Quote:
Originally Posted by shovel
Forgive me if I'm retarded here, but a typical engine block is effectively a 2-layer affair, with cylinders that hold the explosions in and a shell that holds the oil and water in, around the outside of the cylinders. that shell has no compelling reason to be cast+machined out of metal does it?
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That is essentially correct.
However, there will be thermal compatibility issues with plastic, perhaps even moreso than with the various metals now used in car engines.
Ultimately, comparative costs will drive the issue, unless you have a DoD or NASA budget at your disposal.
The automotive engineering department at Western Washington University built a small engine out of carbon fiber some years back. Worked, and was pretty light, but I don't know about comparative cost and reliability.