broken valve spring
12-29-2014, 05:40 PM
#1
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broken valve spring 
This just happened. Just pulled the valve covers. ls6 heads, factory ls6 springs if I remember correctly. I would assume the springs have about 100k miles on them. Where the spring is broken, it is about a full coil, the broken piece is stuck in between the other coils. It was definitely making a tapping noise, quiet at idle, ran pretty shitty. It seemed like it broke at start up, just wasn't running right, took it easy about a mile home. What should I be expecting? Bent pushrod? Bent valve? Trashed lifter? Cam? The p word? Trying to figure out how to load a picture up Last edited by traviSS396; 12-29-2014 at 06:09 PM. Reason: adding pic
12-29-2014, 06:27 PM
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When you find out why? If was just a spring issue, look very close at the broken ends. This can show some things, bad material etc.
What cam?
What was coil bind set at?
What was Piston to Valve ?
I would leak down that cylinder and see what happens. Bent valve if they made contact. You could be very lucky and not have much damage, other than the spring. But with a single Beehive(?) Luck would be a Lotto ticket.
The big thing is why?
Good luck.
What cam?
What was coil bind set at?
What was Piston to Valve ?
I would leak down that cylinder and see what happens. Bent valve if they made contact. You could be very lucky and not have much damage, other than the spring. But with a single Beehive(?) Luck would be a Lotto ticket.
The big thing is why?
Good luck.
12-29-2014, 06:29 PM
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To load a picture open an account at a place like Photobucket and then copy and paste the [img ] url [/im g] link and it will appear here. I'd pull the pushrod and roll it on glass to see it it's bent. You may be fine on the valve but you could do a compression or leak-down check to be sure.
12-30-2014, 06:44 AM
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Does pic at the top work? Looking back they're comp springs, cam is the old hpe s grind. I've heard it's very similar to a ms3. This motor has been together for several years, 6 or 7 I guess we'll find out a more this afternoon. Recommendations on springs?
Last edited by traviSS396; 12-30-2014 at 07:05 AM. Reason: add
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12-30-2014, 12:02 PM
#8
Outright stupid to put in an aftermarket can then ignore the springs for 6-7 years. Springs are a maintenance item with aftermarket can.
Hopefully this lesson won't cost you too much. Was likely floating the valves before this so you will likely see a power increase with just replaced springs if you get off that easy.
Hopefully this lesson won't cost you too much. Was likely floating the valves before this so you will likely see a power increase with just replaced springs if you get off that easy.
12-30-2014, 04:25 PM
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Outright stupid to put in an aftermarket can then ignore the springs for 6-7 years. Springs are a maintenance item with aftermarket can.
Hopefully this lesson won't cost you too much. Was likely floating the valves before this so you will likely see a power increase with just replaced springs if you get off that easy.
Hopefully this lesson won't cost you too much. Was likely floating the valves before this so you will likely see a power increase with just replaced springs if you get off that easy.
I guess I'm about to dig in and see what I find. Hopefully I did get off easy. I have some springs and such on the way from one of our lovely vendors here, so we'll see how it goes.
Thank you everyone for the input and insight, now I have a game plan.
12-30-2014, 08:15 PM
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Don't feel that bad, I've broken two springs on the same car at different times.
First was a comp 918, second was a comp dual. The lobes on some camshafts are pretty aggressive, and can be hard on the springs.
The hardest lesson I got was when the cam bolts walked out on my Z06, and wiped out the valve train, and front cover. I remember reading posts about the issue from the factory and saying yea I need to locktight them. Well I did on the new set-up. Breaking is part of modding, as is learning from it. Whether it be from others or our own experiences.
My bet is the worse case is that valve kissed the piston, and bent the valve. Check the push rods, sand the high spots off the brow mark on the piston and replace all the springs.
Could have been much worse.
Good luck!
First was a comp 918, second was a comp dual. The lobes on some camshafts are pretty aggressive, and can be hard on the springs.
The hardest lesson I got was when the cam bolts walked out on my Z06, and wiped out the valve train, and front cover. I remember reading posts about the issue from the factory and saying yea I need to locktight them. Well I did on the new set-up. Breaking is part of modding, as is learning from it. Whether it be from others or our own experiences.
My bet is the worse case is that valve kissed the piston, and bent the valve. Check the push rods, sand the high spots off the brow mark on the piston and replace all the springs.
Could have been much worse.
Good luck!
01-02-2015, 10:55 AM
#12
**** happens. Don't let 96capricemgr get to you. He doesn't even know how to spell cam
01-02-2015, 01:10 PM
#14
The sad part is how much information is available but about nobody pushes that fact.
Unless I am missing something I am the only one that made any effort to discuss WHY it happened, isn't that a critical part of the discussion?
01-03-2015, 01:49 PM
#17
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Right. This motor has had this cam in it since before it was rebuilt. Been roughly 50,000mi. Haven't had any problems out of it (the engine itself). Several 10 bolts, couple alternators, po300, every once in a while. I finally got an overdrive pulley for my alternator, stock rebuilt with a hop up kit. Really helps at idle, and finally got a catch can. The plugs were kinda crusty when I took them out. Not sure if that was from the low voltage at idle or pre- catch can pcv set up.. which was silly. I might go try to scoop some of the small truck coils while I'm at it. I'll do my research on that
