Valve spring question
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 9
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From: Cabot, AR
Valve spring question This has got me kinda baffled: In the middle of a cam swap; installed a Ling GT2-3 cam in our LS1. A local speed shop checked a set of what are supposed to be LS6/Z06 springs. They are stock looking silver springs (not yellow), and the guy put them on a spring compressor and said they are good for up to .593 lift and still have .050 gap between a couple of coils when compressed. This cam has a lift in the .570-.580 range. I swapped the springs on the #1 cylinder and installed pushrods and rockers and ran the cylinder through a full cycle. At full valve lift on both intake and exhaust, I can put a .060 wire between a couple of coils at full valve lift. These springs looked exactly like the stock silver(brownish oil colored) already installed in all the other cylinders. So for shiites and grins, I checked the #3 cylinder with the original installed springs, and I got the same gap in the coils at full valve lift.
Question: Do I have to change out the springs already installed in the motor based on what I measured when turning the cylinders by hand. Or, will oil pressure cause coil bind when the lifters pump up?
Question: Do I have to change out the springs already installed in the motor based on what I measured when turning the cylinders by hand. Or, will oil pressure cause coil bind when the lifters pump up?
It depends on the age of the springs and what they have gone through. Regardless for "Shts&Ggls" it can be the difference between a few hundred dollars or a few thousands. Its up to you advice is free. Me every H/C package unless I have had the springs and know how old they are and what they have been through I change them.
