How Long the Engine Valve Can Be Used?

When you are having conversations with guys and girls and you hear them saying about the mode of operation of valves or how they work etc. you would likewise want to contribute and know more about valves, most especially the duration for which it can be used.

Valves are an essential component in any automobile because they serve as gatekeepers for fuel and allow air to enter and also exit the combustion chambers which is your car’s engine. If there is a problem with the valves, it would result to serious trouble especially in the engine of the vehicle. Having known that valves are very important, how would you know if the valves are spoilt and how long the engine valve can be used?

Firstly we need to know what valve is, an engine valve consists of a stem and a head, and the shape is close to that of a mushroom but the cap is flipped upside down. With the aid of valves, there would be high precision in the car engine or manufacturing industry. It is also used in the valve train and other machines. Valve can function effectively while providing a good open and close to the device where it is installed without any challenges but when the valves no longer work problem would arise.

So, how can valves fail? There are several things which can cause the failure but in most cases, the problem is as a result of failure for a valve points to a problem farther upstream and this requires some automotive sleuthing to figure out. Below are some bad things which can happen to an engine valve and the reason why:

The impurities in the metal which makes up the valve causes it to break or deform under stress

Low-quality manufacturing would result to a defective valve at the factory

Dirty oil would result to valve wear thereby lowering the engine compression

The defective valve spring as well as other part may cause the valves to stick open which may subject them to damage from pistons

Excessive high operating temperature might scorches exhaust valves which would result into heat-stress breakage.

Improper timing or broken timing belt would subject valves to piston contact, bending as well as breakage.

Valves, guides, seals or other parts are modifies without verifying the appropriate measurement and angles; this may result to bending or breakage.

Some of these can result to an expensive effect because valves are the major engine part but there are several things which will also affect other parts because valves are not the only component. There are some things which can be done so as to reduce the bad outcome. One of it is to ensure the timing belt is checked and replaced when recommended by the manufacturer of the vehicle. The other thing which can be done is to change the oil regularly and check for any unusual thing such as burning or leaking oil immediately.

Now, going back to the main question about the duration of an engine valve? There is no specific lifespan for engine valve. Eventually, any valve would wear out if driven over a long duration. Moreover, it depends on how it is made, the overall car maintenance as well as the relationship to other parts of the engine such as the timing belt.