Ferrea Racing Components manufactures a wide range of hardcore performance valvetrain components and has been involved in an immensely broad spectrum of the automotive industry. With experience ranging from the OEM side, to the top levels of motorsports such as Formula 1, along with everything &#; and we do mean everything &#; in between. If an engine uses poppet valves, chances are Ferrea, and by extension, its marketing director Zeke Urrutia, have had their hands on it.

Are you interested in learning more about stainless steel valve stem valve body? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Here, Urrutia answers ten of the questions you submitted, on subjects ranging from valve material, size, and length, to valvespring loads and RPM limits.

In a turbocharged DOHC application, would oversize valves be a cost effective enhancement? How would I determine how large to go with the valve sizes? &#; Doug Cutler

This is a good question. This used to be a very common situation about 10-to-12 years ago. Oversized valves used to be a thing where you had no choice but to go with oversize valves, because the turbochargers weren&#;t as efficient as they are today.

Because the efficiency wasn&#;t there, what you would mainly look at in this situation was the efficiency of the cylinder head, and trying to get every last bit of flow out of it. Today, that has completely changed. Now we have great turbochargers along with fantastic technology and data which allows you to have full control of the system.

With all of that great technology, it has allowed us to get back to standard-sized valves, because the efficiency is so great. Now, standard-sized valves do the job, and the trend has been (especially on multi-valve cylinder heads) to use a standard-sized valve in a turbocharged application.

Even looking at two-valve heads, the valves really aren&#;t getting any larger. Some applications are trying to push the intake charge a little faster on the intake side. So they have been playing with intake valve sizing a little, but through it all, the exhaust valve sizing is staying the same.

How many RPM can your -series handle? I&#;d almost guess you&#;ll say it depends on the cam profile and spring pressure, valvetrain stability, etc. Would 8,500 rpm be out of the question? &#; Steve Peyer

This is really a myth. RPM really isn&#;t an issue with our valves, in general. When you jump into the -series, which is basically our middle-of-the-road valve, you get into decent materials. It&#;s a valve you can run with high spring pressures in a roller cam application.

RPM really doesn&#;t affect the valve, what affects the valve is having the proper valvespring to control the valve, with the right profile on the camshaft. If you have a great camshaft, and the right spring pressure, and you want to twist a -series to 9,000 rpm, it&#;s not an issue. You&#;re going to face an issue of weight more than anything, more so than an issue with the valve handling the RPM.

Whether you get a -series or Competition Plus-series valve you&#;re not going to have a problem with RPM. It&#;s just controlling it properly with the right valvetrain, and trying to get as much weight out of the valvetrain as possible.

That .750 to .800-inch lift area is really a gray area for stainless, and once you are past .800-inch, titanium is a must. &#; Zeke Urrutia, Ferrea

I work at an automotive machine shop where we sometimes do diesel cylinder head repair. I have noticed that the Duramax valves are coated with a black nitride coating, and those valves are amazing. We don&#;t have to grind them, the stems are never worn, and they&#;re just perfect every time. Yet, they are seldom used in other applications. If GM uses it by the millions of valves; why is it not being used more in other applications? &#; Bill Starks

This is an interesting question. When we do black nitride on our valves, we don&#;t suggest that you go in and machine the valves, because depending on the thickness of the coating, you&#;ll probably take the nitride off, and then the metal is left unprotected. So it&#;s good that you aren&#;t machining them.

Why you don&#;t see them more often is a little difficult to answer. One part has to do with seat materials and the hardness required in some applications. Some diesel applications have a Stellite valve seat insert on the valve itself, and the seat in the head is also Stellite as well.

That hardness is needed, and you can get that through nitriding. The nitriding process [like the Stellite seats] increases the hardness of the valve. As soon as you break through, or wear through that shell the nitriding provides though, you&#;re going to run into wear issues pretty quickly. You don&#;t need that hardness in a standard application.

I run a Super Comp SBF that is making just north of 1,250 horsepower. This is a drag race engine. It currently has stainless steel intake valves and I shift at 7,800-plus rpm and sometimes even see 8,200 rpm. Would there be any real world benefit to running a titanium intake valve? The engine uses shaft mount rockers with a solid roller camshaft. &#; Vernon Pitts

The fact that you make 1,250 in a Super Comp engine, turning 7,800-8,200 rpm &#; that RPM is a little low. Really, we would probably need the amount of lift being run to make the decision to go with titanium intake valves, and that&#;s not included here.

Is this a candidate for titanium? Sure. We do have a majority of the Super Comp guys we deal with running titanium valves, but certainly not all of them are. Really, we&#;d need some more information. But the titanium intake valves certainly are beneficial, drawing that weight out of the valvetrain.

Stainless is definitely a viable option in this application as well. It&#;s really going to come down to the amount of lift you are running on this one. If you have a camshaft that is well over the .750 lift mark, then we would definitely steer you towards a titanium valve at that point.

That .750 to .800-inch lift area is really a gray area for stainless, and once you are past .800-inch, titanium is a must. If you run stainless with that much lift, you&#;re going to be changing valvesprings literally every single race, and those springs better be dead-on from the factory, every time.

I am running a small-block Chevy with 190 pounds of seat pressure and 560 pounds open. I am also running 45 pounds on each lifter with a rev kit and stud girdles, and I am still having valve control problems. The engine is in a bracket race car and I am shifting at 7,500 rpm. I am running 6 psi of boost with a Weiand 144 blower on E85. The valves are 2.02-inch intake and 1.60-inch exhaust. The cam is a solid-roller with 252 degrees of intake duration at.050, 260 exhaust at .050, 114-degree lobe centers, .610 intake lift ,and .620 exhaust. With 6 pounds of boost, the intake valves shouldn&#;t need more than an extra 20 pounds of spring pressure, should they? The engine runs great, but is really high-maintenance. I have to readjust the valves constantly. I&#;m afraid that it will have a major problem before too long. &#; Doug Coffman

You&#;re on the right track. We typically do equate the amount of boost to RPM as well as lift of the valve. So really, there are three equations to be put into the number here. Without the length of the valve specified, we&#;ll have to guess there, but the RPM is fairly low.

Dealing with these numbers &#; we do take into consideration lift, RPM, and boost &#; we have a formula that we&#;ve put together which also takes into account the weight of the valvetrain components as well. Rocker weight, valve weight, spring weight, even the weight of the locks and retainers are all considered when determining a valvespring pressure.

Looking at these numbers, and assuming some weights, it looks like you&#;re low on spring pressure. With some general weights for a 2.02 intake and 1.60 exhaust valve, it looks like you would want to be at about the 230-pound mark on the seat pressure, and around 600-pounds of open pressure.

We also factor in a margin of load-loss in the calculation. Today, we talk about load-loss in the five- to seven-pound range, but see some stuff go as much at 10 pounds. We like to put that into the equation. That way, in case there is a load loss, there&#;s extra poundage built-in, and the spring is where it needs to be.

I&#;m getting ready to prep a set of vintage Ford Cleveland Iron 4V heads for drag racing. Can I swap out the 11/32-inch stem valves and go to a smaller diameter stem to shed some valvetrain weight? I&#;m replacing the guides and buying new valves either way. &#; Jeff Nagy

This is fantastic. We do have a lot of guys in the Cleveland market that do this. We suggest the reduction of valvestem diameter in this application. You will definitely see an uptick in RPM and drastically drop the weight. Cleveland heads usually come with 3/8-inch valves, and going to 11/32-inch is an improvement. So going from an 11/32 to a 5/16 valve will be an even larger improvement. You&#;ll probably see about 300-400 rpm more out of the engine.

There is definitely a sweet spot increase on the 4V Cleveland stuff. We get a lot of guys that come back to us and say that their drivability has gone way up, and the mid-range and top-end have both picked up, with the smaller valve stems&#; lighter weight.

What are the most significant factors in selecting a 7-degree valve lock vs. a 10-degree valve lock? What about other lock angles? I&#;ve done some reading and the discussions seem to offer as many pluses as minuses for both. &#; Greg M.

I actually did a video on this last year [which we covered here] and got a lot of great questions from it. Degree on locks really depends on how much you want to pry apart the retainers. 7-degree is pretty much the standard throughout the industry. GM, Chrysler, and Ford have all done 7-degree components for over 50 years. It&#;s pretty much the OEM standard and is also used in a lot of crate engines and some racing applications today.

It comes down to the fact that the 7-degree taper is easier on the assembly than a 10-degree. The 10-degree tapers further and hugs the valve a little closer and tightens itself a little more than a 7-degree during use. So on disassembly, it becomes more of a nightmare to do than a 7-degree because the taper locks everything together tighter.

We actually offer three different lock angles here: a 7-degree, a Super-7-degree &#; which is actually an 8-degree &#; and a 10-degree. The 10-degree stuff is used in a lot of high-end competition engines in NASCAR, NHRA, and Pro Stock, specifically. It grips that area of the valve much, much harder and allows for less movement of the components, and in the end, it&#;s a little extra security in preventing the lock from disengaging from the valve if there were some harmonics that build up in that area.

For the most part, a 7-degree will work in most of the applications you&#;ll see, and It really comes down to difficulty of disassembly and personal preference. Those 10-degree locks can really be difficult to get apart.

I&#;m trying to build my ultimate street engine, where I would like the valvetrain parts to be really lightweight and still reliable for 80,000-100,000 km. How durable can be a spring retainer made out of -T6 aluminum with 35 microns of hard anodizing surface treatment? Do they need steel shims between them and the polished Manley springs? Will the 7-degree retainers with 7-degree steel locks work well in contact with aluminum retainers? &#; Sergio Rivera

We&#;ve tried to do some of this. It didn&#;t really work out for the best, for us. We&#;ve tried a variety of aerospace alloys, and engine designs and sizes. We&#;ve tried plenty of surface coatings, too, including gold nitriding. The aluminum, no matter the alloy or coating, will flex.  That&#;s the issue you will always face: the higher rate of flex. It occurs throughout different areas, and depending on how the retainer is designed, the flex is just too much to overcome.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Stainless Steel Investment Casting Ball Valve Handle.

You can solve some of the issues, like the premature wear where the retainer contacts the spring, but you will face some issues with the steel lock and aluminum retainer, and then the flex points that occur. You will have some wear, and some hairline fractures because of those issues.

I would say that it&#;s just not feasible to do what you&#;re suggesting out of aluminum, even with the steel locks. You could maybe look into designing a tool-steel retainer to take advantage of its strengths, to be almost as light as titanium, but have the strength and maybe 60-70-percent less flex through that area, and minimal to no wear on the tool-steel.

My engine builder tells me that engine valves can break when running E85 because the valves don&#;t get hot enough and are brittle at the lower operating temperature. What does Ferrea have to say about running E85? &#; Jim Miller

This is a great question. There are multiple points to be made, and there is some validity to what your engine builder is saying. The key here is to run the proper type of stainless-steel valves in this application. You need to have the proper elements in the alloy of stainless steel that you&#;re using for the valve.

For example, Inconel isn&#;t the best to run with E85, or really, any other exotic materials or Super Alloys. They have very high temperature ratings, and it&#;s never a good idea to run the higher-rated stainless materials with that type of fuel because it just doesn&#;t generate enough heat. Those types of materials need temperature to operate correctly. Things like the material&#;s flex and memory only happen at elevated temperatures inside the cylinder heads.

You aren&#;t relegated to only standard materials with E85, just nothing too exotic because of the lower operating temperature. I don&#;t want to start sounding like a material science seminar and get boring, but if you keep it to a stainless material that isn&#;t an exotic, high-temperature alloy, and you&#;ll be fine.

Will using a longer valve result in improved airflow? &#; Tom Urbanczyk

No, that would have no bearing on the flow. Your valve is still opening the same amount, you&#;re just affecting where it&#;s being opened from. Valve length doesn&#;t dictate airflow unless you&#;re playing with some kind of timing change based on the longer valve. But, I don&#;t really know how that would work in a practical application. Maybe if you were to add half-an-inch and were able to alter timing to hang that valve open it might, but nothing in the practical realm of just adding length to a valve.

High Temperature Valves

What Defines a High-Temperature Valve?

When choosing a valve design and material selection, the working temperature of the valve should be compatible with the valve body and trim materials. High-Temperature Valves are found in the petrochemical, chemical, fertilizer, electric power, and metallurgy industries. The material properties of non-ferrous, carbon steel, and alloy grades, are specified according to the limits of the material. Bronze, for example, cannot exceed 550F degrees, therefore not considered high temperature. High-temperature grades are:

Sub-high temperature 

Sub-high temperature valves refer to the working temperature of the valve between 625f and 800f degrees. 

WCB, WCC, A105, WC6, and WC9 are mainly used for corrosive services in this range: C5, CF8, CF3, CF8M, and CF3M is used 

High-Temperature Level I

High-Temperature Level I is the working temperature of the valve within the range of 800f and f degrees.

Materials within this range are based on CF8 Stainless steel in the ASTM A351 family. 

High-Temperature Level II and Level III

High-Temperature Level II and Level III are within the working temperatures of the valve within the range of f and degrees.

Materials within this range are based on CF8 Stainless steel in the ASTM A351 family.

For Temperatures above f, the working temperature of the valve is classified as high-temperature Class IV and Class V. This requires application-specific recommendations and cannot be quoted routinely as the pressure-temperature level may cause plastic deformation. 

Pressure /Temperature Matrix

Cast Steel or forged steel valves can be made of carbon steel or stainless steel alloys and trims are capable of handling f degree temperatures at up to 10,000 psi. These valves are made with metal to metal full hard-faced seats, or various chrome-moly alloys and exotic materials like Monel 400, Hastelloy C276, Inconel 600, and Inconel 625.

How are valves specified for pressure-temperature?

ASME B16.34 Pressure Temperature Table groups materials by pressure and temperature for recommended application.

PECIFICATION GROUPS MATERIALS

For example, Gate valves, globe valves, stop-check valves, and Check valves have recommended material combinations based upon the ASME B16.34 Pressure Temperature Table. SA 182 F11, SA 182 F22, SA 182 F316, ASTM A351 CF8M, A 351 CN7M, C-276, A217 WC6, A217 WC9, A216 WCB, A352 LCB, A352 LCC, A352  LC2, A352 LC3, A217 WC1, A217 WC4, A217 WC6, A217 WC9, A 217 C5 all carry different capabilities for pressure, temperature and corrosion resistance. 

An additional factor determining valve limitations are packing and gasket materials, which can be made of Grafoil or Graphite for higher temperatures, Teflon for temperatures under 500F degrees, and high temperature two-ply and three-ply Monel bellows. 

Bellows Seal Valves

Bellows Seal Valve applications include power industry helium lines, high-pressure steam, vacuum, heavy water, hydrocarbons, argon, ammonia, benzene, caustic solutions, dowtherm, nitrogen, phosgene, sulfuric acid, toluene, cryogenic service, heat transfer oils, or other applications involving containment of fugitive emissions or protection from valve gland leakage. Body to bonnet connections can be ordered as bolted bonnet, sealed bonnet, welded bonnet, hermetically sealed bonnet, pressure seal bonnet, bellows seal bonnet, or union bonnet. Bodies can include by-passes or sampling valves with end connections in threaded NPT, butt-weld, socket weld, flanged ends, ring type joint, and raised or flat face. 

Pressure Seal Bonnet 

Pressure seal bonnets for high pressure / high-temperature applications, also known as Breech lock valves, have a seal weld in the bonnet. This is a feature designed for safety, seen in applications like steam and boiler feed water services, in compliance with ASME boiler and pressure vessel code applications, and the ANSI power piping code. Sizes and pressure classes of Pressure seal valves include all sizes from 3&#; to 24&#; pipe size in pressure class 300, 600, 800, 900, , , , , and 10,000.  To learn more about the manufacturers of high-temperature valves including Edward, Velan, Powell, Kitz, Lunkenheimer, Smith, Pacific, and many others, view Authorized Parts Technical Library.

Ball Valves for High-Temperature Applications

Ball valves are a cost-effective solution for stop valve applications with high temperatures. The high temperature for ball valves can be considered an operating temperature above 400°F, the threshold for Teflon seats. Ball Valve seats are the most vulnerable component of the valve. Metal-seated ball valves are specified at temperatures greater than 750°F. That presents the gap of options between Teflon seats at 400°F and the metal seats at 750F to the upper end of the range at 1,500°F. Seat material options between 400F and 750F include R-PTFE (RTFE), 15% glass-reinforced PTFE, is suitable for temperatures to 450F, PEEK material is good to 550F, High-Temperature Carbon Fiber / Graphite-filled TFM (PTFE) extends the maximum Operating Temperature to 580F, Carbon Graphite can be specified to 700F.

Pressure-temperature ratings are given for common materials in ASME B16.34, with the temperature of the shell assumed to be the temperature of the fluid. Trim components within the valve assembly must be capable of withstanding high stresses. The valve ball itself, and valve stem are subject to the high torque required to actuate the valve, so they should be made from a corrosion-resistant material that maintains high yield strength and torsional stiffness at elevated temperatures, such as Inconel 718, 17-4 stainless steel, or Nitronic 50.

High-Temperature Service

High-Temperature Steam Service has special qualities that need consideration. Saturated Steam (Dry), Unsaturated Steam (Wet), Superheated Steam, and Supercritical Water. As the temperature increases and the water approaches its boiling condition, some molecules attain enough kinetic energy to reach velocities that allow them to momentarily escape from the liquid into space above the surface, before falling back into the liquid. As the water is heated to its boiling point, bubbles of steam form within it and rise to break through the surface. When specifying a high temp valve, please identify which type of steam is in service.

Extreme Temperature Service 

Since Authorized Parts, Inc. has been a leader in the field of special valves for critical industrial applications. For extreme temperature valves for severe services, contact us with the type of product needed, specific functions required, your processes and applications, special material requirements including exotic alloys, service conditions, or particular technical issues and we will make a recommendation.

Bi-directional Flow

For definition when selecting a valve, in a unidirectional valve the medium can flow in only one direction. In a bidirectional valve, the medium can flow in both directions. A Gate valve is a bidirectional valve for example, but Globe and Check valves are unidirectional.

Maximum Pressure

In designing equipment, MAWP is the maximum pressure at which the vessel or equipment is allowed to function at a specific temperature. Design pressure is the condition of coincident temperature and pressure that is expected in a normal condition. The MAWP will be changing with time because of corrosion and vessel fatigue. Both the design pressure and MAWP should be estimated before selecting a product.

Pressure Ratings

Temperature is a factor in determining the pressure rating of valve flanges. Because metals are weaker at higher temperatures, for a given material, pressure ratings decrease as temperature increases. There is a great disparity in ratings for high-temp applications and low-temperature situations. Consult Authorized Parts, Inc. for your questions regarding pressure-temperature ratings. 

End Connections

Several factors influence the selection of valve end connections: Pressure Rating, Leakage Prevention,  ease of Installation, Repair and Replacement, Valve Integrity and Durability, Weight and Size, and cost.

Visit our Technical Library to explore which connection is best for your application: Threaded NPT, Socket Weld, Butt Weld, or Flanged.

Thermal Expansion

Authorized Parts, Inc. offers high-performance butterfly valves with metal seats.  These Valves are rated for services up to 700°F for bi-directional flow, with a disc is designed to reduce thermal expansion. The valve is available in both lug and wafer designs and in carbon and stainless steel. In addition, our high-pressure ball valves, cryogenic ball valves, metal seated ball valves, flanged ball valves, control valves can be modified to meet your specifications.

Special Applications

Contact Authorized Parts, Inc. for Custom valves for high temperature and high-pressure applications. Our severe service valves have special design features for the harshest applications in accordance with  API6A valve specifications. Design temperatures up to 900C. Valves pressures range to 10.000 psi maximum pressure.

Corrosive Fluids 

For ANSI Class Valves, 150 to 600 for service Temperature Range to F (-30 to 950C) a ceramic-lined ball valve is suitable for corrosive media with abrasive solids content at high temperatures. The valve can operate as a Stop Valve as well as a Throttling Control Valve. They can be equipped with a hand lever or actuators and valve accessories such as positioners, limit switches, and solenoid valves.

Extreme Temperatures

For a definition, temperature is a key factor for valve design. Generally, 425&#; is referred to as a high-temperature valve, but the most commonly used valve is the gate valve, globe valve, check valve, ball valve, and butterfly valve. High temp valves are used in petrochemical, chemical fertilizer, electric power, and metallurgy industries. Valve manufacturers divide high-temperature valves into five grades: 25~550&#; is grade PI, t>550~650&#; is grade PII, t>650~730&#; is grade PIII, t>730~816&#; is grade PIV, and t>816&#; is grade PV. 

Carbon Steel Materials 

When specifying Carbon Steel Valve bodies or trim, it is necessary to know the temperatures limits for continuous exposure. ASTM A216 covers three grades of carbon steel (Grades WCA, WCB, and WCC), the followings are their mechanical properties, chemical composition, and other properties. The maximum high temperature for these grades of steel is (800F).

Stainless Steel Materials

When specifying Stainless Steel Valve bodies or trim, it is necessary to know the temperatures limits for continuous exposure. Here are continuous temperature limits for grades of stainless steel: 

Grade 304

Continuous: 1,700°F (925°C)

Grade 316

Continuous: 1,700°F (925°C)

Grade 410

Continuous: 1,300°F (705°C)

Seat Design 

For Critical Services with high temperatures and pressures, Metal-Seats are recommended on bi-directional Valves, with graphite gaskets between the seats and valve body. 

Elastomeric Material

Elastomer performance becomes less predictable at the limits of its service temperature range. Elastomers become harder and less flexible and when the temperature elevates. At even lower temperatures they may crack. Changes in elastomer properties due to these temperatures undergo irreversible chemical changes. Service temperature can vary from elastomer to elastomer. The highest continuous service temperatures are silicone and fluorocarbon elastomers which can exceed 400°F (230°C)2, followed by polyacrylic and hydrogenated nitrile elastomers with a maximum service temperature between 320 and 350°F (160 &#; 180°C), whereas more ordinary elastomers such as Neoprene and Nitrile have a maximal operating temperature between 210 to 250°F (100 &#; 120°C).

Elastomer selection for valve seats is critical to the life of the valve.

Exotic Lining Material

To minimize corrosion in high temp applications, protective internal linings can be used for chemical resistance against direct exposure to acidic conditions at high temperatures.  To enhance service performance that allows for the coating to resist elevated temperatures, but at the same time remain flexible to sufficiently prevent the risk of cracking, a High-temperature epoxy coating for oil and gas production equipment such as separators, flare knock-out vessels, and evaporators operating under immersion is recommended for corrosion protection against a variety of chemicals in high-temperature equipment including boiler vessels, condensers, and heat exchangers.

Valve Trim Material

API Trim 17 is a universally accepted trim for extreme temperatures and corrosion. Combines good corrosion resistance with high-temperature resistance up to 800°C. This valve trim combines stainless steel materials: 347 and Hardfaced,  Stellite, Stelliteand 347.

How to order or Request High-Temperature Valves

The following details need to be provided:

Valve family (gate valve, globe valve, check valve, swing check valve, piston check valve, ball check valve, ball valve, butterfly valve, plug valve, safety relief valve)

For more Customized Carbon Steel Castingsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Size 

• Valve rating/class (pressure classes 150, 300, 600, 800, 900, , , ) 
• Type of connection (flanged, threaded, butt weld with bore schedule) 
• Type of connection (flanged, threaded, butt weld, lug, and others)
• Service Media (oil, gas, water, steam, solids)
• Working temperature
• Working pressure
• Testing requirements and certifications
• Special Adders (for example Gear Actuator, Electric actuator, Pneumatic actuator)

FAQ&#;s