LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

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David Vizard
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LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by David Vizard »

I have just managed to score a big bunch of cup car heads - namely Ford D3's and SB2's.I don't have valves for any of these nor for a whole load of lesser heads like Victors and AFR & Dart 23 degree heads. I want to try machineing down some of the bigger VALVES TO GO IN THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT UTILIZE SHORTER AND USUALLY SLIGHTLY SMAllER diameters in some high rpm dyno mules.

Also I don't have much experience machining Ti valves so any pointers on tool bit material and cutting oils would be good.

If you have an entire set maybe we could trade?

What am I going to do with these head? For a starters build the biggest practical SB Ford and Chevy motors.

I also scored a brand new set of prostock heads of about the 2010 era. A lot of work needed on these but the plan here is to build a 725 inch street motor with an EFI tunnel ram. That SOB better make 1000 streetable hp!

Looking forward to some valves (ship to Terry Walters) and comments on what you guys may like to see in the way of project builds with this stuff.

DV
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by PackardV8 »

Hi, David,

Machining TI valves has downsides. Most are coated and machining, of course, disturbs that. Also, it's not particularly cost effective unless for a very oddball application. Since most of these projects you're working with, the heads had valves available, suggest trying to find those for sale as NOS.

Used/takeout TI valves show up on eBay in infinite variations of length, head diameter and stem diameter. To get help here, you might make a list of your wants for the various projects, as most won't know specifically what specs are needed.
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by statsystems »

PackardV8 wrote:Hi, David,

Machining TI valves has downsides. Most are coated and machining, of course, disturbs that. Also, it's not particularly cost effective unless for a very oddball application. Since most of these projects you're working with, the heads had valves available, suggest trying to find those for sale as NOS.

Used/takeout TI valves show up on eBay in infinite variations of length, head diameter and stem diameter. To get help here, you might make a list of your wants for the various projects, as most won't know specifically what specs are needed.

I agree. Ti is a tough mother to machine. If you can, using flood cooling will help. Ti kind of acts like aluminum in that it can ball up. It dulls tooling fairly quickly.

Have fun and keep us posted.
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by 1972ho »

j-c-c
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by j-c-c »

I thought Ti had a definite fatigue life, is this a good place to take a chance on used valves of unknown service life?
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by ZEOHSIX »

j-c-c wrote:I thought Ti had a definite fatigue life, is this a good place to take a chance on used valves of unknown service life?
Your way ahead of the curve here just sit back and watch the thread take its course knowing what you already know.....
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by KnightEngines »

David - machine Ti like you're machining good steel, lower rpm, Carbide cutter - cutters shaped for alloy seem to work best, steel cutting profiles will load up. Use plenty of lube, I use WD40/trans fluid mix.
Use a live centre with an old retainer up against the chamber face of the valve to support it & stop chatter.
To recut the sealing face rough cut it in the lathe 1st & then reface in the valve facer - trying to grind the whole lot ends badly most of the time.

Best to send them out for lock grooves to be recut.
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by PackardV8 »

j-c-c wrote:I thought Ti had a definite fatigue life, is this a good place to take a chance on used valves of unknown service life?
TI connecting rods and valves are used in production engines with years and miles warranties, so the fatigue life is pretty far down that road.
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David Vizard
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by David Vizard »

KnightEngines wrote:David - machine Ti like you're machining good steel, lower rpm, Carbide cutter - cutters shaped for alloy seem to work best, steel cutting profiles will load up. Use plenty of lube, I use WD40/trans fluid mix.
Use a live centre with an old retainer up against the chamber face of the valve to support it & stop chatter.
To recut the sealing face rough cut it in the lathe 1st & then reface in the valve facer - trying to grind the whole lot ends badly most of the time.

Best to send them out for lock grooves to be recut.
THIS IS JUST THE INFO I NEEDED.

THANKS.
DV
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by stealth »

David Vizard wrote:I have just managed to score a big bunch of cup car heads - namely Ford D3's and SB2's.I don't have valves for any of these nor for a whole load of lesser heads like Victors and AFR & Dart 23 degree heads. I want to try machineing down some of the bigger VALVES TO GO IN THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT UTILIZE SHORTER AND USUALLY SLIGHTLY SMAllER diameters in some high rpm dyno mules.

Also I don't have much experience machining Ti valves so any pointers on tool bit material and cutting oils would be good.

If you have an entire set maybe we could trade?

What am I going to do with these head? For a starters build the biggest practical SB Ford and Chevy motors.

I also scored a brand new set of prostock heads of about the 2010 era. A lot of work needed on these but the plan here is to build a 725 inch street motor with an EFI tunnel ram. That SOB better make 1000 streetable hp!

Looking forward to some valves (ship to Terry Walters) and comments on what you guys may like to see in the way of project builds with this stuff.

DV

Be careful some of those cup heads had very thin valve stems...6mm etc. not much of a street valve for longevity. They only needed to run dyno time a few practice laps and ONE race...then changed out for new. Some didn't make the whole race if over 500 miles either...
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by The Radius Kid »

The Nazis didn't lose WWII,they just changed uniforms.Now they run the place.
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by j-c-c »

That link has a lot of useful interesting info, thanks
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by David Vizard »

PackardV8 wrote:Hi, David,

Machining TI valves has downsides. Most are coated and machining, of course, disturbs that. Also, it's not particularly cost effective unless for a very oddball application. Since most of these projects you're working with, the heads had valves available, suggest trying to find those for sale as NOS.

Used/takeout TI valves show up on eBay in infinite variations of length, head diameter and stem diameter. To get help here, you might make a list of your wants for the various projects, as most won't know specifically what specs are needed.

Jack,
this looks like my best avenue - thanks DV
David Vizard Small Group Performance Seminars - held about every 2 months. My shop or yours. Contact for seminar deails - davidvizardseminar@gmail.com for details.
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by Racing68 »

I read an article a few years ago about a company that specialized in machining titanium. They developed cutting tools that were cooled with liquid nitrogen, and produced an increase in cutting speed and material removal. If i remember right it was around 30% increase.
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Re: LOOKING FOR USED TITANIUM VALVES

Post by David Vizard »

Cliff,

Thanks for the great deal on the set of Ti valves we traded for.

Still need some more though. If anybody has two valves that are or can be cut (I have now got the hang of machining TI stuff) to 2.1 dia. x 5.25 long x 0.343 please let me know.

Thanks
DV
David Vizard Small Group Performance Seminars - held about every 2 months. My shop or yours. Contact for seminar deails - davidvizardseminar@gmail.com for details.
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