Looking for some advice on some thermal coatings for an engine I'm throwing together.

Short background: Bought motor from a 1996 and it sat too long, rings semi-seized to the cylinders. Broke them loose, acquired a ball hone (used it) and measured cylinders which are well within specs. Buying new piston rings, using old pistons.

Have a set of Belfab h-beam rods that I'm using for a few reasons, mostly because I had them already. Dropping my manifold, turbine housing, downpipe and wastegate off to be ceramic coated and started to question. Since I'm removing the rods from the pistons, why not ceramic coat the pistons too? Searching Google I was able to find all the reasons why I should ceramic coat them but can't locate any reliable piece of information if I should or shouldn't coat USED pistons.

Buying new pistons is out of the question because of the budget. I'm not willing to spend the kind of money on this motor that new pistons and machine work would require. Replacing the weak link of rods with something stronger should be a bit of an advantage, and I'd think detonation resistance and thermal properties would be an advantage with turbo, yes? The big question is, should I have the used pistons coated?

 

Seems like a waste to spend the money to coat them. Its gonna change the specs on them as well. Just save a bit and get some better pistons to coat. Theres not much reason not to if the build is for coated pistons.

 

hmm.. You talked me into it.

I just found a good block in my basement which was previously cleaned and machined for something that never happened years ago..... What pistons to buy now.....

 

For the money, Supertechs.

 

What's the chance of the coatings on the pistons to come off(damaging turbo) with extended use and mild detonation?

 

^thats my question too. Anyone know of the coatings coming off? Or is it one of those when the coating may chip off it's already too late for the motor anyway. IE: coating chipped, but the rod/head/crank/whatever..... melted/blew up.

 

In my build I had my pistons coated at Polymer Dynamics here in Houston. The tops were ceramic coated and the skirts were a dry film moly coat. I've talked to several professional engine builders before I really took them to have them done and they told me after the engine is given a beat down, when the rebuild comes along, they take an S.O.S pad and scrub off the carbon buildup on the top of the piston and the coating remains.

Word is the coating "Likes to stick" to fresh pistons

 

^ those are beautiful, I used dawn power dissolver on my used bp pistons and they came out as shiney as new, absolutely flawless minus the 100k miles worth of wear on the skirts, no scrubbing involved.