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Hard chrome plating ENGINE cylinders? (2 stroke to be exact)

March 10, 2010

Hey guys! I'm a hobby RC/Scooter fanatic - right to the chase, a new "clone" engine company has introduced their products. Problem? The plating is horrid! After only a few gallons, the plating would have disappeared in places!

This is the plating ITSELF, not due to an air leak or improper tuning. Some have even had the engine SEIZE while STARTING!

Since these are "blind bore" cylinders, absolutely no Nikasil/plating company will work on them.

Which brings me here - I want to learn how to hard chrome plate the cylinders (after removing the original plating and ensuring the aluminum itself is not scored)

I have been reading around, and I assume Muriatic Acid will remove the hard chrome on the cylinder, correct?

If that is so, I've also found out that there are many combinations to effectively "hard chrome plate" cylinders, with the thickness determined by the time placed in the solution created, and the amount of current during electroplating (as this site says, chrome is always electroplated on)

So - what type of materials would I need to effectively "build" a solution that could plate the cylinder (assuming I have successfully removed the old chrome?)

I have my hands on a copy of the ASM Handbook: Volume 5, is there any section I should take a look at?

Also, would HARD CHROME or NICKEL be better for this application? (relatively high compression, high RPM, cylinder)

Oscar Truche
Hobbyist!:) (student) - Houston, Texas, USA