the reason i'm asking this is that a friend of mine has a spare f22 head, and he's going to run a cam regrind, and get the head milled, and that's it. I've heard of people cryoing valvesprings for longevity...in race motors and such. Also i know that it's supposed to harden the metal by 30%. Would this affect the spring rate, making it a stiffer spring? I realize that most everyone here (myself included) would rather just run aftermarket valvesprings but that's not an option for my poor (engaged) pal.

 

Cryoing the valvesprings will make them more durable...not harder. It will make the spring rate more consistent for a longer period of time, and make it a tougher spring altogether. But the spring rate is not changed.

 

ok...thanks

i don't really understand how it could change all the other properties of the spring and not change the spring rate....would you please explain. I believe you, i'm just curious.

 

The main source of confusion comes from thinking that cryo is the same as freezing something in the fridge. The freezing or "binding" occurs at a molecular level, and not at the surface. This is why anything cryoed becomes stronger...since you bind the molecules of the metal more closely. It doesn't make anything brittle, nor does it change any properties of the metal that will make it stiffer.

Its tough to understand really...but just think that whenever you cryo...all you're doing is binding the molecules together...but not changing the metals properties.

I have my whole rotating assembly cryoed...from the bearings to the crank, and even down to the wrist pins and piston rings. Everything was done by our cryo and coating facility.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rtzcom &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Everything was done by a cryo and coating facility local to us.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Fixed. Didn't think you were meaning to insinuate you had a cyro chamber in your backyard or something.

 

The cryo chamber is in a basement, and the coating booth in a garage...does that count? LOL

 

well, do you think it's worth it then...or should we just make sure that the stock valvesprings are in good condition?

 

Would I cryo used springs or buy new ones? New ones.

 

wouldn't cryo treating the spings make them brittle??

 

Answered above.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DonF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Would I cryo used springs or buy new ones? New ones.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Take note that cryo will not repair any wear and tear damage on components like these. It'll just buy you time before they fail. So if the used valvesprings have significant miles on them...and beaten on....it would be worthwhile to get a new set.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rtzcom &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The cryo chamber is in a basement, and the coating booth in a garage...does that count? LOL</TD></TR></TABLE>

Haha, yeah. Two things I wish I had: Cryo chamber and a Spintron. I would be the engine building MASTER with those.

 

I still have nightmares after watching spintron clips.Now I know what that sound on the dyno "looks" like.Its that valve spring not touching the retainer or the head.
Glenn

 

how much does cryo treatment go for?

 

We charge by weight, while I've heard that some guys charge 5% - 10% of the components retail cost. It really depends on how big and bulky the item is...but most of the time it isn't too much. A set of cams for example will cost $50.

Also keep in mind that the fridge is run only when there is enough items to fill it up. It will be too expensive to run the fridge per item, so thats how most cryo places go. So when you do need to have stuff cryoed, plan ahead and ask how much more items is needed before the next run. This way you aren't tied up due to delays like these