02BlackFirehawk

I've searched and searched and I can't find a valve spring shim for the .880 diameter valve seat for the beehives springs. My heads were machined to fit a 1.900 installed height double valve spring and I recently swapped them w/ a set of PAC 1218's. Well I have been through hell trying to get the 1218's at the 1.80" installed height, I put shims underneath the seat to bring them up but all that does is push the seat up so the seal doen't sit all the way down onto the guide. So i need a shim that fits ontop of the seat instead. Anybody know of any shims that have at least a .885" ID? Thanks in advanced for your help.

JPH

iTrader: (2)

How thick is your locator/seat now and what's it's O.D.?

02BlackFirehawk

I'm not quite sure, i'd have to mic it but at the moment i'm about 10 miles away from my shop. But my brother is at the shop, i'll get him to Mic them for me.

He says the height of the seat where the spring sits is a .058 and the OD is a 1.303.

So with the measurment in hand I used my valve spring mic and mic'ed it to be a 1.890 w/ the seat installed. I don't have the double springs because I sold them to a friend.

JPH

iTrader: (2)

who's heads DART? Yeah it looks like you need atleast a .090 worth of shims. Whats the diameter of the spring pocket also?

02BlackFirehawk

cats out the bag... Ported LT4's Eric Bradby did them for a friend of mine and the friend got out of the racing scene and i'm left w/ the headaches of them. I know this is a LS1 tech section but more LSx engines use the beehives/PAC springs due to they were orignally made for them. I'm just looking for a .885 ID shim set that fit the bottom seat. Any suggestions? I put the .090 shims under the seat and they fit lose on the guide but won't fit overtop of the seat. Plus, my guide diameter is a .562 and its impossible to find a seal that works w/ them. I've been stretching a .531 diameter so far but the .090 in shims won't let the seal sit down all the way onto the guide. So I need the .090 to be made up in shims to sit down on top of the seat.

JPH

iTrader: (2)

gotcha. Why don't you just cut the guide down? I never put a shim on top of a locator/seat, it will wanna dance/move around on you. I will keep looking for you in me books man, and see what I find.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Not familiar with the LT head, but having said that, will the newer style seat/seal fit? When I shimmed my beehives, they sat on top of the seat/seal. They were Comp shims. I can get the part number if you need them. You can see them in the various stages of installation below.

02BlackFirehawk

I would cut the retainer but as **** as I am about metal/dust/dirt then the heads would definatly have to be taken off the car. And I would almost rather pull the motor out than try to take the heads off of the motor being that its fully studded, its going to be a fight

Vettenuts, if you can get me a part number I can see if the ID of the shims will work the OD of the seat where the spring sits onto.

But I really appreciate both of your replies. I am at a dead end with this mess

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

The ones I used are the top three on the list, 0.015", 0.030" and 0.060" thick shims. They look to be slightly small on the ID though. Wonder if you can open them at all on a drill press. Won't take much. Notice also there is a kit that includes all three thickness in the kit section.

Also, have you considered an offset retainer to bring the top of the spring down?

02BlackFirehawk

very good points, i'll check into that. I'm quite the fabricator of metal and i'm sure I can just touch them up a tad bit. Thanks for the help

JPH

iTrader: (2)

use a -.050 lock like a comp #630-16 (10* degree stuff though) or a crane #99073-1 (10*) or #99088-1 (7*)