Piston thermal coating

[lemons racer]

Has anyone had any experience with Cemkote V136 piston thermal coatings, it is self applied with a small detail gun & baked on. It's less than $40.00 for 4oz. which will coat 8 pistons, compared to paying over $26.00 each with full service company.
I'm putting a cheap Chevy 350 together for the 24Hrs of LeMons, It should make about 330 HP & won't go over 6000 rpm.

[pamotorman]

i remember people coating piston tops with hi temp header paint. never found out if it worked

[MadBill]

The ubiquitous David Vizard in his porting book reported that in the late sixties he used Sperex header paint on the piston crowns of his 1.6 L. Formula Ford. It picked up 2 HP (@ I believe a ~ 110 HP) but it only lasted one race. I too tried Sperex in a FF in the early seventies. The Butt-O-Meter felt nothing and not a trace remained at the next teardown.
I believe current coating are more effective and much more durable..

[Schurkey]

How 'bout a glass-beading, and then letting them get coated in carbon?

[Keith Morganstein]

Has anyone had any experience with Cemkote V136 piston thermal coatings, it is self applied with a small detail gun & baked on. It's less than $40.00 for 4oz. which will coat 8 pistons, compared to paying over $26.00 each with full service company.
I'm putting a cheap Chevy 350 together for the 24Hrs of LeMons, It should make about 330 HP & won't go over 6000 rpm.

You must mean Cerakote V136 high temp piston coating. It’s a good coating, usually professionally applied.

What doesn’t seem work so well is the SBC in 24hrs of lemons, but maybe yours will. Good luck!

[4vpc]

Is Lemons the US version of the French race?

[Keith Morganstein]

Is Lemons the US version of the French race?

It's a parody of the race for $500. cars with proceeds to charity. However, it's become a lot more expensive to enter a team and compete since it's early days. (But a lot safer)
https://24hoursoflemons.com

[Newold1]

This race to win in the "LeMons" race is a perfect example of how the drive to win creeps into even a simple grass root race where the whole basis of the event was to keep the racers costs at bare bones unsophisticated levels and just let the racers have fun! Oh Well that idea has been thrown out the window like all forms of racing. "Wining is Everything!" Well in today's racing world the "Tortise is using maximized AERO and the Rabbit has the slickest new set of TENNIES!" A result I suppose of the "Human Condition?"

[pamotorman]

How 'bout a glass-beading, and then letting them get coated in carbon?

on a refresh i never removed the carbon on the piston top.

[John Wallace]

Carbon is not really a thermal barrier?

[pamotorman]

Carbon is not really a thermal barrier?

what about lead that is in race gas. ??

[John Wallace]

I'd say lead would conduct heat better than repel it?

[lemons racer]

Thanks everyone for your input. The reason I'm considering this thermal barrier is 2 fold, 1 it's less than $40.00 total plus my time, not $26.50 per piston having it done professionally. 2 my pistons are inexpensive Mahle hypers, (should have spent more on better pistons) so trying to keep a little heat out of them can't hurt. Just trying to find out if anyone has had any experience with this product which I did misspell earlier it is Cerakote V136, they have many other coatings also.
My last engine was a mild 350 that I had built for my father's 76 van, he put 75,000 mi on it before it went into our Camaro, put out 218 HP on the chassis dyno at Thunderhill raceway. Ran at 182 deg. at 5500 until one of my buddys threw all the belts, he pulled into the pits at the end of the 1st day with the temp guage which was mounted on top of the steering column pegged past 280. He said he DIDN'T HAVE TIME to read the gauge. Dropped #5 exh seat the next day, can't blame the engine on that one. Not counting 3 smashed pistons, 1 cyl wall & a pair of cooked heads that engine showed no issues, the undamaged pistons, rings, & brgs were fine.
I'm not trying to win, just want to have a good time & finish. Actually had told everyone that if the option is to finish last or DNF I'll pick finish last, speed comes with repetition (and money).
As usual I've dribbled on. Any additional input would be great, Thanks.

[Jeff Lee]

I’ve used Tech-Line Coatings many times (applied at the machine shop) and it is similar to apply; glass bead parts for adhesion, tape, shoot and bake in typical kitchen oven. Coated a lot of parts and I can not say it made HP or did not make HP. However, you should use it with the idea “it won’t hurt” in making HP, may ad a slight amount.. But more importantly, it is good on piston crowns should you go lean on jetting or some other issue while racing. It will protect the crown and can take a considerable amount of leaning out that an unprotected crown will take.
Now I do know that coatings to the exterior of the intake manifold are worth some power. Coat base of the intake to repel oil, coat the top to dissipate heat.

[digger]

I'd say lead would conduct heat better than repel it?

not better than aluminum...