jouslee

Hey guys, thanks for your inputs.

I was wondering why no one ever used Nikasil coating on apex seals?

For those who don't know what Nikasil is:
It's a coating used on pistion engines to reduce the friction on either steel or aluminum (I can't remember which one). Nikasil is famously used in the popular M3 Inline 6 motor. (I believe Nikasil is what makes the M3 able to rev so high especially with an engine of its magnitude).

Yea. so thats what I was wondering. Just a thought.

Thanks!

BuckyFD3

Its used on aluminium, the bores of some of the BMW engines are coated with it and some jap bikes use it aswell instead an iron block.

Similar to the coating on the rotor housings.

RETed

Funny, I've seen a LOT of M3's die cause of overrevving on the track...


-Ted

peejay

It has nothing to do with an engine's rev ability, it's so they can "cheap out" and run the pistons in aluminum instead of using iron cylinder liners.

foozberries

I'm not quite as knowledgable as some, but from what I read on the bimmerforums nikasil coated engines worked fine over in europe, where the fuel is of higher quality (this may be incorrect, it is simply what I think I remember reading) but over here, we had trouble with it. From what I can remember, the high-sulfer content in our gas lead to problems with it.

http://www.bmwworld.com/engines/nikasil.htm

yeah, that has more info

peejay

Yep. Severe cylinder wall erosion in the early 530i's.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

bingo! i drove a 99 m3 the other day with the rear subframe bushings either bad or ripped out of the floor (german engineering...) and it was SCARY, it handles like its on drag slicks, MaD Tork sTeer Yo!