qwiketz

Hi guys. As most of you know, I have a 383 that was built in 1998 by a shop for the original owner of my car. I believe it is using the hot cam kit or something similar(I don't have the build blueprint sheet or cam card). This was built 24,000 miles ago. Would it be worth while switching to newer technology valve springs? How do I know which ones to use if I don't know the exact specs on the current ones when they were new, nor do I know the cam specs?

Now that I'm running more boost, I'm thinking that I might be leaving some power on the table by the possibility of using worn out valve springs. Also, I'm thinking that newer style springs might make the motor more stable and run better at higher rpm. Higher rpm works great with my ysi trim.

What do you guys think? How should I approach this?

Z28Roxy

iTrader: (4)

You need a lot of seat pressure on your springs with boost.

WARDOG

Of course it would be worth it. Imagine if one of those springs brakes on you. A new set of patriot gold dual springs would be cheap insurance. Specially if you are running more boost. Good luck ......

Z28Roxy

iTrader: (4)

Hm that depends if the heads he's using have the right spring pockets for those springs.

I have trick flows and got a set of k motions - not sure the exact specs. The patriot golds aren't really that great of a boost spring, IIRC (not knocking them, they're good for NA) but as I recall they didn't have the ton of seat pressure that boosted cars need.

qwiketz

I looked at the comp beehive 26918's and they have 125lbs. The next one up that I saw in my quick glance at their online catalog had 150-155lbs of seat pressure. Would that be too much? They weren't beehive springs either. Do they make a beehive with more than 125lbs of seated pressure?

How much seated pressure should I be looking for with 15-17lbs of boost?

Z28Roxy

iTrader: (4)

This might be worth noting:


I would also make sure the springs have about 165-170 lbs of seat pressure for that much boost and aggressive lobes. I would use a lobe with a slower ramp speed and make sure it remains stable under high boost.

http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/show...1&postcount=16

The ones I got for my setup which is going to be more like 10 psi are also something like 160 lbs of seat pressure. More won't hurt. I'd definitely get at least the 150-155 pound set.

The theoretical idea behind it is that the boost is putting pressure on the intake valve, keeping it open. And if you have (for example) a 2.02 inch intake valve, that means a radius of 1.01 inches, and from high school math class that means your valve is ~3.20 square inches. If you're running 17 psi that's 55 pounds of seat pressure...... just for the boost.... let alone what you would need NA.