RE: Whats the sodium for?

["Ken Keith" <Ken.Keith@SpecialDevices.com>]

quattro <quattro@acacianet.com> wrote:
> 
> I'm not sure that sodium reaches a liquid state at the temperatures =
> encountered in even a turbo-charged internal combustion engine. Anyone =
> got another theory?
> 
> >In the turbo head the valves have sodium in 'em.  How does this allow
> >you to run more boost?  Does it cool the valve better???
> 
> Aleksander wrote:
>
> As the valve opens and closes the liquid sodium moves inside the valve,
> taking the heat away from the tip and transfering it to the well cooled
> stem. Liquid sodium is an excellent heat conductor - it is used on some
> nuclear sumbarines for cooling reactors.

I pictured the valves as being filled with the sodium, without room to 
slosh around.  If it can move around, what's in the empty space, a vacuum? 
Air?

I do believe the sodium is either a powder or a liquid, tho'.  There are 
warnings about cutting into sodium valves, because it's poisonous.  I 
would imagine a solid material, even if it was poisonous, would be pretty 
easy to handle safely compared to a liquid or powder.

I dunno,

Ken