In a message dated 12/10/2006 1:41:49 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,
Bobbyhotrods@comcast.net writes:
January Car Craft has an article on Mikronite (Eatontown, NJ) surface
treatment of a ring and pinion. While it's proprietary, the technique uses
high
pressure blasting with some sort of media like walnut shells. The process
results in a harder, brightly polished surface that was good for 6-8 rear
wheel
h.p. in a couple of dyno tests on street Mustangs, not bad for a $200 outlay.
Hi Bobby
The way I look at it, any media including walnut shells, should harden and
stress relieve the surface it hits just like shot peening and pounding metal
with a hammer does. It rearranges the molecules or sumpin like dat don't it?
LOL
All of our list engineers can explain it.
The polishing effect of the soft media would have to reduce friction as the
surface is simply smoother. Not to be confused with the open cut of hard media
like sand.
Gee, why don't we polish the piston skirts with buffing wheels to reduce
friction? Doesn't hold oil? Maybe we don't need to hold oil with a slick
piston
that creates less friction... I know you wouldn't have to hold enough.
Besides, how much oil can you hold on the walls and piston at 9000 rpm
anyway???
Maybe we should be polishing the cylinders below the ring travel to reduce
skirt friction.
Maybe we should be doing all of the above!
Otto
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