Posted by Dan Schultz on December 19, 2002 at 20:00:56:
In Reply to: Valve Plating... posted by Chuck(G) on December 19, 2002 at 17:34:59:
Copper on copper will result in galling and has a pretty high coefficient of friction as compared to the hard brass casings and nickel. I've never checked the brinnell of casings vs. pistons, but I'ld bet that the combination is closer in hardness that one might think. Those casings aren't your ordinary soft brass like the tubing. Otherwise they wouldn't last well at all. I think the various combinations of materials are basically a matter of price and durability. High durability equals high price. Price is a matter of materials, labor costs, and the price of the process. It would be possible to built a valveset that would easily last a player his lifetime. Rolls Royce did it with automobiles.