WARNING! Broken valvespring and dropped valve.
WARNING! Broken valvespring and dropped valve. My car suddenly started running VERY BAD throwing codes PO101(MAF sensor) and PO106(MAP sensor). I pulled plugs for a reading and all were fouled sooty black. I swapped out the MAF and MAP sensor beacause of the codes the OBD2 scanner picked up but it did not fix problem. So I decided to take the car to my tuner/mechanic 60 miles away. About 1/2 mile from his shop the car started making a slight tapping noise that got louder and louder. It turned out to be a broken INTAKE valvespring. I drove this car about 60 miles with a broken valvespring and running on seven cylinders BEFORE the tapping began (eventually dropping valve). My MANLEY single coil valve springs (non behive type) had only 20,000 miles on them. My mild cam specs are 224/228, 112 lsa, 570/560 lift.
Everyone be sure to change out your springs OFTEN or this could happen to you. I am looking at maybe (if I am lucky) a $1500.00 repair billed for a car that is still not paid for (5 year GMAC car loan).
Everyone be sure to change out your springs OFTEN or this could happen to you. I am looking at maybe (if I am lucky) a $1500.00 repair billed for a car that is still not paid for (5 year GMAC car loan).
Last edited by gollum; Aug 26, 2006 at 12:15 PM.
20k is early but it can happen.The biggest mistake was driving it to the shop.You had a broken spring and shouldn't driven it. I'm not surprised it was a Manley though,got a ton of broken one's here.
I did not know the spring was broken until it started tapping 1/2 mile away from shop. Next time I will pull the valve covers to check for broken spring if it ever starts skipping again to be sure.
My cams lobes are lazier than the XE-R lobes.
My cams lobes are lazier than the XE-R lobes.
Not XER closer to XE.
And 20,000 miles shouldn't kill a spring with that cam.
Sorry to hear this and thanks for writing this message, hopefully you will help save someone some money one day.
And 20,000 miles shouldn't kill a spring with that cam.
Sorry to hear this and thanks for writing this message, hopefully you will help save someone some money one day.
Yea, the higher positive pressure (low vacuum) in intake manifold from broken spring and leaking INTAKE valve seat caused a bad MAF and MAP sensor reading.
Last edited by gollum; Aug 26, 2006 at 12:15 PM.
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I would also like to add that my local GM service department had the car for two days and could not diagnose the problem. I think they wanted me to trade (give them my car) for a new automobile. I hear car sales are slow.
I've added a picture of my car below
I've added a picture of my car below
Last edited by gollum; Aug 7, 2006 at 09:03 PM.
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Originally Posted by gollum
I did not know the spring was broken until it started tapping 1/2 mile away from shop. Next time I will pull the valve covers to check for broken spring if it ever starts skipping again to be sure.
My cams lobes are lazier than the XE-R lobes.
My cams lobes are lazier than the XE-R lobes.
Sometimes you can catch the problem early by doing a dyno pull.The valves will ussually float at high rpm. I figure your springs were weak then they floated causing the valve to hit the piston and probly broke an outside coil.
I broke a Manley spring almost 3 years ago while running them with my TR224 cam. When I pulled them and pulled the head (a whole other story) all of the intake valves had kissed the pistons due to valve float.
I switched to 918s with the blue stripe and haven't looked back since.
I switched to 918s with the blue stripe and haven't looked back since.
Originally Posted by machinistone
...never have spring failures with isky...
Originally Posted by SuperSam
Hopefully the valve didn't drop into the block. That would be disasterous for you're pistons and block. Good Luck.
Finally got my car repaired and out of shop, cost was $830.00. The only damage was a slightly bent intake valve. Head and piston was OK and reused but intake valve and valvespring on #6 cylinder was replaced. I thought the damage was going to be worse because of the loud tapping engine was making.
On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 160
Likes: 0
From: Cooper City, FL
Just had a very similar situation with some questionable valve springs. I got them from scoggin dickey as a set with their manley ti retainers, any one know if these were Manley springs? They just came in a white box. I lost three cylinders at once, broke the #5 int. spring trying to drive it to work... Just a little 02 LS6 cam... hasnt been beaten on for months, not sprayed in almost a year. Springs had only 30,000 mi. on them, hmmmmm...
same thing happened to me earlier this year. i was driving home from the gf's place going about 35 mph. ses started flashing about 1 mile before i got home. one of the springs in #3 broke. luckily it didn't drop into the cylinder. i run manley single with gt2-3 cam.