Valve seat materials?

[JimSvarv]

Hello!

I'm wondering what materials I could use for valve seats?
I have difficulty finding cast iron in my location and bearing bronze is quite expensive, especially for a simple project as I had in mind.

Could I just use normal construction steel? I have free machining lead steel and ɓrass too if it would work better?

Maybe I could find some junk break rotor and use, but it would tricky to make pieces that could be easy to hold.

 

[55fairlane]

Watching for interest, ................. how ever aren't most seat slightly hard(ened) ??
However given what material you have on hand I would say leaded steal....

 

[kuhncw]

Please tell us about the engine you are planning. That will help with a material recommendation.

Chuck

 

[JimSvarv]

Please tell us about the engine you are planning. That will help with a material recommendation.

Chuck

Webster type of engine.
I was hoping I could make the seats/guides in the valve blocks directly without valve cages.

 

[gbritnell]

Brass for guides, 1144 steel for seats.

 

[Fidlstyks]

The 1144 steel would be best. But any steel you have would work, but I would not use the leaded steel, that is for screw machines as an easy free maching material. It is made to save time and tooling machinging, because the .15-.35 lead content is softer and the swarf break off easier. Of course lead is about banned everywhere. Not supposed to handle it. It doe not seem as easy to find now days.
Some people use it for bearings.
I would not use brass either, hardened valve seats are used as exhaust valve seats. Oldy enough, when lead was used in gasoline, it prolonged the life of castiron head seats and allowed higher compression, preventing detonation.
When they removed the lead, seats went out in about 10,000 miles. The intake seats did not wear out. Hardened seats are used now in almuinum heads.
Matt Clarke

 

[roncohudd]

Hello!

I'm wondering what materials I could use for valve seats?
I have difficulty finding cast iron in my location and bearing bronze is quite expensive, especially for a simple project as I had in mind.

Could I just use normal construction steel? I have free machining lead steel and ɓrass too if it would work better?

Maybe I could find some junk break rotor and use, but it would tricky to make pieces that could be easy to hold.

304 stainless steel

 

[Richard Hed]

Oddly enough, I was at a garage sale and the guy had broken up a piano (sigh) and the iron in it I was able to obtain. Altho' very odd shapes, I am cutting it into parts and cleaning them up. in the larger parts is a lot of holes but the smaller parts can be used for various small parts like small pistons and what not. ONe of my colleagues wondered why I had gotten it, well, just because CI is pretty hard to find where I am now and expensive if I had to buy it. Don't know yet about the quality, but will find out.