What Causes Engine Valves to Fail?
Your vehicle’s engine employs intake and exhaust valves to keep things moving. Often, these valve train parts can fail, but why? Understanding valve failure can help you understand your vehicle better and save from major engine damage down the road.
Burning: Valve burning is a common way that valves can fail. If you look at your valves and find charring or erosion, something is making them overheat. Burning can be caused by a variety of problems, including a buildup of deposits on the valve face, weak springs, insufficient valve height, rocker arm misalignment or elevated combustion temperatures. So, if your engine’s running hot, or your valves aren’t sufficiently cooled and clearanced, you run the risk of burning your valves, which, in turn, can lead to serious (and expensive) engine trouble.
Breakage: Valve breakage often occurs where the head is joined to the stem, or where the keeper grooves are machined at the end of the stem. Breakage can be caused by flexing, pounding, thermal shock (when there is a sudden change in engine temperatures), stretching (when the engine overheats or overrevvs), or rocker arm misalignment. When intake valve and exhaust valve pieces break, the pieces fall into the combustion chamber and can wreak havoc on the piston and the head, leading to catastrophic engine damage.
Another valve issue to look for is bent valves. Bent valves indicate a close encounter between the valve and the piston, often caused by a broken timing belt or chain, overrevving the engine, broken valve springs, valve sticking, or insufficient clearance.
What Do I Do When I Notice Valve Failure?
When you notice valve failure, the first thing you want to do is find out what is causing the failure in the first place. The explanation above should help you narrow down the culprits, based on the damage you see on your valves. While it is normal for valves to wear down over time, an unexpected valve failure usually means something else is wrong. It’s important to remember, in this case, that simply replacing a broken, burnt or bent valve won’t fix anything, since valve failure is indicative of a larger and more serious problem. If you only replace the valves, they will fail again (most likely in the same way) and the engine issue will continue and probably get worse.
The best thing to do when you notice valve failure is to take your vehicle to the shop for inspection. Once you discover what’s causing valve failure, you can fix the problem and then replace the valves.
Common Ball Joint Parts
Copy the code in the box below and add a link for this page to your web site or blog.
Please feel free to call toll-free 800.874.8888 or e-mail sales@autoanything.com with any questions. We are delighted to be of assistance in finding the right auto parts for you, be they car parts, truck parts or SUV parts.
|