BHK Results

The following comes from
Chuck McClellan, Orlando, Fl.

So far, I have coated my down pipe and test pipe on my '87 Grand National with the BHK. The down pipe temps average 1500-1700 degrees. I recently went to the local drag way and couldn't believe the difference in my engine bay temps compared to other Grand Nationals after each run. My car seemed to cool down quicker and run cooler than before. Everyone thought the BHK would peel off as soon as the DP (Down Pipe) got warm but I have put over 100 miles on the car and its still looks great. I have several local club members wanting to get their DPs and headers coated after seeing mine.

As Dave indicates Black Satin works extremely well for the Do-It-Yourself enthusiast. For shops either Black Satin or WBX can be used.

Saved pistons and a Performance gain

The following comes from
Bob McNamar of McNamar Racing, Mt. Home, Idaho

Bob has been applying our coatings in his shop for several years. He thought the following information would be of value.

"With the advent of Drag Racing Season, I'd like to let you know about our recent success with curing the "cold seize" problem on Drag Snowmobiles. Before on a 1195CC Polaris the owner was changing pistons between rounds and running 10.20's at 3200 ft elevation. Since we used a combination of CBC2 on the tops and DFL on the skirts of his pistons he ran a whole season without touching his motor and was able to lower his E.T.'s to a best of 9.34.

Cermakrome tip

The following comes from
Bruce at Micro Coat, in Santa Rosa, Ca.

In a previous newsletter we mentioned having the soap and water solution warm for best results. Be careful, if it gets too hot it looses its effectiveness. Keep below 130f for best results. Apparently too much heat affects ingredients in the soap solution and reduces their effectiveness. Too cold and it doesn't work well either.

Piston Coating success

The following comes from
Russ at Ram Pro Line in Las Vegas, NV.

Ty Davis of Team Yamaha was having custom pistons built for his Kart motors. They were lasting one race. After Ram Pro Line coated them with CBC2 on top and TLML on the skirts, the life went up to 4 full races with no problem. This is on a highly modified, very light, piston.

Article On Coatings

In the March issue of High Performance Mopar, a story appeared dealing with metallic ceramic coatings. The focus was on AirBorn Coatings. This article is very favorable to coatings and should generate more interest. In addition within the article is some information that can be used to promote Cermakrome.

In the story it indicates that the coating being discussed will pass a 1000 hr. salt spray test, Cermakrome will pass a 5000 hr test. The upper temperature limit for this company's coating was listed as 1500f and Cermakrome has shown the ability to handle up to 1600f, in testing. Further Cermakrome will handle even more when placed over MCS. Finally the finish was described as having the looks of polished aluminum. Cermakrome of course comes near to chrome, in appearance.

CermaWhite AND CermaClear

Both of these coatings have been working extremely well. However there are two things that must be kept in mind when applying these materials.

First of all the coatings MUST be blended for one hour constant before spraying. Obviously this is too long for a blender. Either use a roller mill or mix both parts in a blender for a few minutes then pour the mix in a container and put it in a running vibratory polisher. They must be blended for one hour.

Second, the coatings require moisture in the air to cure. If the humidity is too low they will not cure. If possible place in an area where you can keep moisture in the air, such as an enclosed box or room. One shop did this and put a wet towel on the floor, another sprayed water on the floor. In some instances just spraying a light film of water over the parts will be adequate. After they have sat for the recommended time on the label it is possible to then place them in an oven for a final cure.

More on CermaWhite

Since CermaWhite will cure on its own over a period of several days, assuming adequate moisture present, it can be used on large parts/structures that cannot be oven baked. As an example propane tanks, water towers or large frameworks can be coated.

CermaWhite has passed a 2000 hour salt spray test, indicating that it would provide excellent corrosion protection. Being white it would also reflect heat away from the part, keeping it cooler. It can also be sprayed over a slightly rusty surface. This means that a large tank does not have to be sandblasted completely clean, which presents environmental cleanup problems. Instead any large areas of rust or scale can be removed and the coating can be applied over the existing good paint and over any mild rust. It will stop the rust and protect the surface.

More information is available on the data sheet for this product. This opens up some interesting industrial applications.

CermaColors?????

While we are able to make several colors other than white in this series of coatings, we will only do so under special circumstances. Since we have a variety of other colored coating systems that are not as sensitive to blending and drying/curing, we do not feel it is necessary to supply additional colors in this series. If you have a specific need for a color and the item to be coated cannot be placed in an oven we will consider supplying a color other than white. CALL before quoting any job.

State of the Market

There is a level of concern about where the Automotive coating market may be headed, due to the slight down turn in the economy.

At this time we see no indication of any drop in business. I spoke with a number of shops this last week and all of them have indicated that their workload is increasing not decreasing.

Several large manufacturers of exhaust systems and components as well as other high performance parts are running months behind demand. They just can't keep up with orders. This is a good indication of what to expect during this year. In addition the internal engine part coating market keeps showing good signs of growth and this is a very profitable market for Coating shops and retailers.

We are seeing evidence of a continued demand for coatings of all kinds, in the increased quantities that our shops are ordering. Larger amounts, ordered more frequently has become very common.

Send e-mail to the editor: Leonard Warren