FEAR THE LS1

iTrader: (1)

What are the symptoms of a broken spring? Is there a certain noise?

Is there different levels of a broken spring? Also can you still drive your car or would you be dead in the water?

I've already got upgraded springs right now, they are supposedly rated for up to a .600 lift cam. I'm installing my TR244/112 cam this week, I'm just curious if someday I bust a spring, I'll know what the symptons are, etc..

Thanks.

DenzSS

If you have a broken spring, you'll know it really quick. The car will run like crap and if you ATAP it you will have a consistent misfire on the cylinder with the broken spring.

It will be way down on power and idle like it is full of ball bearings.

The only way to really know if it is a broken spring (unless it is laying in pieces--if it is, you may have larger problems) is to grab a valvespring compressor and take off all the springs and examine them. The last time I saw a broken spring, you couldn't tell that it was broken until you uncompressed it and pulled it. A 941 broke the outer spring, clean break, but you couldn't see it. Nor did it move around or spin.

BTW--if you have a broken spring, don't drive it. There are only two states a spring can be in. Broken and unbroken.

What springs do you have? If they are Comp 941's, change them when you do the cam. A buddy of mine broke a 941 with his TR224. No problems so far with the 918s we installed.

<small>[ July 22, 2002, 03:55 PM: Message edited by: DenzSS ]</small>

FEAR THE LS1

iTrader: (1)

I have the SLP Valve Springs:

LS1 1.250" Performance Valve Spring Set

Designed for camshafts with increased lift up to .600", these chrome silicone springs will allow higher RPM's due to their increased spring rate. When used with our matching chrome moly retainers these valve springs require no head machining to install. Unlike the factory LS1 "beehive" style, SLP's performance valve spring feature a 1.250" straight coil design.

Spring Specs:
105 - 115lbs. @ 1.800"
310 - 340lbs. @ 1.200"

These should handle the TR224 with no probs right?

ls1290

iTrader: (20)

With my experience, if there are piece(s) missing, then the spring is broken <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> Lucky for me, the piece when to the bottum of the oil pan where I could remove it.

JimMueller

iTrader: (9)

Never heard of a valvespring rotating by hand while installed.

The care will be hard to start, if it starts at all. It will want to die very quickly. Throttle response will be down. Won't accelerate very quickly.

I broke 3-4 REV 3115 springs after ~22K miles, 100+ 1/4mi passes (~2 years), and they all failed within the last ~1000 miles. They all stayed relatively intact for a few days until we could replace them individually with new springs (same model). The last spring I drove about 5 days. 20 hours before the entire set was supposed to be replaced it ate the rocker arm, bent/broke both valves in that cylinder, breaking off a valvehead in the piston. That turned a $400 job into a $3K job. This happened last fall, and I've never received any sort of warranty from my installer. He now advertises one, but I've never been offered a warranty of any sort. That's why I'll be picking a proven MTI package if I ever have the opportunity. Simply because I want a written warranty from a vendor which will stand behind their labor and parts selection. Looks like Mike Morgan( different tuner) has changed their policy so that it's up to the customer to pick their valvesprings - apparently so that MMS isn't held liable for recommendations.

At the time this happened I chose to use the same REV 3115's again since I was familiar with them, and everyone was having problems with the 941's, and the 918's were very new or weren't released yet.

About a month ago (9 months, 3 3Kmi roadtrips, maybe 10 1/4mi passes), I officially put another ~20K miles on these new REV 3115's, and I broke exhaust #3 in BFE Illinois on a roadtrip. I stayed a few days in a hotel and ended up having the dealer replace all of them with 918's & stock retainers. But, I have a slightly tweaked exhaust valve on #3. I suspect the guide, seal and valve will need to be replaced (in August). Hopefully not much patchwork on the head itself.

I am just so sick of broken valvesprings....my lift is only 527/535 too, and the previous cam was 523/530. The valvesprings are the only problem I've had with my 3-year old H/C install which weren't caused by trying to compress water. Doh.

<small>[ July 24, 2002, 12:09 AM: Message edited by: JimMueller ]</small>

camss

Here's what a broken spring sounds like...

<img border="0" alt="[whiner]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cry.gif" />

Mine let go just before a run on the dyno - thank gawd it did't snap at 6000 rpms... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />

davidkmkmkm

I have a 2014 jeep grand cherooke , very time I start the engine it idles then it shut down , mechanic toke it part he said it’s broken valve spring needs to be replace ok . Then he said may not fix the problem if the the valve intake dose push up while am replacing the valve spring it means you need a new engine ? My question is this information true ? Plus would a valve spring bend the valve intake ?

G Atsma

You're dealing with an overhead cam engine. This is a GM LS engine forum, and these engines are cam in block with pushrod activated valves via rocker arms.
Having said all that, your picture does not show very much. The thing to do now is pull the head off and see what the damage is and go from there.

davidkmkmkm

hi thanks for your reply : if you can’t look closer on the photo you can see the valve spring is out of line the spring is not in correct order , also we did a pressure test on that spark plug 3 and it gave us a 0 PSI with a miss fire code . Hope that help

G Atsma

OK. Take it apart and see what is going on.

RB04Av

Visit a Jeep forum instead of a GM LSx forum. Maybe someone there will be more familiar with your particular engine. You won't find much of that here.

Che70velle

iTrader: (6)

20 years and 3 months….I digress.

LilJayV10

iTrader: (39)

I need closure dammit!

grinder11

iTrader: (1)

Pun intended w/broken spring??!!

grinder11

iTrader: (1)

Not to sound like Lenny Kravitz, but...
What I really want to know is.......
How did this one get by Gary????!!!

G Atsma

It didn't. See posts #10 & #8...... LOL!

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for posting and sharing your experiences with broken valve springs. There's still some of us around PaTROLLING these old outdated threads.. I feel what you posted was relevant even though it had nothing to do with an LS engine. To answer your question can a valve stem bend the intake valve? The answer yes a weak spring could cause the valve to hang and the piston ends up hitting the valve and this is what causes it to bend.

grinder11

iTrader: (1)

Many times a broken spring will make a loud WHACK-WHACK sound as it opens/closes. I also broke a REV Valve spring, a dual spring on my AFR 225 cathedrals. Didn't help AFR set them up with installed height of 1.700", when 1.800" was the right spec!!!! Mine broke with less than 300 miles on the motor, because I was breaking in a $12,000 engine, and was gingerly leaving a stop sign, maybe 2,500 rpm as my 4L60E shifted to 2nd gear. Only spring I ever broke.....