Hennytime

iTrader: (33)

ive finally made the jump to forced induction, and while im trying to keep quiet and read through a majority of the old thread and stickies to keep from asking these questions, there is one i have not yet found an answer to.

im going to be running a vortech gtrim at about 9psi, with the aftercool on a basically stock car with just boltons and a stall converter. ive got my gauges and fuel covered for the power i plan on running and wanted to know about valve springs. the consensus ive come to is the stockers are junk and will need replacing. thats no problem. the question is will LS6 02+ (ones rated to .580") work with a low boost <500rwhp boosted application? im not exactly trying to "cheap out" its just i have a set from when i was going to do an asa cam and want to get this thing on ASAP! thanks for the help in other areas of fi and im still learning so go easy on the flaming

gametech

iTrader: (1)

FI stresses the valvesprings worse than na because of the boost pressure and exhaust backpressure against the valves. You "might" get lucky with ls6 springs if you don't spin very high, but DON'T count on it. Either way, ABSOLUTELY DON'T keep the stock pushrods. They will bend under extra spring pressure, extra rpm, or just because they suck.

kp

iTrader: (34)

I ran 02 LS6 springs and an 01 LS6 cam and stock pushrods for two years at 7000rpm @ 12-15psi of boost (9.40 @ 144mph). I also ran the same stock pushrods (and lifters and rocker arms) with the 918 springs on the dart heads for a year with a XE cam (9.13 @ 150). Superchargers dont make a ton of exhaust backpressure if you have a decent exhaust/headers. I swapped pushrods when I put the AFR heads on this year with the heavier springs, stock ones are still straight as an arrow after 9 years of use .

gametech

iTrader: (1)

You must have gotten wednesday parts. My stock pushrods all bent the first time I revved past 6800rpm on stock springs. Some of us just don't get indestructable factory parts.

2002/Black/SS

iTrader: (3)

people bend stock pushrods on stock motors cause they reved to 6800 by accident one time.

what im trying to say is KP got lucky, i wouldnt go by his experience

kp

iTrader: (34)

Most likely they bent because the valves hit the pistons

My old 2000 SS had several cams/heads and a blower and nitrous also and I always used the stock pushrods and had plenty of missed shifts with the M6 but I always had good springs.

Heck I'm still running the original rockers and lifters/trays that cam on this car back in 98 three engines ago, why fix what aint broke.

They dont cost a lot to replace but if the length is OK and you are running small springs and cam, stock pushrods will work fine. But mis shift an M6 or try 6800rpm on stock springs and most likely they wont last long

kp

iTrader: (34)

You dont get lucky when you go over 7000rpm every weekend for nearly three years with them lol.

I'm not going to argue because if you think stock pushrods bend most of the time in stock engines because they are weak then you are mistaken..

red90cobra

iTrader: (36)

I'm with you on the stock pushrods lasting. You just don't miss shifts and have good valve springs and they'll last. IT's when the valve hits the piston is when they bend. I've had the same experience as kp. They last forever if you don't have a piston hit a valve from a weak spring.

btw I've used stock pushrods with cams with .640 lifts with no problem.

Retail Value

I hope you're joking, KP has a long list of cars and experience with LS1's and forced induction, especially superchargers. I would say for a guy that can hit bottom 9's in a very RELIABLE setup that has been tested for hundreds of passes you don't get lucky. Stuff breaks when you don't build it right, KP has built a reliable setup and has been proven to go fast everytime he goes down the track!

kp

iTrader: (34)

Thanks guys but my luck speaks for itself

I wont say that stock pushrods are stronger then aftermarket ones, its just that a lot of engines dont need them. Now its simple to say 'well they are only 120.00' and thats true but if you can save that 120.00 ten times on other things that you really dont need to have that pays for your fuel system or tuning software. To some buiding a car isnt just throwing every penny they have into it and I'm all for saving a buck or two.

But then again I may be a part of a secret, radical anti-aftermarket pushrod organization whose only purpose is to stop people from using using aftermarket pushrods so we can rule the world. Just never know..

Retail Value

Where do I sign up?