Valve Spring Retainer Fitment/Tolerances
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From: Little Rhody
Valve Spring Retainer Fitment/Tolerances What are the guidelines, or are there any, for tightness of fit of the retainer into the spring? Are there acceptable tolerances, for instance 0.020" diametral undersize of the retainer is OK whereas some other size difference is not? I am not sure how tightly the springs are held on upper ID, and it seems there will always be some level of "slop". I checked my stockers and it was a fairly sloppy fit.
Staging Lane
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I dont think theres a set size, but it makes sense to get a retainer that covers up most of the spring. Remember, Pressure = Force/Area. You will always have the same force from the spring, so increase the area (larger retainer), and your pressure will be relieved and put less stress on the retainer and spring.
And oh, never use beehive retainers on standard OD springs... in case that wasn't apparent.
And oh, never use beehive retainers on standard OD springs... in case that wasn't apparent.
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From: Little Rhody
But on the ID, where does the retainer not become appropriate, is there a set parameter as far as tolerance where a different retainer should be used?
According to Lunati's web site, "too loose" is bad but they don't define "too loose" with any dimensions.
According to Lunati's web site, "too loose" is bad but they don't define "too loose" with any dimensions.
Last edited by vettenuts; Jan 24, 2006 at 07:02 PM.
Staging Lane
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There isn't a set way. THink about it. Have you ever seen a guy at a speed shop whip out a micrometer and measure the retainer size and compare it to the ID of the valve spring? It'd make the day a little better seeing someone do that though.
Say you have a cam with extreme lobes, and the valvetrain is set up to handle it perfectly, but barely. Could you get better reliability/longevity out of the valve train by using a larger retainer that's made of a lighter material (with the end product weighing the exact same as the original retainer).
What problems would you run into for going too big (if the material kept getting lighter, keeping the end weight the same as the original retainer)? Seems like you'd want to go as big as possible to spread the force and minimize pressure, right? Or are the effects extremely minuscule and not worth thinking about?
On an aggressive lobed LS1 street/strip setup, with PRC Dual springs (.660) and titanium retainers (TSP package), would it be worth it to get some retainers that were a little too big? Could I get more miles out of the valvetrain using this train of thought?
How much would it matter on a street car? How about an all out endurance racecar?
Thanks!
What are the guidelines, or are there any, for tightness of fit of the retainer into the spring? Are there acceptable tolerances, for instance 0.020" diametral undersize of the retainer is OK whereas some other size difference is not? I am not sure how tightly the springs are held on upper ID, and it seems there will always be some level of "slop". I checked my stockers and it was a fairly sloppy fit.
