My machinist wants me to spend around $300 coating a new set of je forged pistons. Is it worth it? Thanks.

 

Depends on what you are going to build…It is worth about 3% more HP…..all day long….with no extra work or fuel burned or money spent, for the life of the engine…..It is a heat barrier that will improve the thermodynamic efficiency of the engine, and CAN help preserve the life of the piston if it gets abused…You can also thermal barrier coat the entire combustion chamber including the chamber sides of the valves, the entire exhaust port for less heat imparted into the water jackets, and coat the intake port, and the internal walls of the intake manifold for heat rejection of your fuel/air charge--all of this can give you approx 7-10% "free" HP. It does cost some bucks though!

 

Not really worried about making more power. I'm just wondering if its that much more reliable?

 

Generally thermal barrier coatings are for squeezing a few more drops of HP out of the mill'¦..Unless you are planning to run the engine on the ragged edge, as in road racing, Silverstate etc'¦.or just abusing it in general i.e. not spending much time tuning it, romping on it ALL the time'¦I would probably not spend the money to do it'¦.I have built SBF both ways and only have used these coatings for gaining HP'¦.not longevity'¦I have had 3 different SBF turbo engines last a long time, with mild-occassionally modest boost, and good solid tunes-all without these coatings..

 

Ok thanks for the help. I guess I'll go ahead and do it, I know I'll be abusing it pretty hard. On the track and street.

 

no...

 

Nope. Those coatings aren't permanent... is it an all out race motor that you plan to rebuild every season?

 

I talked with him last night.... I told him that I didn't want to coat them because it wasn't permanent.... He says he has been building race engines for 30 years and the coating he uses will not come off... Its called polydyne.. I think that's how you spell it...

 

LOL, so its a coating he does and your paying him to do, pretty sure he will only speak well about it. Coatings for these components haven't even been around that long, maybe late 90's, modern tolerances is what has allowed for it. Key word is if it is done properly and well it can hold up. Do some google searching and do a little research. I will personally never run a piston coating on a street car. I have seen coatings wear and create hot spots and distortion leading to all kinds of problems before leading to failure. It particular I'm talking about crown/top coatings, skirt anti-friction coatings don't see any abuse. I want a piston/cylinder/cc that all absorbs and distributes heat evenly. Its your money so it boils down to if you think its necessary for the build. Like I mentioned the only place you see this getting used religiously is purpose built race engines getting tore down every season. Teams with pockets big enough to spend that money for every ounce of power and performance. My opinion, money better spent else where.

 

Thanks Jeremy. I appreciate you taking the time to reply to my post.

 

All good points you make about hot spots, charge coolers and piston oil squirters have been a tremendous insurance policy for street/ strip engines also. I would rather spend money on cool air than spending money on something that will add to a problem. gives me a chance to ask who makes the best water-to-air charge cooler nestled in the Vee? VMP? Kenne Bell? Need to talk to an engineer. Thank you.

 

300 a little high for one type of coating. for about 20-40 more you can get two types of coatings by a pro coating outfit. check around for pricing

 

He doesn't do the coating in house... He uses polymer dynamics in Houston.. He says he has used them for about 30 years... I looked them up and they seem to be legit.. says they have been doing all types of coatings since 79..

 

Again do some google researching on your own. Is all I can say, and get opinions from guys that have done it.