Getting the most bang for your buck with ceramic coatings.

The most common use of ceramic coatings is the coating of headers.

There are a variety of reasons for coating an exhaust manifold header. 

#1 Corrosion protection. The manifold will live longer as well as look nicer. Whether it is for performance or show, coating an exhaust manifold is valuable to you. 

#2 The coating is a thermal barrier, thus keeping heat within the manifold or header. There are a number of benefits for this. First, by keeping heat within the manifold, you're going to accelerate the exhaust gas velocity which reduces back pressure and reduces fuel contamination due to reversion. This is a performance benefit. Second, you'll reduce the surface temperature of the manifold. This means if a person comes in contact with it, they are less likely to be burned and leave skin behind. If there is a component close to it, it will not see as much heat as it would with an uncoated manifold. In addition, not as much heat will be radiated under the hood or into the engine compartment. This reduces the under hood temperature which, again, reduces the temperature of surrounding parts, such as, alternators and starters. It also reduces the amount of heat that can be drawn in through the carburetor, which is a secondary performance benefit.

#3 Reduced header temperatures saves many starters, high dollar ignition wire sets and expensive under hood electronics.

Piston tops.

The piston is one of the very first parts that should be considered for coating. Coating the piston reduces friction and wear, reduces part operating temperature, can increase horse power and torque, reduce or eliminate detonation, allow higher compression ratios to be utilized and allow tighter piston to wall clearances for a better ring seal.

Pistons can be coated with three different systems. They are Dry Film Lubricants, Thermal Barriers and Oil Shedding Coatings. These systems can be beneficial on all pistons whether 4 stroke, 2 stroke, gas, alcohol, diesel, reciprocal or rotary.

Combustion Chambers.

One of the best applications for coatings is in combustion chamber areas. Coating the combustion chamber of a cylinder head can increase performance significantly. In addition, more compression can be run as the proper coating will provide resistance to detonation. Tuning changes can also increase the level of power generated. Coating the intake and exhaust runners can also impact performance. Coating the exterior and the area under the valve cover can improve heat management. By coating the combustion chamber, we reduce the amount of heat that escapes during the power stroke which means more of the heat generated is utilized in "pushing" the piston down. The coating also insulates the surfaces so that they absorb less heat, reducing the load on the cooling system and reducing the amount of dimensional change the head may see from the heat it absorbs. The coating functions in several ways: (1) To keep heat in (Thermal Barrier) (2) To move heat over the surface to reduce hot spots (Radiation) (3) Reflect heat into "cooler" or shrouded areas of the chamber (Convection) and (4) The coating retains less residual heat from combustion than other thermal barriers, thus transferring less heat to the incoming fuel charge (Reduced Thermal Transfer).

Combining these features increases power levels, reduces part operating temperature, aids in reducing detonation and can increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. By transferring less heat to the incoming fuel charge detonation is reduced, as pre ignition which causes detonation, is generally the result of excessive heat absorption by the fuel as it enters the combustion chamber. By allowing the heat of combustion to be more efficiently used, the fuel charge is better combusted, allowing more compression while reducing the fuel quantity need (in most cases) and increasing power. By accelerating the burn rate of the fuel, through better heat management, less timing is needed to have the optimum burn occur at top dead center.

Ceramic-coating the cylinder head's combustion chamber and exhaust ports will create a faster, hotter burn and help scavenge gases at a faster rate. The coating of these passages also creates thermal transfer from hot gases to the heads themselves. The cylinder head valley can be covered with an oil-shedding coating to speed the return to the sump. Some will coat the cylinder head's external surface with a thermal dispersant to aid in cooling the head. The valve-springs are coated with an oil-shedding ceramic to aid in the oil return to the sump. Camshaft bearing surfaces are not treated, but the rest of the camshaft is coated with a dry film lubricant. The crankshaft and connecting rods are sprayed with the oil-shedding coating to cut parasitic drag.

Valves and Valve Springs

The valve train sees many benefits from the use of Dry Film Lubricants. All of the parts are minimally lubricated by engine oil. Consequently, excessive wear is always of concern, especially at start up or after the engine has been sitting for an extended period. By using an Extreme Pressure Bonded Lubricant we can provide protection well beyond that expected from even the best motor oils. The primary components to be coated are the Cam, Lifters, Push Rods and Rocker Arms ( Valves will be dealt with separately ). Normal lubrication is provided by a film of oil that is either pumped to the contact point or is splashed onto the part. In either instance oil film breakdown is of concern. By permanently bonding a lubricating coating in place we enhance the ability of the oil to lubricate and provide additional lubrication even after the oil film fails. Typical motor oils will fail at pressures below 10,000 psi. Properly formulated bonded lubricants can withstand pressure in excess of 350,000 psi

The Dry Film Lubricant functions in two ways. First, it acts as an "oil retaining material" rather than an oil shedding material, as are some materials like Teflon. This means that it reduces the ability of a small amount of oil to flow rapidly over the coated surface. In doing this it actually reduces friction as the remaining oil slides between the mating surfaces very easily and allows the parts to move much more freely. This action also reduces the likelihood of the oil film being "pushed" off the surface. A secondary benefit to this action is that it allows the oil to absorb more heat, thus helping to cool the parts more efficiently. The enhanced sliding action can be demonstrated by the way a "Slip and Slide" functions. This slick piece of plastic does not allow a body to slide over it until a film of water is pre sent. A small amount of the water is retained by the plastic surface as well as by the skin and clothing of the "slidee". With water running over this slick surface, a body will very easily slide for an extended distance. If the surfaces shed water, the effect wouldn't be as dramatic. The layers of water moving at different speeds act like little "rollers" that allow free movement. The Dry Film Lubricant creates the same effect by retaining a small amount of slower moving oil on the coated surface, thus actually allowing easier movement of the parts.

The Second function takes over when the oil film would normally break down either due to pressure or the effect of high heat on the lubricant and allow metal to metal contact. The bonded coating does not "break down" nor cold flow at higher pressure nor is it significantly affected by high temperatures, thus maintaing a lubricous film between the mating surfaces inhibiting metal to metal contact. This film provides a second layer of protection that normally will lubricate at loads in excess of the "crush" or deformation point of the base metal. This is especially critical at start up when a well defined mating surface is desired and excessive wear due to lack of lubrication can do significant damage. Camshafts especially benefit from the application of a Bonded Lubricant at start up where a cam can be damaged if the lubricating film is not maintained during break in.

Valve Springs

Valve Springs are subject to two types of friction. The first is internal friction that occurs due to the movement of the spring as it flexes. The second is external and is developed as the spring moves against another surface. Even single spring sets develop friction through rubbing against the head/ shim and the retainer. The result of this friction is heat and wear. By far heat is the greatest enemy of steel springs. Steel springs will fatigue if the temperature of the spring reaches 400F. At this point the spring will lose a significant amount of its designed tension and will be essentially useless for performance use. Stainless springs can generally handle temperatures approaching 900F. By applying a properly formulated Dry Film Lubricant, the life of the spring can be enhanced significantly. In testing, valve spring life in Performance Applications has shown increases from 2 to 10 times the norm. How is this accomplished? Primarily through a reduction in the heat generated by friction. This is accomplished through more efficient thermal transfer. In addition, the lubricity of the coating will reduce the heat that is generated by externally induced friction. The heat that is generated can actually cause the spring to break, not just fatigue. This might be likened to the effect of flexing a piece of steel. If repeated flexing is done the metal will eventually break at the point showing the most deflection, which many times are also the thinnest areas. That point will also be very hot to the touch as the internal friction is highest at that point. The amount of heat that is generated by a valve spring in motion will vary over the surface of the spring. When multiple springs are run together in a stack, the frictional created heat is increased.

By coating a spring we reduce the heat that can build up in two ways. The First is through the reduction in externally generated friction. By coating the spring, sliding or rubbing friction is reduced with a measurable reduction in the valve spring temperature. The Second way is very important. A properly formulated coating will also more evenly distribute the heat over the surface of the spring reducing the likelihood of generating a hot spot, leading to breakage. In addition, a properly formulated coating will aid in more rapid transfer of the heat generated to the oil, which cools the spring. Unfortunately, some coating systems actually insulate the spring from the oil which can have a detrimental effect on spring life. The ability of a coating to reduce friction also means it will reduce wear. Since valve springs do not uniformly contact another surface, the wear pattern is not even. As wear occurs, the spring can become weaker in these areas and ultimately break. This is particularly true in multiple spring stacks, but is also seen in single spring application. Considering that in many racing applications, springs will barely survive the race, any increase in the ability of the spring to maintain proper seat pressure is desirable. By combining reduced friction and wear with reduced heat generation and enhanced cooling of the spring, spring life and performance can dramatically increase.