The biggest storm of the season just blew through town this
week and you're unloading Saturday for the best day of virgin powder riding in
the history of snowmobiling. Two miles up the trail your sled spits, sputters
and dies. You grab the pull rope and give it a tug, only to have your arm nearly
ripped from the socket. A seized engine always happens at the absolute worst
time.
A little too much heat, not enough lubrication, a lean spot
in the rpm range, too much compression-all of these problems can eventually
lead to a scorched or seized piston and cylinder. What's the first step in
getting the sled back on the hill after a cylinder and piston get a little too
friendly under your heads?
Millennium Technologies of Plymouth, WI, specializes in
cylinder replating, which is a cost efficient way to get back and running with
very little downtime. With the cost of replacement cylinders and the usual,
"We'd have to order it in," response from the parts guy, replating your
scorched cylinder may be your best and cheapest option.
Millennium uses new Nickel Silicon Carbide composite plating
that will restore your cylinder to better shape than it was new.
Millennium Technologies describes Nickel Silicon Carbide
(NCS) as a composite made up of very fine nickel and silicon carbide particles
that are evenly dispersed to form a coating in the cylinder, making for a very
strong and durable liner for the piston to slide against. Silicon carbide is
used in the process because of the very fine and consistent particle size as
well as its hardness. Another reason to use silicon carbide is because of its
oleoific characteristics. That simply means it has a natural tendency to absorb
oil, which helps retain the oil in the cylinders.
Electroplating is used to adhere the coating to the aluminum
walls of the cylinder making for a permanent bond that's actually stronger than
the actual aluminum. The honing process is a little different then most out
there due to the hardness of the coating. Diamonds are used in the initial
honing because they are the only material strong enough to smooth out the
nickel silicon carbide. Special honing tools and machines are used to bring the
honed cylinders into within .00025-inch tolerances.
When you consider that an OEM replacement cylinder for a 600
Rotax is around $540 and the average cost to replate a used cylinder around
$225, you may want to look into this as an option if the need ever arises.
Contact Millennium Technologies (920)
893-5595 or www.mt-llc.com.