What is Nikasil plating?
Nikasil plating was applied to the aluminum alloy casings using an electrolytic deposition (electroplating) process in which silicon carbide (SiC) particles dispersed in a nickel (Ni) matrix were applied, providing the wear surface. If hard chrome plating is still used for cylinders in certified aircraft engines, why is Nikasil better?
What is NSC cylinder plating?
Cylinder Services Our core business at Millennium Technologies is our proprietary Nickel Silicon Carbide (NSC) cylinder plating process and cylinder services. This NSC process is so superior to factory plating that Millennium Technologies is often used by professional race teams all over the world to re-plate brand new OEM cylinders.
Why choose Nikasil cylinders?
Unlike other methods, including cast iron cylinder liners, Nikasil allowed very large cylinder bores with tight tolerances and thus allowed existing engine designs to be expanded easily. The aluminium cylinders also gave a much better heat conductivity than cast iron liners, an important attribute for a high-output engine.
Can I re-hone my Nikasil plated cylinders?
Since the Nikasil plating can be anywhere from .002-.006” thick, re-honing a cylinder bore can be tricky. Although it is possible to restore cylindricity to any wear areas with light honing, generally the rule of thumb is that if the wear is greater than .001”, the cylinder should be stripped and re-plated.
What is the benefit of a coated Nikasil cylinder?
This coating allowed aluminium cylinders and pistons to work directly against each other with low wear and friction. Unlike other methods, including cast iron cylinder liners, Nikasil allowed very large cylinder bores with tight tolerances. This made it possible for existing engine designs to be expanded easily.
Can you hone a Nikasil plated cylinder?
If the Nikasil plating is chipped, nicked, cut-through, has worn spots or is showing signs of wear, do not use Flex-Hone® tools. Instead, strip and re-plate the coating, or replace the cylinder altogether. Again, because Nikasil platings are very thin and very hard, honing will expose any existing damage.
How long does Nikasil last?
A cylinder can last indefinitely if cared for properly. >> 2.
What is Nikasil made of?
Nikasil is an ultra-hard, friction-reducing material invented by Mahle in 1967. It's a mixture of nickel, silicon and carbon and is used primarily as a sort of spray-in cylinder liner, applied by electroplating it to a prepared metallic surface and then honing it. Think of it as Teflon for engines.
How thick is Nikasil plating?
between 80 and 180 µm thickCoating Thickness of Nikasil® In practical use the cylinder walls or sleeves are electroplated with a layer of Nikasil®, typically between 80 and 180 µm thick.
What happens if you hone Nikasil?
Nikasil cylinders are not generally honed, actually your not suppose to. The nikasil is harder then the rings used for nikasil lined cylinders and this allows the rings to seat in properly. Honing out the nikasil cylinders will prematurely wear out your rings.
How much does it cost to Replate a cylinder?
All Single Cylinder ServicesServiceMSRPStrip & Return Only$25Strip, Plate, Hone to Std. Size$266Strip, Skim Bore, Plate, Hone to Std. Size$3088 more rows
How long does it take to Replate a cylinder?
roughly 8 hoursRecommended Services. To replace both cylinders takes roughly 8 hours. You can get an exact quote, both as to labor and parts, by using YourMechanic's on-line estimator for clutch repairs.
When did Jaguar stop using Nikasil?
August 2000In August 2000 Jaguar replaced the Nikasil-linings with steel linings.
What are snowmobile cylinders made of?
The cylinders were actually cast of nodular cast iron or malleable iron, which is a little higher tech than basic white or gray cast iron.
What is a cylinder liner?
It is a cylinder that is fitted to the engine block to form the cylinder, and is one critical function part that forms the engine interior. In Japan they are usually called Cylinder Liners, but some countries (companies) call them Cylinder Sleeves.
Does honing remove material?
Honing removes material from the workpiece via abrasion. Like grinding, honing utilizes aluminum oxide, CBN, diamond and other abrasives to generate the cutting action.
Do you have to hone cylinders when replacing rings?
More often than not, you will need to hone your cylinder when replacing the piston rings. That is because honing creates small crosshatches in the surface of the cylinder, to allow the wall of the component to retain oil and provide lubrication for the piston ring.
How do you check the surface finish on Nikasil cylinders?
The only way to properly inspect the surface finish on any cylinder is with a profilometer. We utilize a Mitutoyo SJ-210 Portable Roughness Tester to verify that cylinders are honed properly. The SJ-210 utilizes a stylus that resembles the needle on a record player that when dragged across the cylinder bore surface, a trace showing the surface texture is generated. You can use the following steps and settings to properly configure your SJ-210:
What is Nikasil?
Nikasil plating was applied to the aluminum alloy casings using an electrolytic deposition (electroplating) process in which silicon carbide (SiC) particles dispersed in a nickel (Ni) matrix were applied, providing the wear surface.
Can Nikasil cylinders be re-honed?
Since the Nikasil plating can be anywhere from .002-.006” thick, re-honing a cylinder bore can be tricky. Although it is possible to restore cylindricity to any wear areas with light honing, generally the rule of thumb is that if the wear is greater than .001”, the cylinder should be stripped and re-plated. Another consideration before choosing to re-hone a Nikasil cylinder is the piston to cylinder clearance. Some engines have as little as .0007” total clearance, so honing the bores may result in piston slap due to excess piston to cylinder clearance.
What is porosity and will it affect my cylinders?
Porosity is gas trapped in the base metal aluminum during the casting process for cylinders or engine blocks . These holes are exposed when the cylinder is machined or subjected to various chemicals in the plating process. The pits are usually small in size and will not adversely affect the performance or longevity of the cylinders or engine. These pits will not cause the coating to peel nor will a ring hook on them and is considered a cosmetic problem only. We typically only see porosity in original cylinders when they come in for reconditioning. In most cases, porosity in the bores does not pose any problem, but occasionally if there is porosity at the sealing surfaces or in ring travel, especially close to the combustion chamber where the cylinder will see higher pressures and temperatures, we may recommend the cylinder be replaced.
Can you resurface the deck on a cylinder or engine block with Nikasil cylinder bores?
Care must be taken if you have a cylinder that needs the cylinder head sealing surface (deck) resurfaced to prevent chipping or separation of the Nikasil plating. Millennium Technologies offers a service where the deck can be surface ground to safely renew this surface after the cylinder has been reconditioned, avoiding possible flaking or separation, however if the cylinder has an existing cylinder head gasket groove, the depth of the groove will need to be re-machined to provide the correct depth for the head gasket.
What is the best way to repair hypereutectic aluminum Alusil or Lokasil engine blocks?
Cast iron, ductile, or steel sleeves can and have been previously fitted to aluminum engine blocks to repair Alusil or Lokasil engine blocks with damaged bores with mixed success. This requires dry or wet sleeves to be installed with an interference fit varying from as little as .002” to as much as .005”. An interference fit is required as dissimilar expansion rates between the sleeve and block would otherwise allow the repair sleeves to move during engine operation if there is insufficient interference. Typically the engine block is heated up and the sleeves are chilled using dry ice or liquid nitrogen to have a difference in temperature of about 392F (200C). Some engine castings are more robust than others and fitting sleeves in this manner can cause these blocks to crack, which is the case with many cast hypereutectic aluminum crankcases used by most European automobile manufacturers. There are also performance downsides including poor thermal conductivity and lower horsepower and torque due to increased friction as well as reduced thermal and volumetric efficiency. Kolbenschmidt also recommends that piston to cylinder clearances need to be opened up .0004-.0008” over factory specifications if iron or steel sleeves are fitted to an aluminum engine block which can cause piston slap until the engine has reached full operating temperature.
How thick can the NSC plating be applied to a cylinder?
Although typical thickness is .004”-.005” (0.1-0.13 mm), the plating can be applied up to .040” or 1mm thick, however the plating can become brittle if applied too thick. In most cases where there is damage to the cylinder bore such as scoring, the bore can be bored out to provide an undamaged surface for the plating. When repairing Porsche Alusil engine blocks, if there is damage and keeping the stock bore size is desired, an aluminum dry sleeve can be fitted to one or multiple cylinders prior to plating.
What is Nikasil used for?
Nikasil was introduced by Mahle in 1967, initially developed to allow Wankel engine apex seals ( NSU Ro 80, Citroën GS Birotor and Mercedes C111) to work directly against the aluminium housing. This coating allowed aluminium cylinders and pistons to work directly against each other with low wear and friction. Unlike other methods, including cast iron cylinder liners, Nikasil allowed very large cylinder bores with tight tolerances and thus allowed existing engine designs to be expanded easily. The aluminium cylinders also gave a much better heat conductivity than cast iron liners, an important attribute for a high-output engine. The coating was further developed as a replacement for hard-chrome plated cylinder bores for Mercury Marine Racing, Kohler Engines, and as a repair replacement for factory-chromed snowmobiles, dirt bikes, ATVs, watercraft and automotive V8 liners/bores.
Why does Nikasil break down?
However, the sulfur found in much of the world's low-quality gasoline caused some Nikasil cylinders to break down over time, causing costly engine failures . Nikasil or similar coatings under other trademarks are also still widely used in racing engines, including those used in Formula One and ChampCar.
What type of cylinders did Porsche use?
Nikasil cylinders were always used for the 911 Turbo and RS models. Nikasil coated aluminium cylinders allowed Porsche to build air-cooled engines that had the highest specific output of any engine of their time. Nikasil was very popular in the 1990s.
What car uses Nikasil?
Applications. Porsche started using Nikasil on the 1970 917 race car, and later on the 1973 911 RS. Porsche also used it on production cars, but for a short time switched to Alusil due to cost savings for their base 911. Nikasil cylinders were always used for the 911 Turbo and RS models.
Does a Nikasil cylinder need to be reworked?
The cylinder must be re-plated after it is re-bored, but Nikasil is extremely durable, so the cylinder does not need to be reworked as often as an iron or chrome cylinder.
What is Nicom plating?
U.S. Chrome’s patented NiCom plating is engineered to offer superior durability, reaching the highest levels of hardness. At 600 Vickers (62-64 Rockwell C) hardness, NiCom plating is more durable than iron sleeves, most Asian OEM plating, and any other knockoff coating available. Additionally, NiCom coating can withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures (up to 1200°F), meaning you can push your bike to the limit! U.S. Chrome dirt bike NiCom coating guarantees your cylinder won’t scuff or streak when sufficiently lubricated. We’ll help you get back where you belong with superior cylinder plating and replating services – blazing a trail ahead of the competition.
What is the hardness of Nicom?
At 600 Vickers (62-64 Rockwell C) hardness, NiCom plating is more durable than iron sleeves, most Asian OEM plating, and any other knockoff coating available. Additionally, NiCom coating can withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures (up to 1200°F), meaning you can push your bike to the limit!
What is cylinder replating?
Our cylinder re-plating service involves the chemical stripping of the old worn out plating. The Bore is then re-coated with a Nickel Ceramic coating followed by diamond honing, port chamfer, and gasket surfacing. Rush order turnaround available. CALL FIRST!
What is the best packing material for a cylinder?
Make sure they are well labeled or attached to the cylinder. The best packing material is ‘bubble wrap’. Take care to pack around the fragile parts of engine parts like the bottom skirt of the cylinder, the head’s water fittings, or the crankshaft’s threaded ends. Enclose ORDER FORM.
How many points does a cylinder have to be replate?
Every cylinder that we replate undergoes a 30 point checklist before shipping. Every engine undergoes a 73 point checklist. They do not leave here with defects. Even with perfect maintenance and reasonable use, at some point, every off-road engine breaks.
What is a big bore kit?
BIG BORE KITS – Specializing in off-road kits, all inclusive with over boring, porting, cylinder plating, head mods, exhaust valve mods, Wiseco Pro-Lite piston kit and Cometic gasket kit. The complete top end is assembled and ready for installation.
What is NiCom plating?
NiCom (Nikasil) plating is an electro-composite coating – consisting of a nickel metal matrix with hard particulate dispersed uniformly within it. The process involves electroplating nickel in the presence of hard particulates, such as SiC, under conditions allowing the hard particulate to co-deposit with the nickel.
What is the best alternative to chrome plating?
Electro-composite materials, such as NiCom, are viable alternatives to hard chrome plating due to their excellent wear resistance. Superior sliding wear characteristics are achieved due to the hard particulates dispersed within the metal matrix.
Is nickel carbide good for oil retention?
Frictional properties are very good and the coating has excellent oil retention due to the oleophyllic nature of nickel and silicon carbide (nikasil). The coefficient of friction can be further enhanced by adding laminar lubricants to the deposit.
Is corrosion resistance superior to electroless nickel?
Corrosion resistance is outstanding and is superior to electroless nickel and chromium when in the presence of chlorides (ph).