IIRC (and it's been a long time), the one of the first successful uses
of ceramic coatings in engines was in the all plastic Polymotor.  I've
googled and dogpiled for an hour now and all I can find is references to
it on people's resumes.  I read of it in NASA Tech Briefs back in the
early eighties and it was a pretty awesome technical exercise.

Jim

David Brodbeck wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Aug 2002, Harmon Seaver wrote:
>
>
>>   I think it's been more like 20 years, at least. Sort of like the fuel cells
>>we've all been waiting for and won't see for another decade at least. I think
>>there are some uses of ceramics, however, in turbos.
>
>
> I seem to recall some research into ceramic-coating the tops of pistons,
> too, to protect them from damage in lean-burn engines.  I don't know if it
> panned out, though.
>