Ceramic Bearing Sets????

[acidburn]

Yes, no?,,, no way, must have, lets get it straight.
Any data or has someone done it and can report?
Any of you ME's have it in numbers we can all understand?
Im willing to step up if its noticeable, not bling factor.

[captainasty]

Are asking about coatings or solid cermic bearings?

[acidburn]

well i pressume solids is what is offered.
Dont care, whatever, if anything, is worthwhile,

[wswartzwel]

sounds interesting... Timken has this to say...


http://www.timken.com/industries/superprecision/ceramics/

[Moybin]

Standard bearings are laminates of alloys, like the Clevite series from TRW of whoever makes them now. Originally bearings were made of all manner of materials: wood, babbitt metal, aluminum, brass, bronze. Laminated bearings are usually a steel back shell with layers of different alloys in the 'babbitt' classification (lead-tin, lead-tin-antimony, etc.) applied to the inner face.

Bearings have several functions. 1-maintain the space tolerance for the oil film and oil wedge that forms between bearing and journal. This is the actual "bearing" that is tranferring load from your piston rods to the crankshaft when the oil pump is running properly. 2-deform/embed debris that would otherwise score the crankshaft journals. 3-provide a soft metal surface for starting after a prolonged period without operations (bearing goes dry).

The problem I see with ceramic bearings is #2 and #3. You lose the sacrificial properties of a metal bearing. The only thing that would make sense is a ceramic needle bearing in place of journal bearings. You might get super high RPM, but you would need stronger rods and pistons just for a start.

Generally speaking, the engine and all of its collected components can be considered an "application". Most everything is engineered to maximize power output without undue odds of failure. Put in ceramic bearings and other parts (more expensive parts) begin to fail in place of the journal bearings.

Sounds like a great place to sink money and see very little in return.

ps: certain jungle hardwoods (bubinga, ironwood, lignum vitae) can be machined to 0.0001" tolerances, are porous to lubricating oil, are as dense as metal (most of these do not float) and have every property of babbitt metal. I would seriously consider wood journal bearings before I considered ceramics.

[roger albert]

Moybin,

The lastest Toy acid has sniffed is ceramic type roller bearings, not plain shell as you discuss. Good bark, wrong tree

[acidburn]

Extending bearing life.

Yup, looks like no added performance, i was not sold to say the least.
We must keep moving the Donkey Bike SOA, State of the Art forward.

[Moybin]

Ceramic roller bearings... What type of ceramic? Are we talking silicon-carbide like the main fuel pumps on the Space Shuttle? Those are slick-O bearings! Each turbine/pump combination makes/uses as much power as New York City!!! And the engines they feed produce as much power as New York State uses!!!

Any special lubrication requirements? I'd still worry about exceeding design maximum rod acceleration and the potential for snapped rods, sucked valves and punched pistons. Just doing the bearings doesn't make much sense considering how much of a technological leap they are. The whole engine would require rebuilding: titanium rods, ported heads, PVD coated valves. I would certainly want a battery powered pre-lube pump just so the bearings are full of oil before they roll. And I would think something more sophistocated in the way of oil filtration would be in order.

[JonyRR]

time for a MTT turbinecycle. Hvvvvvvvvvvwwwwwwwwoooooossssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I want a GE T-1500 turbine for my boat so bad I can taste it!! (all it takes is money, about $150K american)

[Rapid Dog]

Hey Acid!
Howzabout
CMB's (Ceramic Muffler Bearings)
ha ha, heh heh, he he, oh nevermind....

[acidburn]

ya-ya-ya, make fun of the guy thinking out loud will ya.
Doenst hurt to ask and ya never know, who tried the single pipe tip idea???
Huh, ya see schmarties.
If there was a hyabussa motor conversion kit id take the rest of the week to do the install right now, yup i would.

[Rapid Dog]

never did get a report on the butt snorkle...

[tvrla]

Wonder how these would do in the trans? But, seriously, with the high velocities and heat involved I think they'd be excellent replacements for the muffler bearings!

[Jeff Williams]

Acid,
remember, change tires,change oil, change bearings.
just a thought.
jeff

[acidburn]

Hey your in the super light wheel club, dont get sucked in by the heavies.