Coating engine block, good or bad idea?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 342
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From: Kalamazoo MI
Coating engine block, good or bad idea?
I am thinking of getting my new engine block powder coated, anyone done this? Will this negatively affect cooling? (i.e. trapping too much heat inside?)
Or hypothetically...
Would trapping more heat inside improve efficiency? Probably would cost too much, but if the block was ceramic coated to keep heat in, would this improve efficiency by limiting the energy lost as radiated heat... or would this simply trap too much heat and overwork the cooling system?
To be honest I don't even know how much heat is in the block. Seems to me the bulk is in the heads.
Or hypothetically...
Would trapping more heat inside improve efficiency? Probably would cost too much, but if the block was ceramic coated to keep heat in, would this improve efficiency by limiting the energy lost as radiated heat... or would this simply trap too much heat and overwork the cooling system?
To be honest I don't even know how much heat is in the block. Seems to me the bulk is in the heads.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,952
Likes: 2
From: Little Rock Arkansas
I've done it quite a bit... My last two engines as well as two of my customers' engines have been powder coated both on the exterior and in the lifter valley and timing valley... I would highly recommend taking a die grinder and some cartridge rolls and smoothing all of the casting flash out of it (and enlarging your oil drainbacks too). I used a little Harbor Freight powder coating kit that cost me about $50; I use my tempering oven from my cryo business to cook it.
I completely seal EVERYTHING in the motor, I use large corks for the cam journals and smaller ones for the lifter bores and drainbacks, completely tape up the decks/bores, and the pan rail/mains. Additionally MAKE DAMN SURE it is COMPLETELY degreased or the powder will not adhere properly and will wind up in your motor when it comes off. If you do all the prep work properly you'll have a very nice looking block that also drains back oil like snot...
-Jeb
I completely seal EVERYTHING in the motor, I use large corks for the cam journals and smaller ones for the lifter bores and drainbacks, completely tape up the decks/bores, and the pan rail/mains. Additionally MAKE DAMN SURE it is COMPLETELY degreased or the powder will not adhere properly and will wind up in your motor when it comes off. If you do all the prep work properly you'll have a very nice looking block that also drains back oil like snot...
-Jeb
Supporting Manufacturer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 352
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Originally Posted by k99ja04
ceramic coating... anyone?
Shoot me an email at sales@precisionporting.com or check out our website. It's getting revamped tonight too.
Bob
www.precisionporting.com
