How many miles on those springs?

 

Around 1k

 

Yes it's the intake spring.

 

If you're smart you'll set the springs up properly this time. Next time you may not be so lucky.

 

 

How do you recommend i set them up?
The install height of the BTR springs are 1.780
Coil bind 1.070
Cam lift - .600

Should I install them at 1.780? that will give me 1.780- 1.070 - 0.600 = 0.110 safety margin or should I install them so that I have less safety margin? I read some posts that said to set them up close to the safety margin. Thanks for the help.

 

Look on You Tube, plenty of good videos that explain it all so at least you are close. There are many things to consider and the fact you broke one in less than 1k says something is way off in your setup.

 

.060 (safety) + 1.070 (coil bind) + .600 (cam lift) = 1.730 install height does that sound right?

 

Those springs should have been good for your setup. Why it failed is anyone's guess. It could be a setup issue or a spring failure. I would try a different brand of spring and talk to the guys you buy them from about the proper setup.

Glad you found it and you will likely be okay as far as a bent valve goes especially considering it ran good at certain RPM's

 

How can you say that? Who knows where he's at? Check everything properly and you're done! Why play Russian Rolette? He could easily have coil bind and never know it. CHECK IT and be done with it.

 

Im must wondering if I have to set the springs up leaving .060 before coil bind or is it better to have more room. I bought a micrometer to set it all up and plan on buying appropriate shims. The springs and cam allows me to set the spring height anywhere from 1.730-1.780. How do I determine what height is the best?

 

Honestly the time to do all this was when you were doing the valve job. Now you have to make a educated guess at what needs to be done. You can toss um on and hope you're in the ball park or take the time look at some videos then when you understand the idea do the best you can. At least get the coil bind setting right. I'm sorry but I'm not expert at springs but I always set them up to the manufacturers recommended settings. I'm still worried because you broke a spring within 1k miles. I would look at that particular valve and try to find why. You can always use another spring from a different valve to see what may have been set wrong. too loose too tight to much coil bind etc. It makes a difference, the valves need to work together or your performance will suck! Good Luck. If I were closer I'd gladly help

 

You call who you bought the springs from and the cam manufacturer and ask them what they recommend. Your engine will run better and the cam-lifters will last with proper setup. You see it on here all the time people toss a cam springs in and only check preload on the lifters then a few k later they are cryin the blues because their lifters ate the cam. The factory setup is mild and can take not being so exact but once you step things up you must spend the setup time if you want good performance and reliability. I've dealt with too much BS in my time to tell you YOU CAN BEAT taking the time to understand and setting everything up yourself. Get things right and you will love the results over being just OK.

 

Here we go again.

How can I say what? I'm saying the same exact thing you are.


Edit, unless you mean my statement about the springs he used and that they should have been fine. How can I say that, because he used a TSP cam at .600 lift with TSP springs rated for max .660 lift and they were dual springs. A tried and trued setup that's been done hundreds of times without issue.

 

Yeah but he messed with the heads himself, who knows where everything is at that's what I was pointing out. Those valves could be all over the place and in that case the setup will be all over the place. I get what you're saying but loosing a spring in 1k would worry me that worse may be coming. My concern is he did a valve job.........then didn't do any measuring......that's a big nono in my book. I've run across some chopped up heads in my time, seats all different depths valves all different Just trying to help this guy get some sanity. I check everything, I hate going back in.

 

Probably better off paying someone who knows how to set the springs correctly.

 

Of coarse it's never a bad idea to check to be sure. Or have a pro do it if you're not sure. The springs that failed on me were on assembled TSP heads.

 

Gotcha, but if he had a competent machinist the valves should be set right to where using an "everyday setup" should work.

But i'm with you, "should" is never a guarantee and proper setup and measuring is an absolute must.

 

That's another indicator it's a spring issue. Same springs, both failed, different heads and situations. Both on fresh heads, or fresh head work and valve work. In both situations the valves should have been at proper depths if they were just gone through. It's bad to assume but we have seen plenty of stories where certain springs break on sorts of different setups. This looks to be another one of those..