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XE-R lobes and spring life..

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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 10:02 AM
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Default XE-R lobes and spring life..

whats the life expectancy of valvesprings when using a XE-R lobe profile?

the reason i ask is im looking at cam options, but my car is a daily driver.. i plan to put thousands upon thousands of miles on her, and 8months from now(or even 2 years), i dont want valve spring failure from a too aggressive lobe profile..

ive tried doing searches on this, but i cant seem to narrow it down enough to be useful... im no internet noob, but i cant seem to find what im looking for.

help?
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 10:41 AM
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XE-R are extreme energy RACE. So the valvetrain takes a beating. It all depends on what kind of springs you use.
You'll have to check them and measure their seat pressures once a year or 15K.(or when you suspect float).
that doesn't mean you'll change them but it is part of routine maintenance with aftermarket ramp rates.
I have 918's on a 224/220 XE-R and after 6.5K, no problems. I'll check them after another 4/5 K's.
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 10:57 AM
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yea, i know they're ment to be race lobes... thats why im asking

thing is, everyone making/selling off the shelf grinds seem to be using thoes... and id prefer to not pay more for a "custom grind", only to make less power, if i could use that profile without issue....
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 11:33 AM
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wrong answer...it's extreme energy ramp...not race. Comp has put over 600 dyno pulls on large XER lobes on 918 springs without any problems. I personally only run 918 springs. 234/242 .598/.610...daily driven
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 12:09 PM
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Race ramps? LOL
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by PREDATOR-Z
Race ramps? LOL
Sounds like we have a modern equivalent the old "3/4 Race Cam"...
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 12:57 PM
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wtf? race ramps? I'm just telling you it stands for Xtreme Energy Ramp. You know..the "ramp" rate of the camshaft
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Unaffiliated Racing
wtf? race ramps? I'm just telling you it stands for Xtreme Energy Ramp. You know..the "ramp" rate of the camshaft
Predator is very knowledgable when it comes to cams and valvetrain, he's just messin with you. Race and ramps share enough letters to make me happy.
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 04:44 PM
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Default Valvespring Life

The life of valvesprings will be dependent on a lot of things . Do you plan on turning high rpm's ? Are you using stock valves ? Stainless valves from most manufacturers are heavier . What type of rockers are you using ? And for the BIG ONE how do you drive ? Your springs can live for a while or you can kill em in 2k miles . Once you know your setup you can make the right decision . I chose PSI .
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Old Dec 22, 2004 | 07:05 PM
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I didn't want XER lobes on my cam either. I prefer a few less ponies on the high end, but have a longer spring life. That's why I went with Futral cam. They use cam motion grinds. Rates are not as agressive as XER's.....give them a call..
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 01:22 PM
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i believe tsp uses less ramp rate on there cams than xe-r as well...
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 03:39 PM
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Originally Posted by AdamSS
I didn't want XER lobes on my cam either. I prefer a few less ponies on the high end, but have a longer spring life. That's why I went with Futral cam. They use cam motion grinds. Rates are not as agressive as XER's.....give them a call..
An XER lobe is not going to make any more power on the top end versus a traditional lobe of the same lift and duration. With the more agressive ramp rate, an XER will make more midrange power, since it gives you more lift, sooner.

Originally Posted by nitrousfed
i believe tsp uses less ramp rate on there cams than xe-r as well...
That depends. The 231/237 is ground by Lunati, and is a less agressive lobe pattern. The Torquer is ground by Comp, and it is an XER lobe cam.
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Old Dec 23, 2004 | 07:43 PM
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If you are driving your car on a daily basis, a conservative grind is probably best. You can always upgrade your cam as you work towards a dedicated or limited use street/track car.

Nevertheless, to do all of this, most of us need to work. Terrible, but true. Most bosses don't give a damn about why your car is down because of valve spring life or failures. I'm a boss and as much as I hate it, the company has no sympathy for the young ricers who blow their motors up using Nitrous and FI on the weekend. The same applies for us old farts.
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