Cryo Treated Transmissions

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. cryo treats racing enthusiasts’ transmissions for longer life, higher levels of durability and smoother shifting. We have treated thousands of transmissions since we started cryogenic processing in 2003.

Transmissions wear with age and mileage. As a result, some fail prematurely and need to be replaced. In addition, racers who tune their vehicles to higher levels of horsepower and torque also induce more stress on their transmissions. This can also lead to a premature death of your transmission.

Steel components will benefit from three transformations. The first is residual stress relief. Steel parts still retain a certain percentage of residual stresses after heat treatment. Cryogenic treatment will further eliminate these stresses, reducing the micro stresses that a part could fatigue along.

The second transformation is termed the precipitation of eta-carbides. Steel parts will see eta-carbides populate dramatically in the crystalline structure. The precipitation of eta-carbides allows parts to enjoy a higher level of wear resistance, often 100% or over what it would be if left untreated.

Third, the crystal structure will become more robust with increased toughness after cryogenic treatment. Retained austenite from the heat treatment process will be converted to martensite during the cryogenic treatment process. This creates a more uniform microstructure free of imperfections and voids that could result in part failure.

Transmissions shipped to our location need to be disassembled prior to cryogenic treatment. Also, all plastic and rubber parts should be removed as they will not survive the process. We do not recommend that you treat the casing of the transmission.

Cost to cryo treat a transmission ranges from $150 for a 4 cylinder transmission to $350 for a V8 transmission. If you are tuning your vehicle and don’t want to experience a sudden, catastrophic failure of your transmission, then you should look into cryo. The cost outweighs the price of losing a race or even the time and labor to find a new one.

If you would like to learn more about cryo treatment for your transmission and other racing parts, please visit our cryogenic treatment for motor sports page. If you have questions regarding cryo treatment, please email us at info@nitrofreeze.com or call us at (800) 739-7949.

Improve the Wear Resistance of Motorsports Parts

In the racing industry, it is not unusual to see a high level of wear in parts that are subject to friction. As the parts rub against each other over time a thin layer of material can be removed. This will result in less efficiency and in some cases lower horsepower and torque figures.

A piston moving up and down in an engine block will wear. This will eventually lead to blow by which will cause the engine to lose actual horsepower and torque. In racing application, this can be a big issue. Therefore, between races, wear items are fixed and or replaced.

Cryogenic treatment improves wear resistance characteristics. The amount of friction is reduced between the moving parts. This allows motorsport engines to keep their high rates of horsepower and torque. Blow by will be reduced and in some cases eliminated. This means that tuned cars will retain performance with age rather than see it dwindle over time.

For more information about what cryogenics can do for your racing parts, take a look at our cryogenics for racing web page. If you have any questions or comments, please call (508) 459-7447 or email rtaylor@nitrofreeze.com.

The Fastest Chevy 292 Straight 6 in the United States

Since our inception in 2002, we have cryo treated auto parts for our recreational customers. Many of our customers need their engines and transmissions to withstand the strains of more horsepower and torque. Our customers, who cryo treat their auto parts range from weekend racers to Nascar teams. In recent years, we have seen many customers use cryogenic treatment on components for drag racing vehicles.

One of our customers, Leo, has used cryogenic treatment on many of the auto parts in his 1954 Studebaker. Leo has had his entire Chevy 292 Straight 6 engine cryo treated just a few years ago. Since then he has raced two seasons without issue. He has the fastest Chevy 292 Straight 6 engine in the entire United States thanks to the use of a turbocharger; which allows his Studebaker to make over 1,000 horsepower. Today, we continue to treat performance auto parts for Leo and his Studebaker.

Our drag racing customers have been able to realize the full potential of cryogenic treatment. Cryogenic treatment allows drag racing engines to deal with the extra stresses and heat related to higher levels of horsepower and torque. Three transformations will occur in cryo treated auto parts. First, cryogenic treatment will promote residual stress relief in metal auto parts. Any stresses created from casting, forging, or machining will be relieved, allowing the metal to gain higher levels of endurance. Second, cryogenic treatment will create a more uniform molecular structure within the metal that is treated. This will remove any imperfections or voids from the metal that could eventually cause part failure. Third, in steel engine parts a transformation will occur named the precipitation of eta-carbides. This will increase the auto part’s level of wear resistance. As a result, parts subject to movement will last significantly longer. Another additional benefit is that cryo treated parts will have better thermal properties. This means that the parts will dissipate heat better, which will reduce failures caused by heat.

For more information about cryogenic treatment for racing applications take a look at our cryogenic treatment for racing page.

Most importantly, I wanted to share a video of Leo’s Studebaker. This video captures his vehicle with its cryo treated engine completing a quarter mile in less than ten seconds.

Cryogenic Treatment for Racing and Automotive Parts

In the recent weeks, I have seen a jump in interest regarding cryogenic treatment for automotive parts. Many of these customers have a lot of questions, and we are more than happy to answer them.

Cryogenic treatment works on many different racing components. But many ask why would one want to have their parts cryogenically treated? There are several different reasons. Your parts will last longer. The residual stresses in the material will be relieved, which will result in a more uniform grain structure. This reduces the chance of failure within your part. The parts will also have a higher resistance to wear.

I can tell you that we have treated many crankshafts, transmission gear sets, pistons with rings, and connecting rods this year. There are many other applications for the racing industry, that can be seen here, http://www.nitrofreeze.com/services/conventional-cryogenic-treatment/motor-sports-fleet/. There are other parts we can cryogenically treat as well, just call and we will be glad to help.