Magnesium Valve Covers

[68COUGAR]

What logical reason is there, for making valve covers out of magnesium?
Light weight? Plastic & sheet metal are light weight, & both are made into valve covers.
Strength? Sheet metal & alum. are strong.
Cost? Plastic or sheet metal must be cheaper.
Brittleness? Well, yeah, nothing is more brittle than magnesium.
Weight Savings? TRUE, but how much weight was actually saved?
"Cool Material Factor"? Well, yeah there is That :confused:
An Expensive way to drive up the price of the engine? BINGO, I think we have a winner!!!!!!!!

68COUGAR

[SCMakeiv]

hehe, i have a reason, cause when you replace them with a plastic or metal one, you can take a file to the magnesium and get some shavings, put it in a baggie, light the baggie, or toss into a fire and bingo, you have yourself a homemade flashbang. same with old lawnmowers.

[Scott Long]

I broke a valve cover once it was a thin flimsy piece of ~~~~. I'd like to see someone make some out of sheet metal.

[7birdslater]

A while back I saw some cheapo chrome 3.8 ford valve covers on Ebay. But im not sure the intercooler piping would clear them. They were only like 20 bucks though.

[DamonSlowpokeBaumann]

MANY MANY MANY manufactureres used magnesium valve covers. Cast magnesium has a density of 1.8 g/cc which is about two-thirds that of aluminum.

[Mike8675309]

Really cool (but very hot) engine fire?

[68COUGAR]

MANY MANY MANY manufactureres used magnesium valve covers. Cast magnesium has a density of 1.8 g/cc which is about two-thirds that of aluminum.
So if an alum. valve cover weighed one pound (16 oz), then the magnesium would would weigh 10.666 oz. So the magnesium VC saves 5.333 OZ. of weight.

I'd rather have some really COOL looking alum VC's that said, "SUPERCHARGED"!!!!

68COUGAR

[68COUGAR]

A while back I saw some cheapo chrome 3.8 ford valve covers on Ebay. But im not sure the intercooler piping would clear them. They were only like 20 bucks though.
For $20, it's worth a shot to find out if they'd clear the IC tube!!!

68COUGAR

[Scott Long]

Yeah for $20.00 what the hell, you could always sell them to a mustang v6'er if they don't fit.

[pablon2]

The '93 SC covers were made of steel.

[thirdbird]

What logical reason is there, for making valve covers out of magnesium?


OH, so thats what mine are made of.....
was wondering what kind of metal they were....

[fordman54935]

Magnesium may have been used to mitigate valvetrain/lifter noise.

Just a guess.

[V6Sprout]

from what I understand Magnesium was cheaper to produce then steel at one time, when steel was at a premium, I think thats the main reason they did it. Not positive though. The EBAY chrome valve covers are for the old carb'd 3.8's different then our valve covers. Won't even bolt on.

[Roadhawg]

The '93 SC covers were made of steel.

This is a true statement and you can have them chromed

[Paul93SC]

The '93 SC covers were made of steel....and they still are :D

[Ira R.]

Really cool (but very hot) engine fire?

You got that right!! The old Volkswagons used to have magnesium heads and when one of those engines caught fire you could just not put them out! The results were not pretty.

They used them because they were light and cheap to make.

Ira

[CougarXR/7]

I would like to see Supercharged cast aluminum or chrome covers out there.

[the-big-e]

Why even bother.....

You can't see them anyway, unless you take the intake and IC tubes off.....

I painted mine black....

[CougarXR/7]

Sure they will be hard to see.............but I'll know they are there.

[neverfastenough]

Naturally anti freese doesnt usually get on the valve covers for an extended period of time. But on my bike and other race motcross bikes many alum pars are replaced with Magnesium, but almost 90% of 2007 race bikes Honda kawi KtM ect all had recalls. Saying antifreeze eats threw it:eek: . Just last week my friend took his new bike back for a replacement cover antifreeze ate threw the Magnesium And ended up in his oil, not a pretty site:( . Just a thought, I dont know if a valve cover would have a different form af Magnesium or not.

[Thomas]

Dorman (Dorman owns: Help, Motormite, Edelman) makes aftermarket valvecovers for the windstar because of their PCV contamination issue. Unfortunately, they come as a package with a new PCV valve and tube, and they're kinda spendy. But I believe they are cast aluminum.
-Thomas

[CarlisleLandOwn]

MANY MANY MANY manufactureres used magnesium valve covers. Cast magnesium has a density of 1.8 g/cc which is about two-thirds that of aluminum.

STOP MAKING SENCE! THAT ISN'T ALLOWED HERE!

Really cool (but very hot) engine fire?

Yeah, because we all know what temps it takes to start a magnesium fire, and those temps always occur in engine fires ...

You got that right!! The old Volkswagons used to have magnesium heads and when one of those engines caught fire you could just not put them out! The results were not pretty.

They used them because they were light and cheap to make.

Ira


I really like what you have to say here, and I'm wondering if you have a newsletter that you put out as I would like to subscribe. Thank you for all that useful information.

[Thomas]

STOP MAKING SENCE! THAT ISN'T ALLOWED HERE!

Yeah, because we all know what temps it takes to start a magnesium fire, and those temps always occur in engine fires ...

I really like what you have to say here, and I'm wondering if you have a newsletter that you put out as I would like to subscribe. Thank you for all that useful information.

You know, we have a person at work with a personality similar to yours. His comebacks never make sense, he just blurts something out to be an ~~~~~~~, but ends up looking ignorant and absent minded as a result. I fired him, but i guess I cant do that here.

[CarlisleLandOwn]

You know, we have a person at work with a personality similar to yours. His comebacks never make sense, he just blurts something out to be an ~~~~~~~, but ends up looking ignorant and absent minded as a result. I fired him, but i guess I cant do that here.

Ok, since I'm wrong, what temps does Mag. catch fire? What is the average temp of an engine fire? Ok, lets talk about the temp that gasoline burns at? Then lets talk about the physical state mag. has to be in for it to catch fire, then we can talk about temps of blends, and MAYBE if you know, or can look up ALL of this information we can have an adult conversation. Until then, your just a poor sport. I think you should go and re-hire your old employee if he and I are the same, because your just a poor looser and have a bad temper. :rolleyes:

oh oh oh, and I want to throw in that I know someone with mag. valve covers and MAG WHEELS and his car burned to the ground, we dusted off the wheels and valve covers and put them on the next car ... OH NOES! :eek: What shall we do with this new info!?

[rzimmerl]

lets see the metallurgical/engineering side of the house

magnesuim melting point is ~650 deg C
and
titanium is ~1668 deg C

both have a fire hazard when machining, grinding, or sand casting them as we do a large amount of titanium processing at work

direct from text " MG is the lightest engineering metal available and also has good vibration damping characteristics.... however products made of magnesium and its alloys are not a fire hazard..."

this should clear some things up, if any other technical information is needed I will be more than glad to report it

[CarlisleLandOwn]

lets see the more metallurgical/engineering side of the house

magnesuim melting point is ~650 deg C
and
titanium is ~1668 deg C

both have a fire hazard when machining, grinding, or sand casting them as we do a large amount of titanium processing at work

direct from text " MG is the lightest engineering metal available and also has good vibration damping characteristics.... however products made of magnesium and its alloys are not a fire hazard..."

Fantastic, yet another member agreeing with me.

[the-big-e]

Let me get this straight....

If I have an engine fire that exceeds 650° C, then I will need new valve covers.....:confused:

:p

[CarlisleLandOwn]

Let me get this straight....

If I have an engine fire that exceeds 650° C, then I will need new valve covers.....:confused:

:p

Depends, are they polymer? :D

When Magnesium burns, it burns SUPER hot, and if you put water on it, the water actually separates into its basic parts. The hydrogen in H2O actually FUELS the fire making it worse. There is only 1 type of fire extinguisher that will work on magnesium fires, and they are very ineffective for their size. In other words, it takes a LOT to put out a magnesium fire.

[the-big-e]

it takes a LOT to put out a magnesium fire.

Just ask the lead singer for Metallica.....

[Thomas]

Ok, since I'm wrong, what temps does Mag. catch fire? What is the average temp of an engine fire? Ok, lets talk about the temp that gasoline burns at? Then lets talk about the physical state mag. has to be in for it to catch fire, then we can talk about temps of blends, and MAYBE if you know, or can look up ALL of this information we can have an adult conversation. Until then, your just a poor sport. I think you should go and re-hire your old employee if he and I are the same, because your just a poor looser and have a bad temper. :rolleyes:

oh oh oh, and I want to throw in that I know someone with mag. valve covers and MAG WHEELS and his car burned to the ground, we dusted off the wheels and valve covers and put them on the next car ... OH NOES! :eek: What shall we do with this new info!?

Im not arguing, Im saying that a man who demands such strict and factual data from everyone who decides to post something should be a shining example of his own preachings, sir. Obviously Magnesium is not a fire hazard in a vehicle, wheels or valve covers or whatever. But if you're going to be such a jerk, then show proof of supporting evidence, like you expect us all to. Feel me? Just being fair.
-Thomas

[XR7 Dave]

Im not arguing, Im saying that a man who demands such strict and factual data from everyone who decides to post something should be a shining example of his own preachings, sir. Obviously Magnesium is not a fire hazard in a vehicle, wheels or valve covers or whatever. But if you're going to be such a jerk, then show proof of supporting evidence, like you expect us all to. Feel me? Just being fair.
-Thomas

Na, Jason will never do that.

Jason just uses SCCOA for entertainment ever since he got kicked off the TBU. It's his way of getting even with them/us. Therefore he has no need to be fair or even accurate. Jason is just mad because he got kicked out of a group of guys not because he is rude, obnoxious, hateful, arrogant, or a jerk, but because he is all of those things at the same time. When you get kicked out of an anything goes environment you really ought to take a second look at yourself and ask if maybe somethings not quite right in Denmark.

But Jason can't do that.

[Thomas]

well I have no beef with this Jason guy, nor do I know him personally, or even over the internet, so I dont see why he should judge me. I have only shared a few small exchanges of words with him so far, since I've decided to come back here and post a little. But if he's going to be there in all important conversations giving this kind of stuff then I guess I'll just ignore him.

CLD, Jason, whoever you are. Please, what did I do to you to be treated this way? Seriously? Grow up man.

Im done now, thanks.

-Thomas

[pablon2]

Na, Jason will never do that.

Jason just uses SCCOA for entertainment ever since he got kicked off the TBU. It's his way of getting even with them/us. Therefore he has no need to be fair or even accurate. Jason is just mad because he got kicked out of a group of guys not because he is rude, obnoxious, hateful, arrogant, or a jerk, but because he is all of those things at the same time. When you get kicked out of an anything goes environment you really ought to take a second look at yourself and ask if maybe somethings not quite right in Denmark.

But Jason can't do that.

I feel sorry for people like you described David...they have to live with themselves. :eek: Maybe we can have a name change to 'CarlisleLandMine'?

[neverfastenough]

Seriously CarlisleLandOwn, whats the prob man, no one has done anything to you. Im getting ready to send in my member ship dues and Im glad people like you arent starting starting stuff in the private forum. Take a look around the board theres alot of helpful people on here mabey some of it will rub off on you. Ill use XR7Dave, Twotonethunder, the big e for example(hope they dont mind and Im not kissin their ~~~) Its easy to tell when someone like them is online because all the new threads usually have a answer from them. But some times theres a new thread without an answer from them:confused: , HMMM did they miss it............. I dont think so there on here more than almost anyone......... O I got an idea mabey its because they dont have a usefull answer at the time, and instead of throwing in there.02 in that might cost someone money and time they let someone else answer while they ponder the question:eek: . You do neither, You throw your .02 cents just to Tick someone off or question their mechanical ability.:mad:

I mean I have alitle over 100 posts and I know that all except for mabey that useless one to get me to the 100 mark:p had some helpful information. You have over 200 and most of those are critizing someone for no reason except the joy of fighting. People on this board arnt dumb an arnt going to waste their time fighting with you. So you better find someother hobby or your going to be pretty bored around here.

Instead of wasting my time doing this I could have learned how to Save my headgaskets for a while or Get the yellow off my head lights, Just ignore him, he cant argure if theres no one to argue with. Mabey He'll get two names and argue with him self in the test forum.

Im done I just felt like throwing my .02 in :rolleyes:

[CarlisleLandOwn]

:) Hi guys, just wanted to stop back in and say hello and talk to my fans.

[pablon2]

:) Hi guys, just wanted to stop back in and say hello and talk to my fans.

Must be on the upswing of the bipolar bout.