Finally have all of my parts to start assembling my 355 shortblock in the next couple of weeks!!!! FINALLY! I have heard alot of differing opionions on top coating pistons. I have decided to coat the skirts, but am unsure of the top coat. With this combo I hope to make around 900rwhp. It is a PTK kit with a PTE-T-76GTS and race water to air intercooler running about 10-13psi on the street and up to 20 or so at the track. Have any of you had any experience with either of these coatings on a max effort turbo motor?? The last thing I want is to break a piston although that should be taken car of with a proper tune/ intercooling. And I have talked to several of the techs at ROSS ( very helpful!) and they have advised me that I have one of the most stout pistons they can custom build. Any advice or stories good or bad would be greatly appreciated so that I can finish this thing!!! THanks and happy holidays!

 

So nobody here with a Turbo/ blower combo has ever had any experience with coating pistons????? Give me something. I want to see if this is worth it or just a waste of time and money. Thanks

 

I just bought some coated Mahle pistons, but have heard in past discussions on another forum that having pistons coated can go either way on you. Not done right, it can have the opposite effect, and there's the possibility that it can start flaking off and cause a real mess with hot spots, etc., or the actual process of putting it on there and the heat involved can cause problems. What I mean to say is that if Ross was coating the pistons for you, I would have a lot more confidence in the job than if you send them out to be done by a 3rd party. Keep in mind, this is hearsay, but it makes a certain amount of common sense. If our cars weren't so damn hard to work on and so expensive, I, for one, would be a little more open minded about experimenting & taking chances. But, when I do some major work on the TA, I usually like to heavily stack the odds in favor of not having it break and having to redo it anytime in the near future. Who knows, maybe I'll get good at pulling the engine, then it won't seem like such a big deal to blow it up (I'm still getting over having it towed home from the track!).

 

I commonly use Swain coating on the tops of pistons without issues on boosted motors to help the pistons take the beating.

As for coating flaking off, the process is pretty much mastered now I really wouldn't worry about it if you have a good place apply it or the parts come that way.

Bret

 

StrokerAce - What does it cost to get a set done that way?

 

http://www.swaintech.com/price.html

I normally do a Gold Coat top (GC) and depending on the application a skirt coating as well.

So $340-$416 a set

Bret

 

Coating blower pstons = good idea! I use Swain.

Rich

 

I will throw this question in this thread... Is it worth getting the combustion chambers in the heads coated? And has any of you heard good/bad about Metal Matrix Composit pistons?

 

Thanks guys for the responses. I have heard tons of great things with respect to Swain, so I am going to have them do the Gold Coat and the skirt coating. Might as well do it right the first time. Thanks- Beau

 

Coating the chambers is more for a performance advantage or to keep heat out of the valves if you are having issues with them.

As for MMC pistons? If you can find them you can't afford them. Basically don't worry about them because it's probably BS.

Bret

 

Thank you.