YoungTurk01
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I m still against all around aliminium engine, should be hybrid iron block with aliminium heads, intake etc. I know people gone post shave weight from the tank. Excuse me but tank it self 65+ ton won’t be a matter if u shave few hundred pound from the tank.Aluminum has a lot of benefits for engine and other parts which involves a lot of friction and temperature changes.
First; aluminum is an interesting material. Every solid material gets micro scale damage when you heat them and let them cool. This temperature change, especially with big temperature gradients(engines have that a lot) wears the material slowly. This metal fatigue makes the material fragile in the long run. You do not want this in a tank engine. They are big, their pieces work under a lot of force, they experience a lot of exterior effects too.(Harsh enviroment, lots of shocks beacuse of driving at offroad, acoustic(explosive) shocs etc.)
Aluminum and its alloys(if chosen right) are very durable against metal fatigue caused by thermal processes. This is another advantage too. It is a good material for an engine if you want a reliable engine at the long run.
But as you said "Metallurgical knowledge is the keyword." This is the most important part.
I personally think rehabilitation of the engine come first before that few hundred pounds.
Thanks