Ceramic coating
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Ceramic coating Has anyone here ceramic coated their cylinder heads, intake manifolds and pistons? If so any opinions? I have heard people complain about piston rings suffering because of that, but can you not ceramic coat piston rings too?
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Why would piston rings "suffer" from coating heads, intakes and pistons??
Ceramic coating pistons is most common followed by intake manifolds, combustion chambers and valves. So much so that you'll likely be seeing these coating on OEM vehicles in the very near future. Reason being, OE's have determined that your typical engine with aluminum block, heads and pistons loses upwards of 30% + thermal efficiency.
Why would piston rings "suffer" from coating heads, intakes and pistons??
Why would piston rings "suffer" from coating heads, intakes and pistons??
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That doesn't seem very logical now does it? Why would it be hotter when its absorbing LESS heat? In reality the piston will be cooler after having its dome coated as it's rejecting more heat.
When you have excessive temps in a cylinder with a standard un-coated piston you will get burned/melted domes or stuck rings as a result of piston distortion or physical melting/welding from the heat.
Coated pistons will give you a much bigger safety margin to avoid the melted pistons. If things get really crazy though, since the heat can't really make its way through the piston any longer, the new path of least resistance is going down the cylinder to the ring land or skirt area.
Unfortunately If you make a big enough boo-boo even coating won't help you.
When you have excessive temps in a cylinder with a standard un-coated piston you will get burned/melted domes or stuck rings as a result of piston distortion or physical melting/welding from the heat.
Coated pistons will give you a much bigger safety margin to avoid the melted pistons. If things get really crazy though, since the heat can't really make its way through the piston any longer, the new path of least resistance is going down the cylinder to the ring land or skirt area.
Unfortunately If you make a big enough boo-boo even coating won't help you.
Not really. It's just a better way to keep it looking nice. GM powder coats their LSX blocks and many of their crate engine assemblies and then has them machined. They had us powder some of those in clear as well as heads, intakes and cranks for their mobile displays a while back. We've done some similar work for AM General as well.
I fairly certain coatings on the headers are not for velocity flow (temp in not a variable in flow – shape and Reynolds number are) but rather to keep temperature down in that area (hence, displacing heat from the engine bay and extracting it out the exhaust).
I’m 99% sure ceramic coating does not help ‘air flow’ – if it did, the entire inside would be coated. It’s simply an insulator to prevent heat from conducting under the hood and heat soaking everything else.
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Are you sure about either point?
I fairly certain coatings on the headers are not for velocity flow (temp in not a variable in flow – shape and Reynolds number are) but rather to keep temperature down in that area (hence, displacing heat from the engine bay and extracting it out the exhaust).
I’m 99% sure ceramic coating does not help ‘air flow’ – if it did, the entire inside would be coated. It’s simply an insulator to prevent heat from conducting under the hood and heat soaking everything else.
I fairly certain coatings on the headers are not for velocity flow (temp in not a variable in flow – shape and Reynolds number are) but rather to keep temperature down in that area (hence, displacing heat from the engine bay and extracting it out the exhaust).
I’m 99% sure ceramic coating does not help ‘air flow’ – if it did, the entire inside would be coated. It’s simply an insulator to prevent heat from conducting under the hood and heat soaking everything else.
I've never heard this, and don't buy it without proof. Keep in mind, flow and velocity are two different things. And to be fair, yes, I have had ceramic coated headers before- but that was to prevent rust and under hood temps - not for "faster flow."
I personally dont buy it either with no proof, but hey i could be wrong, with all this technology now days it could be possible.
maybe the porous nature of the ceramics can promote flow like a golf ball. Smoother surfaces are "stickier" as air passes by more surface area. So maybe ceramic coating the interior of headers and other internal combustion areas can actually see a slight improvement?