FAQ |
Members List |
Social Groups |
Calendar |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
||||
|
||||
Coatings
Anyone use or have experience with Ceramic coatings on Piston skirts and bearings. Benefits or drawbacks. ?
|
#2
|
|||
|
|||
I have used ceramic coating on piston tops and Molybdenum coating on the skirts on my late model engines. (Don't bake them in he oven when your wife is at home.)
__________________
1979 Trans Am WS-6 .030 455 zero decked flat pistons 96 heads with SS valves 041 cam with Rhoads lifters 1.65 rockers RPM rods 800 Cliffs Q Jet on Holley Street Dominator ST-10 4 speed (3.42 first) w 2.73 rear gear __________________________________________________ _______________________________ 469th TFS Korat Thailand 1968-69 F-4E Muzzle 2 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
There is a company here in Houston, TX, named PolyDyne. They do pistons, bearings, chambers on heads, and other internal parts. They have been doing parts for Nascar, Top Fuel teams, and local racers for years. I have had them coat carburetors for me in the past, which gives them a slick and durable coating so that the humid air here does not corrode the casting.
In fact, all the local tracks in the surrounding areas have outlawed it on carburetors used in sanctioned racing. They claim it is so slick that it helps the airflow through the venturies! Talk to Carl, he is the owner. |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
I have had Polydyn coat bearings, piston skirts and tops and teflon coat inside of oil pans for me.
__________________
Skip Fix 1978 Trans Am original owner 10.99 @ 124 pump gas 455 E heads, NO Bird ever! 1981 Black SE Trans Am stockish 6X 400ci, turbo 301 on a stand 1965 GTO 4 barrel 3 speed project 2004 GTO Pulse Red stock motor computer tune 13.43@103.4 1964 Impala SS 409/470ci 600 HP stroker project 1979 Camaro IAII Edelbrock head 500" 695 HP 10.33@132 3595lbs |
The Following User Says Thank You to Skip Fix For This Useful Post: | ||
#5
|
||||
|
||||
Coating the piston top with ceramic insulates the piston and keeps heat in the combustion chamber and gives you more HP. Coating the skirts reduces friction and give you more HP and reduces wear. Coating the bearings increases bearing life and sometimes is used to tighten up the clearance if needed. Some claim it also is a friction reducer but I don't know about that. I don't know of any drawbacks of coatings unless your clearance is already minimal it may take away required clearance.
__________________
Tim Corcoran |
#6
|
||||
|
||||
The claim that a coated bearings reduce friction is pure fiction!
__________________
Wernher Von Braun warned before his retirement from NASA back in 1972, that the next world war would be against the ETs! And he was not talking about 1/8 or 1/4 mile ETs! 1) 1940s 100% silver 4 cup tea server set. Two dry rotted 14 x 10 Micky Thompson slicks. 1) un-mailed in gift coupon from a 1972 box of corn flakes. Two pairs of brown leather flip flops, never seen more then 2 mph. Education is what your left with once you forget things! |
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to steve25 For This Useful Post: | ||
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Both PolyDyn Performance Coatings and Calico Coatings are good sources. I've used both.
If interested order direct from Calico bearings coated with their dry film lubricant coatings to help reduce friction and abrasive wear. If your specific part number is not in stock they can get it. https://www.polydyn.com/performance-coatings https://www.calicocoatings.com/index.php .
__________________
'70 TA / 505 cid / same engine but revised ( previous best 10.63 at 127.05 ) Old information here: http://www.hotrod.com/articles/0712p...tiac-trans-am/ Sponsor of the world's fastest Pontiac powered Ford Fairmont (engine) 5.14 at 140 mph (1/8 mile) , true 10.5 tire, stock type suspension https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDoJnIP3HgE Last edited by Steve C.; 03-15-2024 at 09:22 AM. |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
The take from what I have read on bearings is not they make less friction but make the oil cling better to give a little extra protection .
__________________
Skip Fix 1978 Trans Am original owner 10.99 @ 124 pump gas 455 E heads, NO Bird ever! 1981 Black SE Trans Am stockish 6X 400ci, turbo 301 on a stand 1965 GTO 4 barrel 3 speed project 2004 GTO Pulse Red stock motor computer tune 13.43@103.4 1964 Impala SS 409/470ci 600 HP stroker project 1979 Camaro IAII Edelbrock head 500" 695 HP 10.33@132 3595lbs |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
__________________
'70 TA / 505 cid / same engine but revised ( previous best 10.63 at 127.05 ) Old information here: http://www.hotrod.com/articles/0712p...tiac-trans-am/ Sponsor of the world's fastest Pontiac powered Ford Fairmont (engine) 5.14 at 140 mph (1/8 mile) , true 10.5 tire, stock type suspension https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDoJnIP3HgE |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Techline sells coating chemicals. At one time they sold all their products to the public, but now some of their better products require a business license to purchase. I've used their thermal barrier coatings on several sets of pistons over the years. They also have a graphite coating for piston skirts and such, and I've used it a few times (but now most pistons come already coated on the skirts).
Smoothing/rounding-over sharp edges on the piston tops results in a better coating, I found out.
__________________
'73 T/A (clone). Low budget stock headed 8.3:1 455, 222/242 116lsa .443/.435 cam. FAST Sportsman EFI, 315rwhp/385rwtq on 87 octane. 13.12 @103.2, 1.91 60'. '67 Firebird [sold], ; 11.27 @ 119.61, 7.167 @ 96.07, with UD 280/280 (108LSA/ 109 ICL)solid cam. [1.537, 7.233 @93.61, 11.46 @ 115.4 w/ old UD 288/296 108 hydraulic cam] Feb '05 HPP, home-ported "16" D-ports, dished pistons (pump gas only), 3.42 gears, 275/60 DR's, 750DP, T2, full exhaust |
#11
|
||||
|
||||
Great info as usual guys ,liked the article/ link Steve C posted . Some of the points in the article mirror my builder’s experience . Plan is to do all bearings . Only piston skirts initially, then decide tops will get the treatment . The benefits definitely are worth it . He’s built a variety of stuff over the years and I trust his judgment. The chemical he mentioned did require a license to purchase.
|
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Various coatings have been around fir decades now. Many of the same companies have also been in business as long. The fact that the OE's do coat pistons, some bearings and other internal parts says allot in my book. They won't spend a penny on anything that doesn't pass a cost/benefit analysis. Do you need coatings for a hobby engine that will see a couple thousand miles a year? That's an individual decision. Properly applied for a specific purpose, they do provide additional protection and insurance for minor tuning errors, tiny dirt intrusion, and to correct very small tolerance variations. If your engine has a serious issue, no coating is going to save it. I have used PTFE based coatings on piston skirts, Barrier coatings on piston heads, DLC coatings on lifters and a few others. They all provide a small level of insurance. Only hard anodized treatment would allow the pistons to live in a nitro environment. Even then, they would scuff in extreme situations. Joe Mondello. (RIP) was a big proponent of coatings. He was a Tech Line dealer and coated parts in house. That's where my experience comes from.
|
#13
|
||||
|
||||
Babbit surface bearings used to corrode from the acids in oil. Then improved Gasoline and oil refinements, and additive packages caused to troubles to go away for many decades.
|
Reply |
|
|