Inliners International Forums General Discussion Hi Performance Cryo treating

As some of you know I am building up a Packard L8 engine, and noting is available off the shelf. I have heard of cryo treating engine parts and even blocks resulting in a much stronger piece. In the long run I would like to squeeze every drop of power out of the engine but I really don't want to blow it up (contradiction?)Has any one had experience with the process good or bad, I would like to in the future treat my crank and rods as well as possibly the block if it is worth the time and money.

I know several Winston Cup engine builders that use it for everything, and a few others that think its Snake Oil. That is one of those things that you will really never know if it is truly working. Sorta' like those invisible thermal barrier coatings that are supposed to hold heat in the chamber for better combustion characteristics. I know one think, the cryo treatments make you wallet lighter.

No matter what disc brake rotors I used on my Silverado, the rotors would warp & crack.
I switched to cryo treated rotors & no more warping or cracks. I am a believer.
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Great for gear boxes also. I know first hand.

MBHD

What is cryp treating?

I know there are some components like that that can benefit from this process, but not every single nut and bolt in an engine.

It is the cryogenic freezing of parts. Sorta' the opposite of heat treating. Most parts are subjected to temps of -300°F.

There is a local shop that does it and of course they say it works, they claim a 50% increase in strength. My wallet is usually pretty light so I don't know how much of a performance gain will had from lightening it up more. If you had the cash on the table to cryo treat say your block, crank, and factory rods or spend a few more bucks on a set of billet rods where would the money be best spent? This is part of my longer term performance upgrade list after saving my pennies I just really don't want to throw money at stuff where it is not needed.

I think you will be far below a level of power output where this type of process will benefit you, meaning most of your components are strong enough to endure what you can throw at them. I would likely consider billet rods and a good set of forged pistons, but other than that, it should be bulletprof. I might however explore coating the bearings and/or pistons. I have a lot of experience with that, and for a forced induction build it is a worthy investment.

Thanks CNC.