Ferrea Valve Tech ~ Materials & Guideline For Applications
Ferrea Valve Tech ~ Materials & Guideline For Applications
MATERIALS
Proper material choice for the application is crucial to the valve performance and reliability. The extreme change of temperature to a valve in the combustion chamber area (in excess of 1600ºF) and in the intake manifold area (up to -25ºF), can cause “thermal fatigue”. The material’s ability to resist these drastic thermal variations is crucial to the valve life. This is why Ferrea is constantly testing and evaluating new materials and processes to provide the highest level of “fatigue resistance” in the industry. Here is the growing list of materials that we use in the production of our valves:
X3 ~ Steel Alloy (Chromium/Silicon) ~ Intake Valves
Y6 ~ Steel Alloy (Chromium/Silicon) ~ Heavy Duty Intake Valves
EV8 ~ Stainless Steel (Chromium/Nickel) ~ Racing Intake & Exhaust Valves
EV8-Z18 ~ Stainless Steel (Chromium/Nickel) + Tungsten ~ Racing Intake & Exhaust Valves
EV4-N12 ~ Stainless Steel Hi-Temp ~ Turbo Intake & Exhaust Valves
VV54/EV16 ~ Stainless Steel Hi-Temp ~ Racing Exhaust Valves
VV54/Nb/W ~ (Nickel Base + Niobium + Tungsten) ~ Racing Exhaust Valves
VV50 ~ Stainless Steel Hi-Temp ~ Racing Exhaust Valves
IN-751 ~ Inconel Alloy 1.800 ºF ~ Turbo Intake & Exhaust Valves
NICKELVAC N80A ~ Super Alloy (Nickel Base) 1.850 ºF ~ Racing Exhaust Valves
NIMONIC 90 ~ Super Alloy (Nickel Base) 2.000 ºF ~ Turbo Exhaust Valves
NICKELVAC 600 ~ Super Alloy (Nickel/Chromium) 2.200 ºF ~ Racing Exhaust Valves
NICKELVAC 800 ~ Super Alloy (Nickel/Chromium) 2.400 ºF ~ Racing Exhaust Valves (Funny Car/Top Fuel)
NIMONIC 263 ~ Super Alloy (Nickel Base) 2600 ºF ~ Turbo & Nitro Exhaust Valves
WASPALLOY ~ Super Alloy (Nickel Base) 2700 ºF ~ Turbo & Nitro Exhaust Valves
ASTELLOY 75 ~ Super Alloy (Nickel Base) ~ Turbo Exhaust Valves
PYROMET ~ Super Alloy (Nickel Base) ~ Turbo Exhaust Valves
PYROMET 31 V ~ Super Alloy (Nickel Base) ~ Turbo & Nitro Exhaust Valves
PYROMET CTX-909 ~ Super Alloy (High Nickel-Low Expansion) ~ Heavy Duty Turbo Applications
PYROMET A286 ~ Super Alloy (High Nickel) ~ Turbo Application - Sport Compact
NCF 3015 ~ Super Alloy (Nickel+Chromium+Titanium) ~ Turbo Racing Exhaust Valves
STELLITE ~ (Chromium/Tungstem) ~ Seat & Tips Applications
VALVE TECH GENERAL GUIDELINE FOR FERREA VALVES APPLICATION
TITANIUM VALVES: These valves are used in professionally built high rpm (above 8000) roller or flat tappet racing engines. Applications include Drag Racing, NASCAR, Oval & Sprint Car, Road Racing, and Motorcycle. Ferrea offers the finest titanium valve on the market. Our extensive R & D facility is constantly implementing new designs and processes, which continue to keep us in the forefront of engine valve technology. We manufacture each valve by forging a special high temperature titanium alloy with silicon. This high-temp alloy is considered a “special upgrade” by our competitors; however, it has been the standard material in all of our exhaust and some intake valves for years. The valves then undergo an extensive heat treatment and stress-relieving process to ensure molecular integrity and prolong the valve’s life. Each Ferrea titanium valve is meticulously machined in our own precision CNC machining centers where it must pass extensive quality control procedures. Our proprietary Chrome Nitride (CrN) coating sets the standard for valve manufacturers around the world. Our unique CrN coating is applied uniformly to the entire valve, forming a protective insulating barrier from high engine temperatures. Ferrea’s CrN coating provides rapid heat dissipation to the valve guide surface, friction reduction, wear resistance, hardness, and allows dynamic valve train forces and valve flex stresses without delaminating or flaking. All of our special processes provide maximum performance and reliability, affording longer life in today’s professional racing engines.
SUPER ALLOY: Ultra Hi-Temperature capable Exhaust Valves for use in Nitro fuel, Nitrous, Supercharged, Turbocharged, Marine, 9.0 to 1 compression and restricted carburettor motors (extreme exhaust temperature present). Ferrea super alloy valves represent the highest level of sophistication in valve technology. These valves are designed to handle the extreme heat requirements and punishment of today’s Nitro Fuels, Supercharged, Turbocharged, Nitrous Oxide, and Marine race motors. Many Top Fuel and Funny Car teams can confirm the performance and reliability of these valves which are now available for many engine combinations including Drag Race, Time Attack, Road Race, Endurance and Marine applications. We have expanded our selection of stem diameters from 5mm to 3/8 stem size for every specific engine combination. This allows us to improve our valve program in the Sport Compact market. Our manufacturing of small engine valves has led our involvement with race teams competing globally in World Rally Challenge, Drag Racing, Drifting and Road Racing.
HOLLOW STEM VALVES: These Hollow Stem Lightweight Valves are manufactured with a unique process that gun drill and micro polish the hollow stem cavity. These valves achieve a weight reduction of approximately 20 % in a small block compared with a conventional stainless steel solid-stem valve. This weight savings allow engines to run at higher rpm’s than comparable solid valves in classes that do not allow the use of titanium valves. Applications are available for Domestic, Sport Compact and Motorcycle markets One important factor to take into consideration to increase the engine’s rpm’s, is the valve train weight. Of course, being the valve a main component, the design has to be perfected to accomplish the weight reduction to allow higher rpm’s. Ferrea’s latest contribution in this area is our Lightweight Hollow Stem Valves. We developed a proprietary manufacturing process that gun drills and micro polishes the bore of a valve stem. This proprietary process insures greater structural integrity than any hollow valve on the market today. This achieves a valve reduction in weight of approximately 20 percent compared to a conventional stainless steel solid stem valve. The valves also feature friction welded tips, radial grooves, avionics chrome plated stems, seat hardness up to 42HRc and Super Flo designs to improve flow.
COMPETITION PLUS: Our best quality racing valves, engineered for high rpm, high horsepower, racing engines. They have unique features that enhance airflow. This series of valves is manufactured using proprietary heat treatment and stress relieving processes creating valves with unequalled performance and reliability. Applications include Drag Racing, Oval & Sprint Car, Road Racing, Sport Compact, Motorcycle and Marine. Ferrea Racing Component’s Competition Plus Valves have built a reputation as the industry’s most reliable racing valve. We, at Ferrea, are dedicated to providing the absolute best product on the market. Our extensive R & D programs provide technological enhancements that are implemented in each of our competition plus valves. They are engineered for high rpm’s, high horsepower racing engines, and are chosen by many top Drag, Oval Track, Road Racing and Sprint Car teams. To manufacture the valves we use special aerospace quality alloys, including the EV8-Z18, which provides high tensile strength. An exclusive two-step slow forging process ensures proper grain flow and virtually eliminates any damage to the material structure. The valves are then heat-treated and stress-relieved over a 48-hour period, which is the crucial base of our molecular integrity. These valves feature avionics-quality hard chrome along with a specially applied hard tip. Our engineering staff at Ferrea spends countless hours conducting flow bench tests to achieve an optimum balance of flow, velocity and efficiency in the design of these valves. As a result, these valves incorporate smoother radiuses and unique undercuts. These exclusive features are what make the Ferrea Competition Plus Valves unequalled in performance and reliability! The evolution in volumetric efficiency of today’s competition engines has increased the average engine EGT. These higher Exhaust Gas Temperatures decrease the longevity of the valves as well as creating higher levels of metallurgical fatigue. These increased stress loads create an environment in the engine conducive to valve failure. The exhaust valves in the Competition Plus series are manufactured from Ultra High Strength, High Temp Nickel Stainless Steel Alloys. Ferrea first used this material with great success during the development of a very high stress, high temp endurance racing program.
6000 SERIES: Competition swirl-polished valves with higher fatigue resistance and tensile strengths than our competitors’ best offering. These valves are made to withstand high spring pressure, roller and flat tappet cams, Drag Racing, Oval Track, Road Racing and Sport Compact. The 6000 Series Competition Valves are designed to provide excellent reliability in an environment of high spring pressures and roller cams, at a budget price. They have higher fatigue resistance and tensile strengths than our competitor’s best offerings. These valves can be used in Drag and Oval Track racing applications. To manufacture the valves we use our exclusive two-step slow forging process using EV8 stainless steel on both intake and exhaust valves. We provide a special heat-treatment and stress relieving process, along with hard chrome stems and friction-welded hard tips. We finish with a swirl polished head. The valves feature flow improvements to deliver the power needed for today’s sophisticated racing engines. These valves are available for both the traditional Domestic performance and racing engine market and the Sport Compact performance and racing market.
5000 SERIES: Hi-Performance stainless steel one piece forged valves that are fully CNC machined, have hard chrome treatments and have hard tips. These valves are excellent for Hi-performance Street, mildly modified Drag Racing, and Oval Track applications. The 5000 Series Valves have become the alternative for performance engine builders that use our competitors “street” or “performance valve”. These valves are machined in our CNC centres allowing tight tolerances and cost effective design. They feature a one-piece forging made from stainless steel, a special heat treatment process, hard chrome stems, and hard tip. Most applications are available in an undercut stem and dished head, while other applications are available in straight stem and flat head. These valves provide our customers with maximum value for their dollar, and are designed for Street Performance engines, mildly modified Drag and Oval Track applications. These valves are available for both the traditional Domestic performance and racing engine market and the Sport Compact performance and racing market. Many of the 5000 series valves feature flat combustion chamber faces to help increase compression in naturally aspirated engines.