Has anybody had any experience with ceramic coating pistons skirts, cylinder walls or combustion chambers? I've heard that valve faces can also be done? Is there anything else that benefits from ceramic coating?

Any ideas on pricing or opinions on the benefits?

I know topless has done this, but I haven't spoken to him about it since he put the engine together.

I can smell something,is something burning

Col

I would only coat the piston tops and combustiuon chambers, to retain heat and obtain a better burn.

Why?

CAUSE

we used to do it at QF for LAughing Larry Perkins. Only the combustion chambers and Piston tops.

Thats where you want to retain the heat and stored Energy as such.

I was udner the impression that Ceramic Coating could also be used to reduce friction?

I would rather use a Grahite spray on the skirts of the pistons.

This would asnd does reduce friction, again we used it on Aircraft Engines at QF.

Jak Rizzo got horribly beaten up for talking about ceramics here not long ago. Think you should speak to him. He has checked it out.

heres the list of things that I have done & am having done. Please don't laugh at me anymore, i'm getting a complex.
All my tinware
full exhaust system inside & out including muffler my barrels, my pistons as dave has mentioned, my manifolds, my combustion chambers on my heads, my sump, my oil pump & my oil coolers.
Also, Steve & I are having our front struts done, tie rods, lower control arms & sway bars, but thats just for looks other than anything else.
regards
Jak

Ps promise not to laugh!!!!!

PPs yes it would be overkill on the street but it's all for the track remember

im not laughing at you but this bit ... "but thats just for looks other than anything else"... ok ok I AM laughing at that bit.

what does it look like?

me? take the mickey? surely not.
You can tell I am, the mouth is moving. (fingers?)

You can get 2 weeks out of a thunderbird? I've seen them rust as you put on the muffler putty.

Nah i just found the 'its a race car' 'just for looks' thing a bit humourous. No disrespect intended at all.

[add a bit] I really didnt know what it looks like

[Edited on 12-6-2003 by amazer]

yeah getting it ceramic coated is around the same price as getting stuff powdercoated too

Jakriz,
That's lot's of different parts to coat. Your talking about a few different processes there aren't you??
Still all ceramic though I assume.

So Jak, am I to understand you got the inside of the cylinders done, or just the outside? Does it make any difference?

Did you do just the crowns of the pistons, or the skirts as well?

As far as I'm concerned, the piston crowns, head and probably the valve faces are a given, just to retain heat as Dave suggested. I'd also do the outside of the cylinders purely to prevent rust (which hinders heat transfer) and the tinware to insulate it. What I'm trying to find out is whether there is any benefit in ceramic-coating the friction surfaces....

Dave, surely Larry Perkins would not have used ceramic coating without some kind of assessment of its benefits? Do you know if it made any difference?

Thanks to all who have responded, but I'm a long way from the answers I'm looking for still. :thumb

Have you done any searching Col? There's HEAPS out there.
http://www.procoat.co.nz/performancecoatings.html 
http://www.fireballcoatings.com/ 
http://www.hpcoatings.com/motorsports.htm 
to mention a few. :thumb

COMPETITION COATINGS
Ceramic & other Performance coatings
Robert Benk
10 Fernall St.
Guilford
2161
98922218

-CERAMIC BARRIER COATING
-DRY FILM LUBRICANT
-SOLID FILM LUBRICANT
-THERMAL DISPERSANTS
-THERMAL BARRIER
-METALLIC DERAMIC COATINGS
-BLACK CERAMIC
-TEFLON COATING
-DECORATIVE COATINGS

I've posted this info before & no-one said they actually made a phone call to actually find anything out. I hope someone benefits this time
regards
Jak

Thanks guys. :thumb

Jak, I did see the post last time, but I'd rather hear it from a happy customer. I will ring them when I rebuild my 2.0 litre, but that's going to be some time off yet.

wonder how much it would cost for a whole car...................................... mite not chip as easily as paint.

What i have heard looks good is say a set of old Porsche wheels.
Sand/bead blast them and then get then coated in clear

Comes up a treat apparently

Col,
I had the complete type 4 exhaust done (from tail pipe to heater flaps) by HPC.
1 1/2 years and ~40k km later and almost looks as good as when it went on!
:thumb
Never did any internals though.

Better get the pic eh :P

Hey Andy that picture was done when your motor was rebuilt i suppose,can we have an after 40,000km picture,gotta love the before and after photos,hmm please.Mick.:kiss

hey Andy - this is a bit of a side step from volkys but I noticed a motorised two wheeler beside that lovely lookin' engine and.................................
the company I work for has just stared http://www.bikesales.com.au  and we are doing free listing's if you wanna sell it!
Sasha


amazer: just making the link work

[Edited on 14-6-2003 by amazer]

Lugnuts, it was a pic when the kombi was rebuilt, the motor just got a clean up. It's due for a rebuild now though
Will try and get a photo the next time I get the digital cam. Do you want the oily side or the dry side? :P Dam pushrod seals

vw_carrera bike's definitely not for sale, it's part of the family Thanks for the link though!!

Andy

I checked out the links you posted Andy... If I am to believe the supplier's claims then I have found the info I wanted, thanks. :thumb

I would still like to hear it from somebody who has done it though, I don't generally believe advertising.

Andy,no rush whenever you get around to it,the dry side preferably i wanna see how this ceramic coating stuff holds up in real life,Mick

I didn't even clean it for the photo. That's about 1 1/2 months wirth of dirt.

more

Andy, I can tell from the brick wall that you're parking on a slope facing uphill. I don't park facing uphill any more since a carb overflowed one night and filled cylinders and sump with fuel. It was a pain in the arse.