Titanium valves

[SilverBullet]

What are the advantages of using titanium valves?

[JIMP]

Hello

as far as I know their only advantage is smaller weight vs the stainless ones. In my opininion they have place only on VERY high revving, big valved racing motors, like let's say drag cars. They make the whole valve train system alot more easy to be handled by the springs, so even more aggresive cams may be used. BUT they are significantly proner to breakage because there aren;t as strong as the stainless ones, so in my opinion they are not very applicable on a street car (even high performance). We could say that for the serious racer guys its a necesity that they cannot avoid and for this reason they are inspected in every given chance and eventually changed so as to be sure that the engine will not be destroyed. Oh, they are expensive too!!

Hope to be of a liitle help

JIMP

[SilverBullet]

Thanks for the reply. Will go for the stainless ones.

[Bugger]

Not to confuse things, but isn't stainless actually weaker then the normal hardened steel that is used on valves? I know that most things that are made of stainless compared to there counterparts in steel are weaker, chains, bearings etc. Stainless has great corrosion resistance which is why it is so desired in things like exaust. Stainless may be stronger in unhardened form than certain steels in unhardend form, but hardened steels are always stronger than stainless.

[beetle1303]

What bugger said is totaly correct. Just to add a bit
titanium isn't stronger than stainless. it has greater impact strength thus its more brittle, but due to it's advanced molecular grid is superior to the stainless (this brittleness will eventualy appear at very high load conditions, compared to stainless). This means that it can sustain higher continous loads over stainless steel. thus is better for high impact applications. also it has much better heat capacity, thats why its used primarily for ex valves

Chris

[marco the T.S.E]

Originally Posted by beetle1303

thus is better for high impact applications. also it has much better heat capacity, thats why its used primarily for ex valves

Chris

i don't think that is totaly correct!