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Valve spring question

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Old 03-29-2006, 08:25 PM
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Default Valve spring question

What is the deal with having to warm springs up and then let them cool completely down right after a cam install. Me and a buddy just put a cam in a 5.3 today and wanna know the reasoning behind that.
Old 03-29-2006, 08:40 PM
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Never heard of that.
Old 03-29-2006, 08:53 PM
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Go Ls1howto.com and you will find the instructions there. Never heard of it before and therefore you understand why I have a question. As accurate as everything else on there seems to be, I assumed there must be some logic behind the emphasis on allowing the springs to reach full operating temperature and then allowing them to cool down thoroughly overnight.
Old 03-29-2006, 10:07 PM
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you are heat cycling the metal. The heating and cooling of the springs "breaks them in."
Old 03-29-2006, 11:28 PM
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If you want you springs to last heat cycle them atleast once and never "get on it" when your engine is cold . These performance valvesprings have higher spring rates because of a harder alloy steel being used . If you stress them when they're cold you'll shorten their life dramatically and possibly break them alot sooner them if you take care of them . OEM springs are designed to endure all kinds of situations to reduce warranty claims from abusive drivers . Heat cycle your springs and don't rev your engine till it starts to warm up , you don't have to wait till operating temp but absolutely do not rev a cold engine .
Old 04-06-2006, 06:02 PM
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It is my understanding, and this is stressed with new rear end gears also, that heat cycling allows the molecules to "line up" better and will add to the strength of the material.




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