spudnick3119

My dad picked up his own TA (LE2 heads, LE1.2 cam) a few months ago and the car ran great. It needed a fuel pump and since we replaced that everything was OK until two days ago. Coming home he heard a tapping noise from the passenger side of the engine, specifically toward the #2 cylinder. He couldn't pinpoint it, so we started it up today (my first time hearing it run since the noise) and the noise wasn't there. There is definitely a miss, the car hesitates to pick up rpms. When he was backing the car into the garage, it was smoking pretty bad out of the exhaust. We got the passenger valve cover off and could only find this out of place:




The exhaust side retainer looks like it jumped off the center of the spring, none of the other springs look like this. The springs are Comp 918s, not too sure what retainers, etc. Does this look normal for beehives, I'm definitely not familiar with them? We're going to be taking the rocker and spring off regardless and checking to make sure everything is OK, but I don't think this is normal and am looking for opinions.

speed_demon24

iTrader: (6)

Hard to tell from the angles of the pics but it looks more serious than a valvespring.

bigj2717

iTrader: (15)

Yeah it does look worse then the spring. It almost looks like the valve is bent

WS Sick

The valve is bent.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

+1 for a bent valve. Off centered retainer isn't the problem, its the result.

speed_demon24

iTrader: (6)

I was thinking more like this but worse.

SoxXpupPeT

iTrader: (34)

damn thats not good. like everyones said, its probably a bad valve.. pop the rockers and springs off and see what you find. GL

spudnick3119

Thanks for the replies, we were talking about it being a bent valve earlier today. What exactly causes this to happen? Improper adjustment of the rocker?

I'll definitely post pics when we get the rocker and spring off.

speed_demon24

iTrader: (6)

A bad guide would let oil in which would explain the smoking. I thought most valves bend below the guide but I could be wrong, and the valve would still have to smack the piston for that to happen which is very unlikely unless there was a huge over rev or broken spring.

ws6t3rror

iTrader: (3)

You sure the top coil isn't snapped off of that spring? Hard to tell from the angle of the photos. Certainly wouldn't be the first one to have that problem.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Bingo. Top coil is busted on the beehive spring. I have seen this far to many times.

speed_demon24

iTrader: (6)

That still doesn't explain the excessive smoke, and the valve guides should hold the valve straight up and down regardless of a broken top coil. Hopefully I'm wrong and that's all it is.

spudnick3119

Took the rocker and spring off and here is what we found:




The valve and the guide appear to be OK, no excessive wobble, moves freely up and down.

94Aquaformula

iTrader: (28)

I just got done breaking 2 manley nextec valve springs...there just like the beehives...I also bent a valve, and I would put money on it that you did also. I would throw all those springs away and get patriot gold extremes. I did and car hasn't had a problem..btw I also have le2s

whytryz28

iTrader: (28)

New springs now

whytryz28

iTrader: (28)

fixed

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

Keep throwing springs at it, that wont fix the root cause of the problem.

speed_demon24(when he had LE2 stuff) and wrd1972 both had the same issues.
speed_demon24 changed heads and cam to fix it.
wrd1972 got off lucky just needing like 3 sets of springs and a new cam.

Can you see a trend here?

spudnick3119

So what trend am I supposed to be seeing here? What do you think the main issue is with these same springs that keep breaking?

speed_demon24

iTrader: (6)

How many miles were on the springs?

spudnick3119

Uncertain for sure but we think around 10K. We do not think the valve is bent it just appeared bent when the spring broke and shifted on the retainer.