Chrome vs Nikasil Debate

Marshy · Jul 11, 2019

I read on Facebook (so it must be true) that chrome lined cylinders are more gooder than nikasil. This person rebuilds "hundreds of saws a month".

His experience seems completely contrary to what (little) experience I have, as well as what I've witnessed on this site.

Are we all drinking the wrong koolaid? Is chrome better? Is anyone out there specifically looking for a chrome lined cylinder over nikasil (if both were available)?

Do any of the saw makers even use chrome lined cylinders anymore?

Is this even a debate?

I do know that the biggest advantage to Nikasil is that its oleofillic, which means that it has an affinity for oil and it holds an oil film unlike chrome.

Basher · Jul 11, 2019

Terry Syd · Jul 12, 2019

Here's a clue - if the motorcycle industry uses nikasil liners in all their commercial bikes and factory racers, perhaps it may be a better cylinder liner than chrome. After all, they have heaps of testing equipment and years of experience to recognize a difference.

Marshy · Jul 12, 2019

Terry Syd said:
Here's a clue - if the motorcycle industry uses nikasil liners in all their commercial bikes and factory racers, perhaps it may be a better cylinder liner than chrome. After all, they have heaps of testing equipment and years of experience to recognize a difference.

Exactly what I said. Every snowmobile since the early 90's all have had Nikasil. Almost all saws use Nikasil. All jet skis use Nikasil... like I said, do any of the saw manufactures even use chrome anymore?

I'm thinking the guy doesnt knownthat hes been cleaning up nikasil cylinders all these years.

cus_deluxe · Jul 12, 2019

Basher said:
BS.

yep, and he cant even spell properly lol

Basher · Jul 12, 2019

cus_deluxe said:
yep, and he cant even spell properly lol

Best part is he uses a low speed burr to remove aluminum transfer, oh really....LOL

Basher · Jul 12, 2019

There is so much crap posted on Facebook sites and YouTube that is causing so many unwary persons to go about effing things up when they don`t know better.

Deets066 · Jul 12, 2019

Basher said:
Best part is he uses a low speed burr to remove aluminum transfer, oh really....LOL

I raffed

Stump Shot · Jul 12, 2019

I need to get me one of dem "low speed burrs". They sound cool.

huskyboy · Jul 12, 2019

Stihl still doesn’t use real nikasil according to some on the forum. Is this true? And if so why did they choose not to? Just curious.

huskihl · Jul 12, 2019

huskyboy said:
Stihl still doesn’t use real nikasil according to some on the forum. Is this true? And if so why did they choose not to? Just curious.

They use their own proprietary coating. Not sure if it's a version of nikasil or something else

jacob j. · Jul 12, 2019

huskyboy said:
Stihl still doesn’t use real nikasil according to some on the forum. Is this true? And if so why did they choose not to? Just curious.

huskihl said:
They use their own proprietary coating. Not sure if it's a version of nikasil or something else

Stihl's is a blend of "Nikasil" and other materials. As others have posted - it's not as tough as some other manufacturers. I can run Wiseco "chromed" piston rings in the modern Husqvarna &
Meteor cylinders without an issue but not in any of the Stihl cylinders made in the last 15 years. I noticed the main difference with the Stihl jugs starting around 2000/01 when they came out with the
"optimized" cylinders which were they were making in-house.

Suzuki also had/has their own proprietary cylinder coating and they called it the "Electrofusion" bore. There were some issues with that plating when it first came out.

Basher · Jul 12, 2019

Stump Shot said:
I need to get me one of dem "low speed burrs". They sound cool.

Not so cool under your saddle blanket!....LOL

Basher · Jul 12, 2019

Deets066 said:
I raffed

I was nursing a glass of Gentleman Jack when I read that jackas`s post, lucky for me I was between swallows, hurts the dickens when shot out the nose.

Marshy · Jul 12, 2019

Nikasil is just a brand name, a proprietary blend if you will. It was developed by Mahle. There are several other coatings that are comparable now days that use Nickle as the base material to bond the composit onto the surface...

I actually called US Chrome to ask them if there was an easy way to determine if a cylinder is plated with chrome vs Nikasil (or other variant). The guy at their Nikasil factory didnt want to give me false info so he passed me on to another person at their Wisconsin headquarters who does the chrome plating. I'm waiting to hear back from him.

wcorey · Jul 12, 2019

Nikasil typically has a bit of a gold hue and is also mildly magnetic.

I think how much abuse cylinder bore plating can take while cleaning up transfer has more to do with plating thickness than whether chrome or nikasil

huskihl · Jul 12, 2019

wcorey said:
Nikasil typically has a bit of a gold hue and is also mildly magnetic.

I think how much abuse cylinder bore plating can take while cleaning up transfer has more to do with plating thickness than whether chrome or nikasil

That's been my experience also

Stump Shot · Jul 12, 2019

Can't say that I've tried to clean a Echo cylinder. Has anyone else and what's your experience?

Definitive Dave · Jul 12, 2019

from what the guys at Mahle told me, Nikasil will have a yellowish tint to it at an angle in sunlight

huskihl · Jul 12, 2019

Definitive Dave said:
from what the guys at Mahle told me, Nikasil will have a yellowish tint to it at an angle in sunlight

Yep. And Stihl cylinders will have almost a blueish tint to them after running a scotchbrite ball through them

Chrome vs Nikasil Debate

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