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I just got runner up at the super Chevy bracket series at wwt raceway this past Saturday. Guess what kind of springs the winner was using? Yep he had them also and was also running a lower lift cam as well. I don't want to gloat or come off like I'm trying to attack anyone on here but I'm tired of ppl knocking the Blue ls6 springs when I know that they work. The LS6 springs and a shmedium lift camshaft are more than adequate for what 99.999% of you guys are trying to do with your cars and trucks I assure you.
I'm not trying to knock any of the tech in here or anything, I'm sure someday when I'm a salaried professional race car driver I'll need a more spring so you all do what you all want, but do any of you guys actually race competitively? Or actually use these cammed setups on a real dailying basis? I mean this thread is about DAILY DRIVER valvesprings. I also happen to deliver PIZZA with my car 200-400 city miles sometimes more every week in St Louis, my setup has been doing that for years, do you Know how hard that is on an engine!? I also bracket race it on the weekend or test and tune on a weeknight shifting at 67-6800 Everytime. So Stop telling ppl ls6 springs are bad or merely adequate. I'm clearing my schedule for the sportsman bracket series for the rest of the season because I've got enough spring to Race on the weekends and drive all week long for years to come with complete OEM reliability.
I've used the LS6 springs myself, here is an interesting article about the LS6 development team. It goes into some detail about the springs etc, on the last page of the article the development engineer says he recals they valve float at around 6800 to 7000. I find this curious because this is with the lighter LS6 hollow stem valves and stock LS6 lower (.525) lift cam.
Many or most people install these LS6 springs in an application they were not originally designed for, on standard LS1 solid stem valves and with more lift added (often around.550 to .570).
As a result I can't help wonder if earlier valve float is likely to occur in an LS1 unless the aftermarket designer of these cams designs the cam lobes so that they are easier on the springs than the stock LS6 cam was on its springs to avoid valve float before 6800.
The blue line on the dyno graph is with LS6 springs the red line with PAC duals, the blue line was actually 266 rwkw on a loaded dyno (equals @400 rwhp on a dynojet). Although there were other numerous changes also so I can't say it was due to just springs.
I just got runner up at the super Chevy bracket series at wwt raceway this past Saturday. Guess what kind of springs the winner was using? Yep he had them also and was also running a lower lift cam as well. I don't want to gloat or come off like I'm trying to attack anyone on here but I'm tired of ppl knocking the Blue ls6 springs when I know that they work. The LS6 springs and a shmedium lift camshaft are more than adequate for what 99.999% of you guys are trying to do with your cars and trucks I assure you.
I'm not trying to knock any of the tech in here or anything, I'm sure someday when I'm a salaried professional race car driver I'll need a more spring so you all do what you all want, but do any of you guys actually race competitively? Or actually use these cammed setups on a real dailying basis? I mean this thread is about DAILY DRIVER valvesprings. I also happen to deliver PIZZA with my car 200-400 city miles sometimes more every week in St Louis, my setup has been doing that for years, do you Know how hard that is on an engine!? I also bracket race it on the weekend or test and tune on a weeknight shifting at 67-6800 Everytime. So Stop telling ppl ls6 springs are bad or merely adequate. I'm clearing my schedule for the sportsman bracket series for the rest of the season because I've got enough spring to Race on the weekends and drive all week long for years to come with complete OEM reliability.
If you're in a bind, pliers will "work" as a hammer..
Some of us look at valve springs as a "will they work" situation, and some of us look at "will they have full control of the valve train and not allow valve float at high rpm"
Also most of the guys in the threads wanting to keep their springs are putting in new larger cam, on old springs. So a lot of us recommend replacing the springs for valve control, and because springs wear out.
Last edited by 00pooterSS; Jul 24, 2020 at 02:55 PM.
The vast majority of cam companies I've seen require a minimum 130 lbs of seat pressure for an LS1 unless it's near stock. The LS6 springs have 90 lbs on seat. Personally I much prefer lower spring pressures if there is no risk of valve float with a built in safety margin.
I'm guessing the added gain of aggressive lobes and heavier springs might be worth an extra 5 kw to me which I care little about if all my parts are happy not under as much stress.
I wish I kept my original cam and just run the lighter Howards or Crane duals.
Im running 160 lbs on seat now which is 70 lbs more than my previous LS6 springs and about 100 lbs more (280 to 380 lbs) at max lift than I had with an almost identical cam with little or no performance benefit from it, this is just so I can run duals for safety (re avoid dropping a valve)
Checked again the Howard 98113 springs are 403 lbs per inch spring rate., not that light just light on the seat.
