Many DIYers take the time to research and de-bunk some of this stuff. I often turn to aircraft engines and associated documentation thinking that this may be a more reliable source of information.
Do you remember Slick 50? It was expensive, it was hype, and it didn’t work.
Today there are even more coatings with suppliers claiming they do work, they offer evidence and suggest you and I can apply some of these things at home. Many of these products came out of the space program. Some of them are used in racing engines where piston skirts, piston tops, combustion chambers, and more are all treated. Some act as thermal insulators, others make the metal shed oil and return to the pan faster. It seems there’s a coating that will accomplish most of what we DIYers would like to have, and these coatings are becoming cheaper and more available. Some claim dramatic horse power increases when they apply thermal barriers and dry lube coatings that get baked on at Temperatures as low as 300 degrees. Does this stuff really work??
What is available to the DIYer? …. Is there a wonder substance that can be sprayed into a cylinder bore and bonded there to improve cylinder performance? As you may know, there’s a number of chrome finishes that have been used for many years in cylinder bores. Possibly the biggest benefit is the surface’s ability to inhibit rust. This could be a worth while advantage if your engine is left setting for months at a time with no use. From the little research I’ve done, some of these old chrome processes are less effective than modern finishes, and it appears they can have a down side over a good steel cylinder bore of the proper composition, so maybe we should do some research before we wish we had a chrome cylinder bore in our generator.
Manufacturers of slow speed diesels suggest you pull the head periodically and remove the carbon. Would some of these wonder coatings prevent the carbon build up? Several of the companies that make this stuff say it will. A small Chinese Horizontal or Lister powered generator with a test load could tell the story in a hurry.
Here’s a place where you can get a flavor for what’s going on if this subject is new to you.
Another worthwhile read is what has been applied to cylinder liners, and what is being used now. I offer these links to get you started. If you find something interesting, consider emailing me the link and a little about what you found.
http://www.eci2fly.com/Tech_Ref/BreakInInstructions/bi5.htm
http://www.radialengines.com/faq.asp
Following are other links from readers: I don’t have a clue if this stuff is for real or not.
http://www.luboron.com
If you have first hand experience with any of this stuff, ‘as it pertains to small engines’, consider sending me an email.