Protecting the Rotating Assembly with Coated Engine Bearings

Today’s high performance engines are subjected to high RPMs and extreme heat.  Friction is an engine’s enemy and can lower performance or lead to major internal engine failure.  Thankfully, coated bearings are an option that will help to increase performance and reduce the likelihood of bearing failure.

In a perfect environment, the crankshaft will never contact the main or rod bearings.  The crankshaft should rotate on a thin layer of oil, which protects both the bearings and the crankshaft journals.  However, a variety of conditions can cause this thin layer of oil to be non existent.  For example, an engine that is started after sitting for a long time will have little or no oil between the bearings and crankshaft.  Continual dry starts can eventually wear the bearing surface and can cause early bearing failure.  Another situation that can happen is an oil pump failure from a defective drive belt or failed pump.  This is quite common at the race track and may result in very expensive repair costs.  However, coated engine bearings provide a layer of protection that in many cases can save the vehicle owner from pricey repairs.

Coated engine bearings are designed with a very small layer of dry film on each bearing’s wear surface.  The thickness of this dry film is normally around .0003 of an inch and acts as a lubricant in the event the crankshaft journals come into direct contact with the bearing.  This is useful for high performance engines that tend to sit for months without being run.  Race engines also may benefit from this added layer of protection, especially for those engines that are operated in the higher RPM ranges during races.

In the racing industry, coated engine bearings are normally used in conjunction with a ported and blueprinted timing cover and other engine parts.  Enhanced oil flow, and the security of coated bearings, are perfect for engines which are operated to the max – and often even beyond.

Coated bearings are only slightly more expensive then an uncoated bearing.  However, the enhanced protection is certainly worth the protection it provides against early bearing failure and the potential of other internal engine components getting damaged.