Valve springs

[Rodney87GN]

What kind of life expectancy are you guys getting with your valve springs? By life expectancy I mean how well the spring maintains its pressure at its installed height before they require replacement.

I know this is a pretty general question, and I realize it depends on the combo and intended usage of the car. So I guess this question is aimed more towards you guys with 10 second cars that see many street miles.

I run K-motion 750 springs on ported irons, 210/215 hyd roller, Morel lifters, and stock rocker arms. The springs are installed at 1.700" for 130 lbs closed, 395 lbs open pressure. Boost is at 26-28 psi. I've been running the K-motion valve springs for 3 almost years...most of those are street miles with about 50 dragstrip passes.

I guess I can pull em off and have them checked at the machine shop, but springs aren't that expensive so I might as well replace them anyway since I have the old ones off. Any helpful insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bison]

Ive got an old set of 941 springs that have over 25000 miles on them and i went low 10's a few times last year with them and a few times a couple years ago. Hundreds of passes on them but lift is only about .530. Ive had those springs on at least 3 different sets of heads and they tested higher than a new set of 941's i compared them to last year. If i recall they were around 145@1.70"

 

[KL Mallender]

I do find humor here at TB, it's an always changing explanation for some.
And if by god you find a spring assembly that can produce 130-145 at 1.700(factory installed heights) that by some act of god doesn't stack solid before .500 lift, ..It sure appears you've found him.
I call BullShit, enough is enough. You parts pushers are feeding this group into oblivion.
Bison, for god's sake inform the OP or us where these springs exist that "Dont require head seat cutting or different retainers/locks" to achieve this, then maybe explain "In Truth" why most flat tappet camshafts fail among this group more than any other? yet blame failures onto other causes?
Bull Shit is what I read here today.

Kevin.

 

[Rodney87GN]

Kevin,
Huh? Not exactly sure what bullshit was posted, or who that was directed at. Are you saying that spring choice is not adequate? Or do you recommend something else? Please explain

 

[bison]

Kevin,
Huh? Not exactly sure what bullshit was posted, or who that was directed at. Are you saying that spring choice is not adequate? Or do you recommend something else? Please explain

It matters zero since this post is about spring life with 10 sec cars with a lot of street use. It also looks like the OP is interested in data from roller setups.

 

[KL Mallender]

Yep, it does matter zero when today's "2012" tune-ups or application of knowledge is more than ten years behind, even more so considering the increase of boost needed over ten years ago and better to achieve certain performance numbers.
My personel gripe is pointed solely to those directing others into a known destructive environment, ie: high lift short duration valvetrains while telling readers it's good to rev them completely out of range, and not explaining the pro's and con's of doing so, especially when they know others will certainly fall prey to the limitations in the valvetrain of the Buick V6, then afterwards sell them upgrades to walk them into a new failure zone, knowing most people will spend even more money in effort to keep up dealing with self imposed breakage.
Today I read more sales pitches than I do actual knowledge exchanges, with all the head gasket failures throughout the last 20 plus years, cracking blocks and spititng crankshafts, some have done a fine job at 'culling" the herd of what use to be Buick Performance.
I can't think of one thread here relating camshaft profiles to cylinder pressure thru the rpm range, yet I read about certain ignition timing numbers people are using without even mentioning rpm scales. If you even think that a constant 19-23 degrees from 3500-6000 is the way to go,...well, you are horribly incorrect.
Bison, you may have the ears of many here, but your knowledge speaks of what you got away with, not what you know.
Best of luck kiddies,


Kevin.

 

[bison]

Yep, it does matter zero when today's "2012" tune-ups or application of knowledge is more than ten years behind, even more so considering the increase of boost needed over ten years ago and better to achieve certain performance numbers.
My personel gripe is pointed solely to those directing others into a known destructive environment, ie: high lift short duration valvetrains while telling readers it's good to rev them completely out of range, and not explaining the pro's and con's of doing so, especially when they know others will certainly fall prey to the limitations in the valvetrain of the Buick V6, then afterwards sell them upgrades to walk them into a new failure zone, knowing most people will spend even more money in effort to keep up dealing with self imposed breakage.
Today I read more sales pitches than I do actual knowledge exchanges, with all the head gasket failures throughout the last 20 plus years, cracking blocks and spititng crankshafts, some have done a fine job at 'culling" the herd of what use to be Buick Performance.
I can't think of one thread here relating camshaft profiles to cylinder pressure thru the rpm range, yet I read about certain ignition timing numbers people are using without even mentioning rpm scales. If you even think that a constant 19-23 degrees from 3500-6000 is the way to go,...well, you are horribly incorrect.
Bison, you may have the ears of many here, but your knowledge speaks of what you got away with, not what you know.
Best of luck kiddies,

Kevin.

So smart guy why don't you start a thread with your knowledge. What you've just posted has zero to do with the original post. Reading your post will net zero technical use to anyone reading it. Fwiw we are doing a lot more now with less than we were 10 years ago.

 

[S10xGN]

Rodney, I have (I think?) the same cam you have and the same 941 springs Bison has. I just checked mine last spring (not many miles, but over 10 yrs old!) and they were all within a few % of 123# seat pressure installed at 1.772" and 345# open.