Engine Coatings

[ERA Chas]

Keith,
Would you care to comment on the use of engine coatings such as dry film lubricants on your build-ups? I posted this question on "Shop Talk" a while back and got zero response from the pros. I suspect your pro stock customers use them extensively, but I 'd like to hear your opinion for street/ track Cobra applications.
I'm talking about coatings on pistons, valve faces and stems, manifold bottoms, port runners, head port walls, combustion chambers and any where else various types of coatings can be applied and which might be most effective cost-wise.
Don't wish to tie-up your time, but thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

[Keithc8]

We have used some of these coatings, mainly for longer life on wear items. We use the casidium coatings on the wrist pins, some valves stems and the intake valve faces on titanium valves. We have coated the crank and rods for oil shedding on some of the drag engines. The pistons is pretty common to coat but if everything is right we have not seen much hear. We want to coat the chambers on some aluminum heads to see if it would make any more power because of retaining heat. Unless a guy has some extra time and about 500.00 to spend extra I would not worry about it. Like I said the casidium coating on the pins is great and does not wear. Thanks Keith

[ERA Chas]

Keith,
Many thanks for your response and info.
As I suspected, it's probably just not worth the expense for anything less than an endurance or severe duty engine.
Very interesting science though. I've never heard of "casidium" until now. I have understood "dry-film lubricant" to be the most often- used material.
Thanks,