Engine Performance This section is for discussion on all engine building related questions.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: KPower

Exhaust valve material-Is Iconel needed

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 09-04-2009, 01:31 PM
  #1  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (8)
 
kaisersoze's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 401
Total Cats: 9
Default Exhaust valve material-Is Iconel needed

Just had a quick question for any of the other high powered miata turbo car owners. I am building a head and was wondering about materials for valves.
Someone I know/trust said that he has seen the nitrided black supertech exhaust valves fail in turbo motors presumably from overheating and bending and that he would only use Iconel or a different alloy like the manley race valves for exhaust valves in a turbo application
I know a lot of miata folks run supertech valves-Do you use the iconel valves for exhaust or the black nitrided valves?
kaisersoze is offline  
Old 09-04-2009, 01:45 PM
  #2  
Elite Member
iTrader: (24)
 
kotomile's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Monterey, CA
Posts: 7,537
Total Cats: 42
Default

Not a Miata, but my OTM has inconel exhaust valves and I haven't heard of anyone having problems with them.
kotomile is offline  
Old 09-04-2009, 08:54 PM
  #3  
Boost Pope
iTrader: (8)
 
Joe Perez's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,020
Total Cats: 6,588
Default

Most of the folks I know who are running high-HP turbo motors (including me) are doing so on stock valves.
Joe Perez is offline  
Old 09-04-2009, 09:21 PM
  #4  
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
hustler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
Default

if you're overheating exhaust valves then a little water injection is the cost-effective answer.
hustler is offline  
Old 12-10-2013, 11:37 AM
  #5  
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Landrew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Posts: 1,193
Total Cats: 29
Default

Bringing this back to life.

Is this still the consensus, not to worry about Iconel exhaust valves if your have sufficient cooling and are not constantly in boost on a track with constant loads? I'll be aiming for 300whp but mainly street driven.
Landrew is offline  
Old 12-10-2013, 01:49 PM
  #6  
Elite Member
iTrader: (6)
 
TorqueZombie's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 1,656
Total Cats: 64
Default

I was doing it for peace of mind. Probably not necessary, but feel better about it. Figured running anti lag would be hard on normal ones.
TorqueZombie is offline  
Old 12-11-2013, 01:07 PM
  #7  
Junior Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Raisin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 90
Total Cats: 5
Default

Originally Posted by kaisersoze
Just had a quick question for any of the other high powered miata turbo car owners. I am building a head and was wondering about materials for valves.
Someone I know/trust said that he has seen the nitrided black supertech exhaust valves fail in turbo motors presumably from overheating and bending and that he would only use Iconel or a different alloy like the manley race valves for exhaust valves in a turbo application
I know a lot of miata folks run supertech valves-Do you use the iconel valves for exhaust or the black nitrided valves?
If you have the option of inconel and the pocket, go for it. Stands up to exhaust abuse much better whether it be a result of ign retard or antilag etc. With heat so close to the exhaust valves, for sustained track sessions I would want the inconel
Raisin is offline  
Old 12-11-2013, 01:21 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
NiklasFalk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,391
Total Cats: 63
Default

Just some FUD regarding exotic materials in valves;
Some valves are fused from two materials with the transition halfway up the stem. Several of them have snapped at this precise position (most examples I've heard of is from Evos).
Maybe the reason is to have normal stainless in the grove for the retainer locks, but you don't know until you use a magnet on them (no way to know when ordering).
NiklasFalk is offline  
Old 01-27-2015, 08:10 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
iTrader: (8)
 
cyotani's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Azusa, CA
Posts: 1,407
Total Cats: 116
Default

Bring this back from the grave to see if opinions have changed on the subject.

I will be building a head for boost and am sourcing parts now. It will be port and polished with +1mm intake valves. Goal is about 250-275 whp or so.

The car will be mostly track driven. Does innconel give more peace of mind than the nitrided ones? Also should I be going with +1mm or +2mm?
cyotani is offline  
Old 01-27-2015, 11:50 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
mx5-kiwi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Auckland, NZ
Posts: 992
Total Cats: 57
Default

I have been avidly reading and learning MT for a few years and this is the first I have heard of anyone doing it....

I stand to be corrected but believe almost everyone is using stock valves or stock type material valves...
mx5-kiwi is offline  
Old 01-28-2015, 12:15 AM
  #11  
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Mobius's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,468
Total Cats: 365
Default

Multiple examples exist on this board of burned SS exhaust valves on FI motors. I would (and did) Inconel exhaust valves for FI. Especially for any significant track use.
Mobius is offline  
Old 01-28-2015, 01:57 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
NiklasFalk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,391
Total Cats: 63
Default

Add Beryllium seats and you should be really safe.
Used on Ford Focus engines it plays a really big role, but you have to find the material and someone willing to use it... Grinding dust is toxic IIRC.
NiklasFalk is offline  
Old 01-28-2015, 01:57 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
NiklasFalk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,391
Total Cats: 63
Default

Double

Edit: But there are other (non-toxic) extra cool seat materials out there than the old Cu-Be alloys.

Last edited by NiklasFalk; 01-28-2015 at 03:46 AM.
NiklasFalk is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
elesjuan
Build Threads
9
11-14-2018 12:18 PM
Tony the Tiger
Miata parts for sale/trade
63
12-29-2016 02:23 AM
Der_Idiot
Engine Performance
14
09-16-2015 09:30 PM
SuperSneakySecretSquirrel
Meet and Greet
5
09-06-2015 08:30 PM



Quick Reply: Exhaust valve material-Is Iconel needed



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:05 AM.