Nikasil was a trademarked nickel-based coating for piston engine cylinder liners. It was used to allow aluminium cylinders and pistons to function with acceptable levels of friction. Unlike other methods, including cast iron cylinder liners, Nikasil allowed very large cylinder bores with tight tolerances and thus allowed existing engine designs to be expanded easily.
Nikasil was very popular in the 1990s. It was used by companies such as BMW, Ferrari, and Jaguar Cars in their new engine families.
However, the sulfur found in much of the world's gasoline caused the Nikasil to break down over time, causing costly engine failures. Eventually, the product was abandoned after BMW was forced to replace a number of M60 V8 engines.
Engines using Nikasil include:
