Re-chromed rotor housings

[glassman]

Originally Posted by bumpstart

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with out giving away the trade secrets
is the chroming treatment staged in steps with varying chrome compositions
to put softer but corrosion resistant layers on the liner
and progressively harder chromes on the surface treatments
( as i believe mazda evolved after noting chrome to liner separations )

i guess what i am asking is ,, does this new process have specialized layer compositions to
1: bond favourably to the liner
2: another that is impervious to mixture and moisture from attacking the inner and causing separation
3: hard faced on the top to limit galling and friction

also,, any plans to try a final nikaseal facing?

Hi and thanks for your questions.
At this point no there is no progressive application of the chrome, we were just happy to get the result we did after so many others have tried with mixed results. My guy tells me that the chrome flaking is due to the prep of the liner and feels we wont have this issue. We use the best quality hard chrome available and I guess the real tell will be when the engine Pineapple Racing built comes apart and we can see the internals. It's been a few years so its just about time to get at that.

No real plans for Nikasil at this point although we do have access to it and I already have a client who uses Nikasil on the housings for their 35cc UAV engines. In fact they ran the special custom ceramic apex seals we made directly on the steel housings with no heat treating or hardening of any kind. Cubewano reported the steel polished like a mirror with no advetrse wear patterns.

On the Nikasil housings they have run the engine with ceramic seals for 250 hrs with no measurable wear to seals and housings alike. Measurements were taken with a digital Mic in a temperature controlled environment.

I'll definitly be talking to my guy about your points though

[Ian]

If you can produce this for way less then stock housings you will be swamped with orders. People better stop throwing out housings. I have a few sets that required refurbishment but I went and bought new housings to bed in those NRS seals

Hopefully this venture will progress..

[bumpstart]

Originally Posted by glassman

Hi and thanks for your questions.
At this point no there is no progressive application of the chrome, we were just happy to get the result we did after so many others have tried with mixed results. My guy tells me that the chrome flaking is due to the prep of the liner and feels we wont have this issue. We use the best quality hard chrome available and I guess the real tell will be when the engine Pineapple Racing built comes apart and we can see the internals. It's been a few years so its just about time to get at that.

No real plans for Nikasil at this point although we do have access to it and I already have a client who uses Nikasil on the housings for their 35cc UAV engines. In fact they ran the special custom ceramic apex seals we made directly on the steel housings with no heat treating or hardening of any kind. Cubewano reported the steel polished like a mirror with no advetrse wear patterns.

On the Nikasil housings they have run the engine with ceramic seals for 250 hrs with no measurable wear to seals and housings alike. Measurements were taken with a digital Mic in a temperature controlled environment.

I'll definitly be talking to my guy about your points though

thanks for the reply
yes we will all look forward with much hope to the results of the pineapple pull down
if it shows compatibility with mazda seals you are onto a huge thing

my leading questions as to the process of chroming
comes from recalling some SAE paper some-wheres regarding to the varying Cu / Si / Cr compositions in the chrome applications
all done in sequence to promote bonding, corrosion resistance and hard facing
- not all normally applicable in just one chroming application

as for the nikasil -
- nikasil has been shown to work well in the UAV engines and i wonder if a trial recoat on mazda housings is worth a look-see
particularly in view that the process may be simpler than multiple chrome composition application
and due to the the apparent compatibility of nikasil with the ceramic seals

BTW,, if you don't mind ,, for interests sake
( i don't own a rechroming business !! )
is the initial stripping process a hone, electrolysis , or a media abrasion technique?