Best valve seats?
 

Bob Teague recently wrote about seat material ideally having a Rockwell hardness #s in the range of 40-50.

I am about to put custom seats into new aluminum heads and come to find out that the big $ copper beryllium seats I bought are pretty soft. Too soft according to the Teague on tech article.

Some specifics;

Running on 91 pump gas, 10 to 1 compression
Stainless 2.35" intakes, Inconel 1.88" exhausts (read heavy)
Fuel Injected.
closed cooling
Heavy spring rates

So what is the consensus on the best material? :confused:

Eddie? Other experienced Marine engine builders? :rolleyes:

BTW the Martin Wells Copper Beryllium seats have a Rockwell hardness of 37 but a wear rating equal to 53.

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I'm not an engine builder, but I can say that the difference in a Rockwell hardness of 37 - 40 is really nothing. I worked in a heat treat factory for years. Further, if they've engineered the seats to have an impact rating of 37, but a wear rating of 53 I would tend to think that they would seat better and last longer than most seals.

I'm not endorsing anything, but from a metrological standpoint they sound like good seats.