Cryogenic Enhancement

cegerer · cegerer's Garage

Does anyone have experience with cryogenic treatment of auto parts? ColdFire Michigan has been advertising like crazy around here the last 2 months. They claim the process will improve nearly everything from golf clubs to engine blocks to shotguns!! I understand the process involved, but is this a gimmick or what?

http://www.coldfiremichigan.com/auto.html

pwd72s · 12-22-2001, 04:32 PM

I've been curious too, Curt...brake rotors especially. When it comes to rifle barrels, the NRA did extensive tests on cryofreezed..and the results of the tests were inconclusive when it came to accuracy. They didn't test for barrel life. So, the headline remains; CRYOFREEZING, HELP OR HYPE? I wish some definitative authority would write the article.

H20911 · 12-22-2001, 05:09 PM

About 3 years ago I saw an early 911 (pre 73) that had its new stock brakes (class restricted) frozen. It was raced at the vintage races at Daytona speedway. After 1 race (about 45 min) the "super duper" rotors were cracked and had to be replaced with stock ones (the only ones on hand) but the stockers finished the day and did not crack (to my knowledge).
A fluke? Maybe, but I never thought about spending the money to find out. I think at the time it was around $1000.00 (4 new rotors that were treated )

my only experience with them.

steve

cegerer · cegerer's Garage

Yeah, it seems like one of those deals that if it worked as well as advertised, EVERYBODY would be doing it - including a manufacturer like Porsche!

JoeF · 12-23-2001, 05:01 AM

Reminds me of a Seinfeld bit about having your dry cleaning Martinized. How do you know? what does it do? Who are these people who cryofreeze brake rotors?

jabb · 12-23-2001, 05:53 AM

I used to work for this company

www.praxair.com

Go to the Website and do a search on Cryogenics U should find
lots on information. This company builds and designs the equipment for the process. They also provide the gases needed.

cegerer · cegerer's Garage

Thanks Joe. I checked out the site but couldn't find anything specific as far as 'before and after' performance of the end product. I'm an engineer (although structural) and have studied metallurgy and thermodynamics. The process described seems like it would work - based upon my limited knowledge. But if this were truly a significant improvement in friction and wear, wouldn't we hear about the Ferrari F1 team treating everything on their entire car cryogenically. Or wouldn't Porsche use it and then market their cars as having cryogenically treated motor parts, rotors, etc.? The ColdFire website says the process is used by CART, IRL, LeMans, NASCAR, etc. teams but doesn't give any specifics?? -- Curt

H20911 · 03:02 PM

I was once told by an instuctor that there has not really been a significant advance in spark plug technology in the past 40 years.

He then went on to say that if there was (using the same previous argument) such an advance, that was truley better then all the rest..... then all new cars would be made with them because the cost difference would not be significant. All manufacturers would jump at the chance to gain more power or a few more miles to the gallon.

I have some racing heads from Air Flow Research, They recommend using A/C or Champion plugs, I guess standard plugs are good enough.

cryogenics??? Show me some real data....I will take a random sample and perform a wald-wolfowitz or kolmogornov-smirnoff statistical test but until then I will take spark plugs with 1 electrode not 2 , 3, or 4 . I mean how many electrodes do you really need anyhow?

it's all a bunch of hooey until some real data is in.

no, I am not a statistition.....but I am married to one.