Seasoning Engine Blocks!!
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Seasoning Engine Blocks!!
So what rumours/facts/humbug have you heard of re: Seasoning Engine Blocks?
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The name is Kev, nowadays known as Kevvy or Pommie C***!</center>
The name is Kev, nowadays known as Kevvy or Pommie C***!</center>
I heard a story of BMW (I think) engine blocks that sit around outside the factory to get "seasoned" by the weather and employees take a leak on them to help. Also didn't someone bury a load of Hemi blocks for 20 years to season them. Whatcha heard?
<center>
The name is Kev, nowadays known as Kevvy or Pommie C***!</center>
The name is Kev, nowadays known as Kevvy or Pommie C***!</center>
I'd guess a little tabasco or worcester sauce would do it 
No seriously the only way to season a block, is to cycle it many times, getting it very hot, but not boiling over and cooling naturally.
Old blocks are more sought after treated like this, as it sorts the strong blocks out.
Core shift, stress cracks, have caused failure.
Foundry sand and loose casting flashings are mostly gone or easily removed.
And a cycled block is less likely to move about, much more.
No seriously the only way to season a block, is to cycle it many times, getting it very hot, but not boiling over and cooling naturally.
Old blocks are more sought after treated like this, as it sorts the strong blocks out.
Core shift, stress cracks, have caused failure.
Foundry sand and loose casting flashings are mostly gone or easily removed.
And a cycled block is less likely to move about, much more.
Last edited by AllKiller on Fri Nov 09, 07 5:54 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Jon Benn
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Usual way to season castings is to lightly skim all surfaces that will be finish cut and then stand the block out to relieve stresses. The stress is in the skin of the casting. Not a problem with modern materials and casting methods.
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BUDGIE
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Anonymous
Seasons greeting
There is a bit of confusion over "seasoned alloy castings"
Basically there are two types of aluminium alloys, heat treatable and Non heat treatable.
Aluminium alloys, both wrought and cast, are heat treated to increase strength and hardness.
Also by machining a casting you are removing a part of the outer skin and this induces stresses and these can be removed by heat treatment which can include quenching, effectively sort of annealing the metal which reorganises the size of the crystal structure.
Unfortunately this process softens and weakens the metal and by varying the combination of temperature, time quenching medium (ie Bananarama!) and the cooling period different strengths and properties can be obtained.
In the cooling process the alloy actually hardens this is called "Age hardening" and this can take between 3 and 30 days depending on the alloy and the heat treatment used. hence the term "Seasoning"
Many casting were placed outside during the age hardening process simply because effectively the casting was dead stock until it reached its max strength before it could be used.
Some aircraft rivets were age hardened in the freezer to maintain there maximum strength these then age hardened at room after working.
The Non heat treatable alloys strength can only be improved by cold working the ie the more you Bananarama! the harder it gets up to a point.
The only reason I can see that used blocks were favoured was that the blocks had proved themselves under stress not that they had got stronger after a extended period of time.
Basically there are two types of aluminium alloys, heat treatable and Non heat treatable.
Aluminium alloys, both wrought and cast, are heat treated to increase strength and hardness.
Also by machining a casting you are removing a part of the outer skin and this induces stresses and these can be removed by heat treatment which can include quenching, effectively sort of annealing the metal which reorganises the size of the crystal structure.
Unfortunately this process softens and weakens the metal and by varying the combination of temperature, time quenching medium (ie Bananarama!) and the cooling period different strengths and properties can be obtained.
In the cooling process the alloy actually hardens this is called "Age hardening" and this can take between 3 and 30 days depending on the alloy and the heat treatment used. hence the term "Seasoning"
Many casting were placed outside during the age hardening process simply because effectively the casting was dead stock until it reached its max strength before it could be used.
Some aircraft rivets were age hardened in the freezer to maintain there maximum strength these then age hardened at room after working.
The Non heat treatable alloys strength can only be improved by cold working the ie the more you Bananarama! the harder it gets up to a point.
The only reason I can see that used blocks were favoured was that the blocks had proved themselves under stress not that they had got stronger after a extended period of time.