NOBR8KSS

iTrader: (12)

I have read during my many searches on this board about valve spring installations on the LS1 heads. Seems like a pretty straight forward task, but even in all of my SEARCHES (yes, I have been searching like a sum b*tch) I have never once heard mention of people using a spring micrometer to set up the valve springs. It seems like it is just a remove/replace operation. I need one question answered from people who have installed the CC 918s onto stock heads.

Is it simply a remove/replace task?... or is there something special that needs to be done here?

critter

iTrader: (9)

I used a snap gauge and mic to measure, then tried different combinations of spring seat, retainer, and keepers until they were as close to the same as I could get them. You don't _have_ to do that, but I'm **** ... Seriously, that is the sort of stuff that is the difference between a racer and a cruiser, even for a daily driver. Attention to detail is what gets you to the end first, cuz everybody can buy the same stuff.

Beavis5.3

One of the reasons it's recommended using a spring mic to check installed height is because of production variances and spring variances.

In the "old days" performances springs had fairly wide tolerances (at least relating to valve springs) and you had to make sure that you didn't have too much pressure on break-in that would wipe out the cam. With roller cams this isn't as critical because you don't have the break-in period anymore that you have with flat-tappet cams. Also, today's springs are very high-tech, and made to much tighter tolerances so the chances of having a spring that is out of spec is very low.

On the head side, you have production variances that could affect spring seat depth.

It all comes down to that the closer you can have all of your seat and open presures, the better the motor will run, and the longer it will live. The lower performance the less critical this is, the higher peformance the more important consistency is.

NOBR8KSS

iTrader: (12)

It sounds like if I care at all about valvetrain reliability, then I need to buy yet another tool to install a stupid camshaft! By the time I buy all of these friggin tools and gaskets and oil pumps, chains, o-rings, bolts, I could have purchased a set of heads that already have the springs setup correctly (hopefully). Lifter tools, valvespring compressors, magnets, micrometers...holy crap I'm going insane. I thought swapping a cam was supposed to be easy? Screw this...I think I'll just buy new heads. I was gonna get them later anyway...like I could resist that