ceramic coating

[cub124]

hello all, I'm looking to coat my piston tops, heads and valves with ceramic coating.
I'm looking for some advice, has anyone done it before?
can it be done without piston removal?

I'm planning on running the HE551V on my 6.2 (I will be lowering the CR to 20.45:1 and running head studs)

also on the topic of performance is there any fan upgrade I can do without changing to a serpentine belt?

 

[Pepperidge]

JMHO, but you should remove them and have them done by a coating shop...rattle can Ceramic coating in a combustion chamber is a no no...if you have the right tools and buy the proper coatings you can do it yourself with an airbrush and a large oven, but getting the proper thickness and adhesion to avoid flaking is something I wouldn't risk doing myself...

I recommend Swain Tech...

 

[cub124]

yeah I'm just not thrilled about taking them out. Buying an air brush isn't a big deal I wasn't thinking about using a rattle can

 

[Pepperidge]

well the best coating are bake on...hence the removal IMO is necessary...

...there are some no bake ceramics out there, but there durability is questionable in combustion chambers, considering egts and all...

then you have to take prep into consideration...getting a good clean surface on the piston tops in a contaminated environment(engine oils on cylinder walls and rings naturally wicking their way across the piston surfaces)would be darn near impossible to deal with and still manage proper adhesion, not to mention the media blasting wouldn't be ideal with the pistons still inside the block...

just setting up the coating for failure IMO

 

[cub124]

yeah i figured the prep would be the worst, getting all that crap basically in your engine.
what kinda boost/egts do you think the 6.2 can handle without the coating?

(I'd like to put my he551v on!)

 

[WarWagon]

I wouldn't waste money on coating.
I have seen then take extreme EGT's sustained 1400, boost at 15 PSI, 1/3 turn of the IP screw... The glow plugs give up first followed by the injectors. Injector nozzles fail and they start to stick. Any EGT's that melt things will simply melt the piston around the ceramic coating first - after all the 1/4" around the piston tops is not coated factory. Timing has a lot to do with EGT's and what melts at a specific reading. More advance means more contact in the combustion chamber and lower EGT's - and melting stuff at a lower temp.

A lot of things can determine the max EGT your engine can take before something fails the above being what my engine went through till I got fueling/air right. So mine uncoated can take high EGT's. That said you should see the carbon on the piston undersides I have from what used to be oil.

Safe EGT's is 1150 usually.

Boost depends on the turbo as 15 PSI is the choke point on a GM turbo. You can go more with a different turbo.

Your pictured truck should not need a fan upgrade. Make sure the fan clutch is less than 5 years old and the radiators are clean. An electric booster fan for the AC can help.

 

[cub124]

I wouldn't waste money on coating.
I have seen then take extreme EGT's sustained 1400, boost at 15 PSI, 1/3 turn of the IP screw... The glow plugs give up first followed by the injectors. Injector nozzles fail and they start to stick. Any EGT's that melt things will simply melt the piston around the ceramic coating first - after all the 1/4" around the piston tops is not coated factory. Timing has a lot to do with EGT's and what melts at a specific reading. More advance means more contact in the combustion chamber and lower EGT's - and melting stuff at a lower temp.

A lot of things can determine the max EGT your engine can take before something fails the above being what my engine went through till I got fueling/air right. So mine uncoated can take high EGT's. That said you should see the carbon on the piston undersides I have from what used to be oil.

Safe EGT's is 1150 usually.

Boost depends on the turbo as 15 PSI is the choke point on a GM turbo. You can go more with a different turbo.

Your pictured truck should not need a fan upgrade. Make sure the fan clutch is less than 5 years old and the radiators are clean. An electric booster fan for the AC can help.

Thanks warwagon! I wasn't really sure if it was necessary and if i have to pull pistons out to do it I probably wont!

I won't run the Gm 8 at 15 psi due to the drive pressure heck i already blew a HG at 14psi (without head studs and stock CR)

with the VGT comes the head studs and .010 gaskets giving me roughly 20.45:1
I shouldn't be seeing much over 1100F even though ill probably have my pump maxed out and be running 15-20 psi

someone mentioned to me that the HE351VGT has a 1:1 boost:drive pressure ratio, Im not sure if thats true or not

 

[Woody35]

wont a he551ve be a little laggy on a 6.2?

 

[cub124]

sorry i had a typo I mean HE351VE (the one off the 6.7)

 

[Woody35]

oh yeah that will be a lot better setup. can you snap some pics of the wastegate controller when your finished?

 

[WarWagon]

Use the ARP studs on it and forget about HG issues with high boost. I have towed 560 miles every work day with mine up a 10% grade with studs at the 14 PSI boost. Boost was higher at low RPM and I had to adjust the TM 1000 miles later when I got to it. I have melted things on the intake... Even after eating the bolt the head gaskets held while we ran her home. I would not do a high boost engine on TTY bolts...

 

[cub124]

sure will, I actually finished the waste gate already. It consists of a boost controlled waste gate with an air valve with a spring and adjusting bolt to adjust when the waste gate actuates the vanes/slider.

Ill post pics once i get a chance to take some

the valve looks like this:
I think there are step by step instructions but its really simple
http://www.sportscarrevolution.com/newsletter/october2004.htm

 

[tractor]

We have are pistons coated with a themal barrier that has worke very well.

 

[cub124]

If you have any questions let me know