Hey kim i noticed that you swapped a lot of the brass parts for steel. My guess is for cost/easier to find. Any regrets ?. My guess is the only real downside is the material is more difficult to work with than brass. Am I correct?
Yes, that's correct! I opted for steel for cost reasons. I investigated the cost of both brass and alternate materials (mostly steel, some stainless where it touches water) and found the cost to be almost double for brass. This was 5 years ago when I was purchasing the materials (2018) so things could be different now.
And yes, the main downside would be the ease of machining. Though I've really come to quite enjoy working in steel. I did opt for 12L14 steel where possible since it's easier to work with than the standard 1018 cold rolled stuff (and somewhat more expensive).
The other downside is rust. The steel will rust over time (months) if it isn't finished in some way. So if you want to leave your engine in bright finished metal, steel might not be the way to go. Since I am painting, this hasn't been a big issue for me, with the exception of a few parts that I'm leaving bright (like the rods). But for those I've sprayed them with a clear coat to help reduce the chance of rust. And it seems to be working.
Looking forward to seeing your build!
Kim
