valve springs???????

[mikeSS]

Originally Posted by 1Camaro2SS

What kind of springs do you have? Was it rated for your cam and how did you know you had a problem and to check the springs. Thanks

well i feel it was my fault as i revved a somewhat cold motor at a car meet. right after that free rev i started to hear loud ticking noises for a few days before taking it in. they were comp springs, but i ended up switching them out for livernois springs.

it was a comp cam and comp springs from JRE. so they were right. again my guess would be it was my fault. it has been said not to drive hard when engine is cold.

you know you have a problem when you hear a loud tick noise.

[tvwilkes]

I recommend calling TSP and buy the PRC spring kit. Quality is second to none. They offer a dual kit for .650 and .675 lift combo's.

[blazzin1]

So....if a cams "gross lift" is .647 (intake), then is a .650 spring too close? Should I go with a .660 or .675 set of dual springs??

[toml_pa]

COMP Cams #26926TS-KIT LS TOOL STEEL BEEHIVE VALVE SPRING KIT .675" MAXIMUM LIFT

26926-16 Dual Valve Springs
779-16 Tool Steel Retainers
623-16 7° Steel Valve Locks
511-16 Valve Seals
4695-16 Spring Seats
Price: $464.95

[CGT]

Originally Posted by js19racer

Check seat pressure, thats the only way to tell if they need to be replaced. Titanium retainers are only to lighten the valve train.

And also dont wear near as well as a steel retainer, I generally stray from the titanium retainers to a lightweight stee retainer for that reason, especially on a small beehive retainer where the weight savings from going to titanium is pretty small.

[SC2150]

With any springs it is critical to heat cycle them properly before ever revving. Most cam's in the low-mid .600 lift the springs will last 50k plus miles and a dual spring will give you that safety feature that can mean the difference of a dropped valve or not.

Also, a .650-.675 lift spring will not cause to much stress on the components...but running a .800 lift spring on a .600 lift cam will cause premature failure of rockers, lifters, etc.

[Bo White]

Originally Posted by CGT

And also dont wear near as well as a steel retainer, I generally stray from the titanium retainers to a lightweight stee retainer for that reason, especially on a small beehive retainer where the weight savings from going to titanium is pretty small.

Ive been around Ti retainers for a long time, Ive never seen one fail.

[CGT]

Originally Posted by Bo White

Ive been around Ti retainers for a long time, Ive never seen one fail.

As have I, I have never seen one fail before either, but Ive definitely seen them close, with very obvious wear on them that wouldnt be there on a steel retainer. Not as bad of a problem on a spring with no damper in it, but i personally wouldnt have one on a beehive spring in a street application unless that several gram savings really made the deal, which it most likely wouldnt. Steel is just stronger and wears better. Even in a dual spring, there are so many lightweight steel retainers available now, that its rare for me to use titanium. To each their own i guess.

[Bo White]

Now I have seen wear. Most of the dual spring kits for our engines have Ti retainers and thats what I was getting at on their track record reguardless of brand.

[tvwilkes]

I have manufactured titanium retainers for 8 years and have never had a failure. There will be some wear and they may need replaced after many years. More than likely, you will break another part of your car before the retainer fails.

[1Camaro2SS]

Originally Posted by mikeSS

well i feel it was my fault as i revved a somewhat cold motor at a car meet. right after that free rev i started to hear loud ticking noises for a few days before taking it in. they were comp springs, but i ended up switching them out for livernois springs.

it was a comp cam and comp springs from JRE. so they were right. again my guess would be it was my fault. it has been said not to drive hard when engine is cold.

you know you have a problem when you hear a loud tick noise.

Damn, I thought comp had the best springs out there. Another person on these forums (jrod) broke 2 comp springs recently. Glad to learn that the valve springs can break if revved cold. I was thinking more like winter cold, below 30 degrees F but I doubt you were at a car meet on a freezing day. Lol

[litle88]

Comp does make an excellent spring. They all break, nothing is guaranteed in this hobby, it's just we sometimes get carried away at shows and meets that we want to get on it ASAP lol. It doesn't need to be 30* outside by what he means cold it can be 80 but if your car has been sitting for a while the engine temp might just be 100 but that's cold anyways. For the springs to be working at their best op temps should be 160+. That's just me, after my spring broke I never leave the spot til I'm at least 150 and that is driving very lightly til I'm at 180. Just my .2

[1Camaro2SS]

Yes, I imagine that if a comp spring can break, any spring would be just as vulnerable. I will now know to let my car warm up before revving it up. I am glad I read this thread. I plan to install a comp cam and springs over the winter months.

[blazzin1]

Originally Posted by blazzin1

So....if a cams "gross lift" is .647 (intake), then is a .650 spring too close? Should I go with a .660 or .675 set of dual springs??

Okay, so no one answered my previous question. Any help would be greatly appreciated!