Hi All,

My son just got a set of 918 springs and titanium retainers off E-Bay and the retainers sit on the springs rather strangely. It looks like there's a step between the top coil and the bottom of the retainer - almost as if the retainers are made for a double spring. Unfortunately, the retainers didn't come with a part number.

My first question is: is it supposed to fit this way?

Second, these are going on a set of DART iron eagle (GEN I) heads, so what locks do we need?

TIA!

Russ

 

You need to take them to an engine shop and let them look at them. If the first or second step is interferring with the spring then they will not work. Also beware the first round of Ti-Retainers have come in from China and the angles are not correct in the lock area so this will lead to a dropped valve.

 

The first step fits inside the top coil of the spring with a few thou's of radial clearance, the second step fits above the spring and appears to have a vertical gap of .080" to .100" or so between it and the top spring coil.

Hadn't heard about the "Chinese" retainers...

Does anyone know the part number for the keepers that will allow this retainer (ASSuming it's the #772) to properly interface with an early style SBC valvestem?

Thanks!

Russ

 

Got pix!

My concern is the retainer locating on the spring via the bottom step. Notice the gap between the retainer and spring. Radially it fits OK though, maybe 0.030" slop...

Any ideas on who's retainers these are?

Russ

 

That's def. not what mine look like.. My comp Ti's fit nice and snug, down into the 918's. Mine have no 2nd step. I'm wondering if those are desgined for double springs. No way I would use those as is. Probably throw off your seat loading numbers, amongst other things.

 

Holy crap, don't use those... that retainer is obviously made for a different spring.

 

That's the wrong retainer for those springs. Looks to me like what you have is a set of small block Chevy single wire 1.250" retainers.

The spring must snap into onto any retainer. In other words, the inside diameter of the valve spring is slightly larger than the outside diameter of that step on the retainer. Otherwise the retainer will quickly wear from sliding around on the spring.

Give Comp a call with the dimensions of your springs. They will get you the correct retainers.

Steve