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titanium valves or steel?

Joined Feb 2006
310 Posts | 4+
maryborough.queensland
i'm a little confused when the subject of titanium valves are mentioned.

how come on a yamaha wr the ti valves last hundreds of hours.

how come on a honda crf the ti valves don't last anywhere near that.

on a mates husky 510 he got around 7500km before the valves need replacing(under warranty)still not real good.

am i right in saying there must be differences in the quality of the titanium?

the later model heads fc/fx(35mm intake) on the split case berg motors are suppose to have ti valves,does anyone know if these last?
am i right in saying the early model head on the split case berg motor(37mm intake) never had ti valves on any model?
has anyone tried aftermarket titanium valves?

will we end up the lasting qualities of the yamaha or an ongoing problem like the honda?
taffy,the valve weight of a husaberg ti intake valve would be around the 30g mark,nothing like the 14g of the yamaha which has a thinner stem & smaller head
maybe someone like engine hardware or dr c that builds these weapons over there in husaberg land might have some experiences?
..weed..
 
well i suppose the SM boys are surely the ones to ask on this subject? the FC only did one or two years with Ti 35mm valves and how many folk do we have around who can imparrt info on that? none at all. zilch!

the 37/30 heads finished the year before the 35mm Ti started so there are no Ti BV heads out there.

one thing you need to remember is that if you build a 500+cc bike, there is no way you are going to rev it past the 10,500rpm safe limit that dale lineaweaver recommends. by the time you get to a 550 or 65o, well, it's not worth mentioning. want to throw your money away? be my guest!

it's my little "bebe" that i have to worry about. the 400 and 450 could do with Ti but the chances that the 450 REALLY needs Ti 37s? marginal.....

the other thing is to look at all things ktm on this. 5 times as many riders, 5 times as much info, everything fits!

regards

Taffy
 
My experience with Ti-valves is limited, but it was expensive! I don´t know a great deal about Ti-valves, but the following I dare to state:
-As titanium has very poor resistance against wear, it is necessary to protect the raw material surface. The yellow coating (Ti-nitride, perhaps) on the valves take care of that. The sealing surface must never be ground and steel tip or/and lash cap is necessary in most applications.
-It is allways interesting to reduce the stresses on the valve train. However, rocker rollers are cheap in comparison to a Ti-adventure. I have not had any problems with valve float on my 650´s (9000rpm) together with OEM 37mm inlet valves and all kinds of harsh ramping cam lobes.

Some motard guys are running 10500rpm on their 650´s, which would put the issue in another perspective.

So my 25-cents would be: If no specific problems with the valve train - do not introduce any and save your money!

My 40mm stainless intake valves are floating at 8-8,5k (max lift is close to 12mm). So I may need make another costly attempt... :(
 
To get any life out of titanium valves it is important to be sure that you always have the cleanest air possible going down the intake track.The seat coating on the ti valve will quickly wear if exposed to dirty air resulting in short life.Some engines that have a poor rep for short ti valve life are those with the poorest airbox design.
Ti valves fair better with a cam design that does not slam the valve closed at the same rate as a steel valve.
Yamaha ti valves are rumored to not have the same content of titanium as the four valve engines.A slightly different alloy makes them a little more resistant to wear.
 
Taffy, we have the same bike! Both valves are titanium? Is this good or bad? I understand that we have to clean the air filtervery often, correct? What is the procedure? How do you know you have to get a new filter? Sorry for the many questions, I just got my Berg!
 
john

i don't have Ti valves? i didn't have them new and i haven't fitted them now? the air filters will go a long time - especial;l;y in europe - without cleaning them.

the filters will last the lifetime of your ownership, there's no need to change it.

regards

Taffy
 

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