Sodium or not?

[Autocross7]

I am looking and have yet to locate anything that tells me if my 88' Turbo still has sodium filled exhaust valves. I know this was the thing to do in the early days for many cars and they were/(are?) used in the Esprit Turbo. It also seems that they were not the best in the long lasting department and in fact many Ferrari owners converted to steel due to the sodium filled valves breaking over time. I could be off thinking that the sodium filled are not that good - I admit. But, with the ton of info stored up by this group, I bet someone knows...
and knows the up and downs better than I do (no puns meant).

So, can anyone tell me if the 88' has steel or sodium filled exauhst valves?


Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[Dr.Hess]

Well, going by the 88-92 parts manual, all NA's have the same part number for the exhaust valve: A912E0020F. All Turbos have the same part number for the exhaust valve: B910E1383F. If you are saying that later SE's (say, 1992) have sodium filled valves, then I would conclude that your 88 (Turbo) does as well. Also, in the three years or so that I have been following the Esprit list/PH, I have not heard of a problem with the valves breaking all by themselves.

Dr.Hess

[deecee]

Yep, they're Sodium...

[Autocross7]

Okay... thanks for the replys... I was thinking that they would be, but I was not sure at all.

I also have not read that Esprit had problems with these breaking, I was just out at a local gathering and most of the 'exotics' around home are 308 or 328 Ferraris. The subject came up due to a club members car granading the motor (valve was the cause - broke off clean) and I could not really answer weather or not I had the sodium filled valves...


Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[lotusse89]

I wouldn't run a turbo motor without sodium filled exhaust valves (as on all 88+ 4cyl Esprits) and silicon bronze (or better) valve guides. These things provide greater heat dissipation.