Cylinder Plating, Boring and Honing Frequently Asked Questions
Cylinder Plating Shop’s Specialists Race to Answer Your Questions
Our cylinder plating shop’s industry experts are committed to answering all your questions with accuracy and in-depth detail. Whether you have questions on our NiCom cylinder coatings, big bore services, or any of our other services, we’ve got you covered. Our list of cylinder plating FAQs are being continually updated to best serve you so please check back often. US Chrome is dedicated to providing outstanding customer service. Please let us know if there is something we can do to better improve your experience and thank you for choosing US Chrome!
Question: Does my cylinder have a quality issue?
Send us a picture to sales@usnicom.com. We stand behind our work to make sure our customers gain the greatest advantage on the track with NiCom.
Question: Did my cylinder arrive?
Make sure to request a tracking number when sending your package to us. With the tracking number you will know exactly when your part arrives to our shop! Don't forget to print and include the order form that was emailed to you in each box you send.
Question: What do I need before shipping my cylinder?
All orders MUST have a US Chrome order form included in each box shipped. Any cylinder received without this form is subject to rejection or delayed servicing. We currently do not take special instructions over the phone, but you can email them directly to sales@usnicom.com.
If you are shipping larger items that require special handling, please ship them in a plastic tote or wooden box to ensure safe shipping. We also recommend you insure the shipment for the value of the item(s) and request a tracking number. US Chrome is not responsible for damage caused by carrier mishandling.
Question: What is the cost of my service going to be?
In short, we wont know the cost of a service until we evaluate the part. Our pricing list is available on our Cylinder Plating Pricing Sheet. For quotes on piston coatings, please visit Wiseco.
Question: Where is my cylinder?
There are various stages to the cylinder servicing process. If your cylinder has been here longer than our current turn time, please have your dealer contact us directly at sales@usnicom.com. We are only able to communicate service updates to the authorized dealer that started the service.
Question: What is the current turn time?
Please check our home page or order form for the latest turn time information.
Question: Do you offer a cylinder plating warranty?
All our cylinder plating is backed by a 1 year warranty. Please see our warranty page for full details.
Question: What makes your cylinder plating shop better than others in the industry?
Since 1940, US Chrome has provided superior technical depth, research and development capabilities - we have 2 PHD chemists on staff at our corporate headquarters. Robust and tightly controlled cylinder plating chemistry and accurate bore sizing is the heart of what we do. We also offer custom honing mandrels which ensure your cylinder bores have unsurpassed roundness and straightness.
We provide fast turnaround time, premium rush service, cylinder exchange, piston and parts sales.
Question: What major companies do you provide your cylinder services to?
We provide our cylinder services to a wide range of industry-leaders, including Mercury Racing, Kohler Engines, Kustom Kraft Performance, Max Power Engines, Eric Gorr Racing, Finish Line Engines, RK TEK, FAS Lane NASCAR Racing, GM/Corvette Racing and many others.
Question: How long has your cylinder plating shop been in business?
Founded in 1940, our cylinder plating shop has been in the business over 80 years! We were also the 1st in the industry to discover how to adhere electroplated coatings onto aluminum base material.
Question: What services do you provide?
We provide:
- Cylinder Plating
- NiCom Plating
- Nikasil Replating
- Cylinder Porting
- Cylinder Honing (& diamond honing)
- Cylinder Boring (& cylinder bore restoration)
- Cylinder Exchange
Question: How do you test your products?
Our cylinder plating shop has 2 PhD chemists on staff and a full test laboratory, plus full dyno capabilities. Our cylinder plating baths are diligently monitored and our coatings are harder than any in the world (650 Vickers hardness)!
Question: What vehicle types do you perform service on?
We perform our services on:
- Motorcycles
- Snowmobiles
- Dirt Bikes
- Street Motorcycles
- Shifter Karts
- ATVs
- Race Cars
- Boats and Personal Watercrafts
- Chainsaws
Question: Do you offer aftermarket pistons and parts?
Yes, we offer aftermarket pistons and parts from the best in the industry, including Wiseco, Wossner, Vertex, Pro X, JE, SPI, and more.
Question: What is the most popular cylinder service you offer?
Our snowmobile cylinder core exchange program is our most popular cylinder service. We have thousands of snowmobile cylinders ready for immediate, same-day exchange.
Question: How long does the NiCom re-plating process take?
The turnaround time at US Chrome will change depending on the season, but you can always find out latest turn time on our home page and order form page. We may also have availability with our Cylinder Exchange program, where remanufactured cylinders from our extensive inventory can be shipped same-day with a refundable core deposit.
Question: May I send along a piston for sizing the clearances?
It is highly recommended, but not mandatory, that you send along a new piston to most accurately set your final piston-to-wall clearances. Please do not send the ring(s); we measure your piston from the skirt and do not require the rings for processing. If you do not send a piston, please specify the final bore size for us on the work order form. If no sizing information or piston is sent, we will assume you want the bore restored to original factory bore size. US Chrome is a dealer of Wiseco, Pro-X, SPI, Wossner and other aftermarket pistons. Do not hesitate to contact us for competitive piston prices!
Question: What type of warranty does US Chrome offer?
We offer a one-year warranty against any plating issues, such as adhesion. Please see our warranty section for full details.
Question: Where do I ship my cylinder and/or piston for NiCom servicing?
All products should be shipped to the following address:
US Chrome Corp. of Wisconsin
650 Oak Park Avenue
Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Please see additional instructions on the shipping page. Dealers must complete an online Order Form. A copy of the Order Form will be emailed to the dealer to be included with the shipment. An order form is required for each box being shipped to us. We require this to make sure we receive all the information we need to quickly return your customers product to you. Acceptable methods of shipping include UPS, US Regular or Priority Mail, SpeeDee and Fedex.
Question: Does US Chrome do porting work, and if my cylinder is already ported, will replating affect the porting modifications?
Yes, US Chrome offers custom race or trail-porting. Our cylinder plating process will NOT affect your previous porting modifications.
Question: Why not install a boreable iron sleeve instead of NiCom Plating?
A quality replate is proven to offer very substantial performance benefits over steel sleeves, including vastly improved heat dissipation, durability (hardness of 600 Vickers), significant weight savings and tighter piston-to-wall clearances. A plated bore will never twist, turn, or slip. Best of all, NiCom plating is usually less expensive than sleeving, making these performance benefits available at a lower cost!