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Thermal and Protective Engine Coatings
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When restoring an Excelsior Talisman engine, building reliability and performance are a priority. The following is a brief look at the benefits to coating pistons. More is optional such as cylinder heads and exhaust systems, which I will post during my next engine rebuild.
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This is a piston with multiple coatings. The top of the piston is coated with a ceramic thermal coating and the skirt of the piston is coated with PC-9, an anti-friction coating. Cost for coating is around $50.00 each. |
This is an uncoated piston (Left) and a coated piston (Middle) from my Formula racecar. The piston without the coatings started to melt down at 9500 RPM (3 set of pistons were destroyed this season). The Coated piston showed no measurable wear after a full season operating at 11,500 RPM. A coated piston (Right) that has not yet been installed in an engine. |
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Another angle of the 3 pistons. Swain Technology is the company I use for engine coatings. They are located in Scottsville, New York. To get more technical, visit their web site at www.swaintech.com |
When examining the bottoms of the pistons, you can see effects of the heat on an uncoated piston. The coated piston is clean and is comparable to the piston never used. Keeping the heat in the cylinder chamber and off the pistons keeps it from expanding making hot starts easy and reduces the treat of piston seizure. |
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