While deburing the engine block has anyone taken the time to smooth the exterior of their engine block?

I have some time before I can finish it up and wondered if anyone has done it. I saw it in a magazine sometime ago, but wondered if anyone had any experience with it?

 

Define "smooth"....

Do you mean remove all the rough parting lines from the mold? Or do you mean polishing the entire outside surface?

I've removed rough parting lines with a grinder, but nothing exuberant.

 

Like AJ, I've remoed the sharp protrusions from mold parting lines, and unnecessarily sharp corners caused by machining (like at the corners of heads, rear flange, rear ledge, etc. I try to level the parting lines just as a measure to reduce potential stress risers.

For cosmetic reasons, if you really want to smooth the casting, you can strip it bare (hot tank) then use a casting sealer. You can find casting porosity sealers at most industrial suppliers. Paint right over it once it has cured. It works well on interior surfaces to assist drainback and prevent sludge formation, and can probably be used on the exterior for cosmetics as well.

 

if it's my engine i grind the cast flash and partign lines down to reduce stress riser.

 

Every know and then we powdercoat a block, and the exterior is smoothed a bit, but only the rough spots