SquidBusters Archive - hey keith

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hey keith - ?
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Posted by: natrona848

What do you know about Polytetrafluoro Ethylene and would coating it onto aluminum sprockets prolong life or is it just hot air?

Posted by: Oxi-Rider

Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, is the chemical name for DuPont's Teflon. While chemically almost completely inert once formed, it has a tendency to be brittle depending on the cross linking structure. Along with being brittle, as a block of PTFE, it also is very low on the hardness scale. As a coating on aluminum, I can't imagine it lasting very long without being scraped off. But, I could see a gain in power from less wasted energy in friction between gears while it lasted. It would make the gearing impervious to oxidation, and any other degradation that could come from being in contact with other cheimcals. Its also pretty expensive, and tricky to apply. Seems impractical to me, and personally, if you don't hear of high end race teams trying these things, its probably bunk.

Posted by: RupturedDust

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oxi-Rider

Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, is the chemical name for DuPont's Teflon. While chemically almost completely inert once formed, it has a tendency to be brittle depending on the cross linking structure. Along with being brittle, as a block of PTFE, it also is very low on the hardness scale. As a coating on aluminum, I can't imagine it lasting very long without being scraped off. But, I could see a gain in power from less wasted energy in friction between gears while it lasted. It would make the gearing impervious to oxidation, and any other degradation that could come from being in contact with other cheimcals. Its also pretty expensive, and tricky to apply. Seems impractical to me, and personally, if you don't hear of high end race teams trying these things, its probably bunk.

Yeah, this definitely sounds like baloney. You can scrape this crap off of a pan, for example, with a spoon. Think about that.

Posted by: BlackB12

I agree. Keeping aluminum sprockets cleaned, lubed, and at the right chain tension is the best way to reduce wear.

Mike

Posted by: 87hurricane

I bet they put the teflon on the sprockets to keep corrosion off the aluminum. Certainly wouldn't make any difference in the wear on the teeth. I agree with Mike on this, the best defense against chain/sprocket wear is proper maitainence.

Posted by: natrona848

i know about the maint.

reason i ask is because that's what vortex is doing with one of thier new sprocket lines (they say used by team jordan) i'm having trouble finding a two tooth larger rear sprocket made of steel for my bike. i did find one company that makes steel but it's only in the stock size. if i have to go aluminum i will, just curious if that coating would be worth looking into or not.

kinda looking for durability over the long run but weight savings to. if only we lived in perfect eh?

Posted by: BlackB12

I can't beleive you can't find a steel one in the right size. Your bike have some oddball bolt spacing or something? What number of teeth do you want?

MIke

Posted by: natrona848

stock is 43, i want 45. i don't think the pattern is odd, i think that since it's an 06' replica racer, they figure everyone wants paper thin aluminum.

ryan found one place that does steel but they only stock 40 - 43

Posted by: Falcn

You don't want to increase your top speed?

You might find that you share sprockets with another Kawi and be able to use steel sprockets for that bike. maybe the Z750S uses the same sprockets? I think it does actually.

Posted by: natrona848

no, 150 is fine