Do you have the stock locks to compare these Comp locks with?

I don't know if this means anything or not, but every photo I see of the 623 locks, they're black.

 

Id have to look around and see if I kept the stock locks. The ones installed are the black comp ones, I can pull them out and get a picture of them though.

The valves do look like there sitting pretty low, but we've never pulled the valves or messed with them and the heads have never been pulled to my knowledge

 

It's not the valve stem that's the problem, the retainers you have drop the valve into the retainer and create a shoulder on top....I've never seen dual spring retainers for an LS1 like that...I'm guessing they're the problem

 

Their tech support is useless at best. I called them on an issue with a cam and if we followed their advise we would have ruined the cam and the motor so take anything they say with a grain of salt.

I agree, your retainers are too high. It's either the lock or the retainer itself. I would pull the locks on one cylinder and see what they look like. They might have given you offset locks so the retainers sit higher rather than the standard locks. The offset is usually 0.050" so if that were the case, you installed height would be 1.785" which is closer to those I have measured on untouched GM heads.

 

Compare where the bead is between the two. If it's lower in the Comp locks, then it's adding installed height. I don't know if that would solely be responsible for the clearance problem, but it doesn't help.

 

You can buy special locks that move the retainer further up on the valve tip. The goal is to allow more spring installed height without cutting the seats. They look exactly like standard locks, except that the ring is lower on the lock. I think they're made by Lunati.

Looking at the above picture, you might be using them. If I remember tonight, I'll try and take a picture of some I have in my basement.

 

Obviously, these locks are for two different spring retainers, but for the same application. The red line marks the location of the ridge, that locks into the valve stem groove. The pair on the right are from Lunati, and they are designed to give an additional 0.050" of spring installed height.

 

ul-ss , what's the total shim thickness used under the spring seats..?
I would think if offset locks were used there would possibly be an abnormally high amount of shim height used under the spring seats.

 

A typical installed height for stock heads is 1.78".
Tooley's Platinum spring kit is a good example.

Your springs install at 1.835". Since the spring pockets weren't machined deeper, the difference has to come from the retainer. Which is why they look goofy.

It sits .055" higher. It has to in order to get the correct installed height. Thus, it runs into the stock rocker.

Those are bastard springs, esp for a .600" lift cam.

I looked at the add from Brute Speed. Shows YT rockers.....funny, they won't handle the open pressure.

So you have 2 choices. Pick different more conventional springs, retainers, seats, and seals (Tooley stuff is really nice). Or get different rockers.

I suppose you could shim the stock pedestals and get longer pushrods. Not sure that is commonly done with the stock setup. Also not sure what it would do to the wipe pattern.

The destruction of the guide seals is interesting. I'm wondering what the spring seat looks like? Does it locate the spring? It needs to. Also, how close is the inner spring ID to the OD of the seal? Perhaps no clearance there? Easy to check.
With that large installed height, and only .600" lift, I cant imagine a retainer to seal clearance issue.

FWIW, I'm using the Tooley springs on my turbo car. Stock rockers with trunions. .600" lift Tick turbo cam. 7.4" pushrods. It's reasonably quiet, and spins 6900 with no issues. I've had the valve train apart, no signs of distress. Although I don't really like spinning it that hard.....it just goes there to cross the finish line. Time for taller gears.......

Good luck!

Ron

 

There aren't any shims under the seat just running the seat. I just broke down and ordered a new set of springs today, not really what I wanted to do but im at a loss on what the issue is.

 

That's what you needed to do to fix this problem.

 

Also check the underside of your rockers for damage. The point of contact is a very high stress area and damage might result in issues down the road.

 

Sorry if the pic is huge/crap quality, doubt it helps you at all but...Im running the same kit, installed at Comps specs on an XER lobe cam around .600 lift int/ex. I can yank a rocker if you wanna see the locks.

 

Looks like a poorly engineered kit. It's nearly rubbing or lightly rubbing there too. You should have tons more clearance than that.

 

Yeah they are fairly tight. Definitely not touching on mine, lighting and angle make it look closer than it is, although that valve is slightly open. Its closer with the valve on the seat.

Been off the limiter(6800) plenty, about 30 dyno pulls, good amount of street rips. So far so good. I'll keep an eye on it though...pressures are higher than I wanted but got a screaming deal on a new/100 mi used HCI set up so I used em. Local builder likes the springs...uses them often with no problems allegedly.