I know the benefits of ceramic coating headers in order to retain heat for Turbo applications or to reduce underhood heat for N/A systems but has anyone heard or actually coated their pistons, valves, cylinder walls, pushrods, rockers and camshafts? Apparently GM and Catapillar ceramic coat their rockers, pushrods and camshafts...is this true?
Would coating pistons, cylinder walls, valves, turbine housing and compressor side of the turbo and such be done more so to retain heat(if so how much gain could one see?) or would it be more to prevent wear in those areas?
Thanks for any thoughts or feedback.

 

I coat the piston tops and valve faces on every pump gas boosted engine I do with a ceramic barrier coating. It keeps the heat even across the piston, and eliminates hot spots and chances of detonation. Also prevents the heat from heating the entire piston, keeping it "relatively" cool as it comes back around.

It allows more boost and timing, and adds some safety factor.

Jody

 

Coating parts in the oiling system help control heat as well as help get the oil back down into pan quicker (flow control)
Ceramic coating the top of the pistons helps heat control as well as keeping the heat ontop of the piston. Sometimes engine builders will coat the skirts as well to help control the oil film and make the pistons glide like glass.

 

If you are going to coated the hot pipes, go ahead and do the cold pipes aswell.
The ceramic coatings do help controll some heat, looks nice, and protect the pipes,(if using carbon steel).
Go ahead and get the turbine housing coated aswell.

Coating the outside of your cold side will help reflect the heat. Go ahead and coat the inside of the cold pipes and compressor housing with a dry felm teflon. Helps slicken up the inside of the pipe.

On our race car, piston tops, piston skirts, valve stems, are all coated. Even the
Rod, Main and Cam bearings are coated with a dry felm teflon.
It all helps a little.
You can coat just about anything, wheel bearings, ring gears, tranny parts anythings that rubs.
Just remember not to coat 2 items that rub each other. EXP. coat the ring gear or the pinion gear, but not both.

 

Thanks guys, that clears up alot of my questions about the reasons behind coating those parts. I have heard that champ and F1 race cars coat alot of their moving parts and wasn't sure what the benefits were. Now I wish I woulda known that before my engine was put together!
Thanks again