rust on the threads of screws or on the shaft, I usually paint over them with a bit of clear nail polish, right at the point the screw meets the radiator. If you want to make sure the screw head doesnt get rusty either, paint over the screwhead itself with a thin coat of nail polish too. :)

[@dansmith6909]

ooh this brings back memories of the £1 (about $1.6 at the time) car heater matrix from a wreckers that i had to dremel trim down broken in/out barbs and epoxy new nylon barbs into, then wiggle all the bent fins straight with a micro flat blade screwdriver and tweezers (watercooling circa 1999-2000) dangerden for life!

[@Twisted4AGZE]

The VHT SP652 Chassis Paint is also very nice.

[@Bularistan4o]

As a car guy, make a Linus type of video and try watercool a PC with a intercooler radiator :D

[@sm00419]

I am sure that you are aware of this but others might not be. This used to be the method to water cool PC's before purpose built PC rads were made.

[@alexthomas6602]

There's no point for something so large

[@vojtas_cz]

Well, I used the radiator from Skoda 125 on my Athlon xp 1700+ @ 2.5GHz back in those days.

[@bepbep7418]

@@sm00419 no we used motor cycle radiators, not car radiators.

[@SergioPena20]

They make a tool that looks like a comb. It’s what we use at work to straighten fins on radiators. You can probably google radiator fin comb and find something.

[@Mr.Unacceptable]

USE PAINTERS TAPE NOT MASKING TAPE. Masking tape leaves glue or rips paint off. Us the proper tool for the right job.

[@TheSongsmythe]

Gaffers tape also does not leave a residue, but you are correct that painters should be your first choice and masking tape shouldn't even be considered.

[@Dimythios]

He knows nothing about "refurbishing". 29 year system building and I unsubbed his punk ass for his stupidity.

[@iheartmysquid]

Lol what do you think masking tape is? Painters tape is masking tape. And gaffers tape definitely leaves residue. Masking tape comes in different qualities too get cheap tape and yeah it will be shit. Follow the directions and you will be fine. Those symptoms sound like you left it on too long or left in the sun or got it wet.

[@MidwestTruckingInsurance]

Do a built comparing tons of radiator size had see how much it affects the temp. I’m doing a custom loop soon and I want to go overkill but not sure how much.

[@jcnz84]

Old rule of thumb was one 120 rad per component, but these new chips are getting hotter and hotter so 2x that is going to get you to where you need to be 3x that for "overkill status" imho

[@MrPugheaven]

Great one that looks like new, nice work! It's weird because my mate watched this and he did exactly what you said so, result! Cheers Jay

[@scottdaniel8600]

Damn dude, you're looking great! I remember way back when when you hated having your lower body on show, you've come so far man, keep at it!

[@MaLiXs88]

Hey Jay the tool you talk about to fix the fin could be a simple fin comb... it a simple plastic comb shape to comb the fins at work. Just search for a codenser/evaporator fin comb on amazon. you should try one with larger space between the teeth since the triangle shape of the fin. Should work. prety much everytime I handle a "raditor" at work I ha to use it

[@lma331]

Is there a video on how to add the radiator fittings for tubing? Or how would I add on the fittings

[@YakBat]

Is it that you do not believe in clear coat or that it will affect performance?

[@ZeroB4NG]

i'd love a video that shows how to use an AIO radiator in a custom loop... for example when the pump in the AIO dies the Radiator is of course still fine, just how would you best connect it to a custom loop? you can't just screw some fittings in there.

[@war77el]

To those seeking to rid of rust; Tip: BUY CLR. SOAK parts & screws IN CLR.

[@jrivas2771]

So do you painted over the rust, with out cleaning it

[@mlb172]

I am going to build my first custom loop, and I was checking to see if a 360 rad would be enough to cool a 8700k and a 2080Ti Kingpin. I have to buy the new waterblock evga has for the kingpin to run a custom loop, and wasn't sure if I could get by with a 360 or would I need 2 240's don't really plan on any extreme OC.

[@jasonwarrix2798]

Ok jay you are right about a lot of things and I’m not criticizing you on this but I don’t care how smooth the surface feels, paint doesn’t stick to a smooth surface. The reason you use sandpaper; is to rough up the surface so the paint will stick to it. Paint will never lay correctly on a smooth surface.

[@iTzzJack1]

Great video currently in hospital so thanks for help me get threw the day :)

[@jaredappleseed7037]

I love videos like this, not everyone has the money to just buy a new radiator, thanks 👍

[@mrjuiceee9264]

I washed my nzxt rad with a pressure washer..and after sprayed it.. looking good as new

[@NatetheGR8PC]

@jayztwocents what about cleaning the internal of the radiator?

[@keildossett1799]

coil fingers for hvac would work. use them on house coils to fix the fins that are smashed like that.

[@jerrenb...]

do you have a case mod video or like painting an entire case video?

[@Luscious3174]

What's your advice for stripped threads? Those alphacool rads came with screws that didn't match the radiator thread and would end up fucking up the screw hole. Their earlier radiators that shipped with the gold sticker didn't have that issue.

[@dkkauffmanjr]

Yes they make a tool for straightening radiator fins. Looks like a metal comb.

[@andromydous]

Speaking of reusing what appears to be a trash radiator, is it possible to reuse radiators from an AIO? I had a 240mm AIO that reached its life expectancy. I trashed the whole thing, but somehow it just felt wrong.

[@Wayne-fe1ed]

Awesome work. I wonder whether there'd be noticeable difference in heat dispersal comparing white fins versus black fins?

[@jyadel]

Hey Jay, you mentioned that painting the radiators has no effect on their ability to radiate heat. Do you think that's because you're using engine enamel? Do you think it would be different if you used regular/different paints? Just curious on your input!

[@Del_UK]

Jay, is there any chance you would be able to create a video on refurbishing an All in One cooler? I have a Corsair H50 (Yes, brought when they launched in UK) that still works but temperatures went up from where they were in normal use. I could just refill but would placing an external tank be a better idea?

[@mattsmechanicalssi5833]

I am a Mechanic (30+ years), and I've never had any differences in temperature caused from painting radiators. This includes all materials used in the different rads. And engine paint is the best to use.

[@jeiciaa8347]

Can i also use that paint on my aircooler tower?

[@misfit3050]

I have a question. Uhm there is a tiny tiny amount of space inside of the fin that the water is passing through so by pinching are you not closing that space off?

[@KingKryOS]

Would a fork work with the fins to fix 4 at a time?

[@209Beats209]

Truly appreciate teaching us! I really hope you keep doing these videos.

[@reeping5038]

I will probably never do this but it's nice to see a great example of how to do it if I need too in the future

[@zeroclockgaming]

I think the rubber is there to prevent corrosion from aluminium and copper/brass touching

[@3Runner95]

would soaking it in vinegar remove the rust? Works great for steel

[@Michael-OBrien]

We think of paint as an insulator, yet it has greater emissivity than even heavily oxidized aluminum/copper, which helps in thermal transfer. How much? I don’t know yet, because thermodynamics is a subject that takes a while to learn 🙃

[@fl4t3ric98]

You should never mix copper and aluminium in a loop! Maybe if you want to use the 1.8 ish volts from the reaction for your RGB to light up you rust ;p Edit: it's prooven that black painted car intercoolers perform better, think the same counts for these.

[@20VGT]

These are some car guy content ... love it .... 😁

[@blazingmatty123]

one method you could have used that's better than holding the screws with pliers would be to chuck them up in the dewalt drill chuck, turn it to reverse and then attack it with the wire brush, not the safest thing but much better than holding with pliers imo

[@rewalston]

Hey Jay hope all is well. I'm going to be installing a waterloop into my system with 3 rads (I know overkill), a 240mm infront (intake), a 120mm in back (exhaust) and a 360mm in the top (exhaust). I'm going to be using the Mayhem Blitz to prep my rads before installing everything. My question is, is there a way to circulate the Mayhem fluids through all 3 rads at the same time? They won't be in the computer of course.

[@DummyAccount]

You could, you know, remove the rust from the fins with some vinegar or other solutions out there instead of painting over rust

[@IIARROWS]

You didn't just submerged it in water... it was SALT water...

[@stefanburemo9661]

Using cardbord to get in real deep to cover the fins real good.

[@golmagnumsniper]

jay cant stop without finishing up the paint bottle thats why we watch this video now

[@kaptmart]

How about changing tubes or liquid?

[@rodrirm]

Thanks for the tutorial! It was really helpful. In fact I would love to know if that kind of paint will work to pain an aluminium tower cooler ?

[@jimp7181]

I don't work at a radiator shop, but I know they use a tool called a fin comb to straighten bent fins.

[@austinchamberlain6565]

For straightening the fins there is a tool, it’s called a radiator comb

[@BigBig5]

Jay, you should use a fin repair comb. They work pretty well.