Hi everyone, Here's my problem: Ever since i got my new engine in, it's had a "tick" on the drivers side. I always assumed it was an exhaust tick...but after replacing the exhaust gaskets (all of them), it's still there. I also get an intermittent "pop" out the drivers side exhaust. Hooking the engine up to a vacuum gauge shows what i believe to be a weak spring, or possibly just sticky valves (on an engine with less than 5,000 miles?). I decided to try and cure the latter with some Rislone oil additive, but that didn't do the trick. I'm assuming now that it is what it originally looked like--a weak spring. (Lifters and cam are new, so i doubt that could be the problem). So here's what i did....i ordered some valve springs from Summit, they are the Edelbrock "Sure Seat" springs for their Performer RPM/Torker cams. I haven't put them in yet! But my question is: I bought the better springs because sometime this summer i would like to put a higher stall converter and the RPM cam in. However, for right now, i only have a cam comparable to the performer cam (204/214 with .450 lift). The springs have a listed tension of 110-120lbs of seat pressure. So my question is, what will happen if i put these springs in my car as it is now? And do i HAVE to get the edelbrock retainers to avoid damaging my engine, or are they just a little extra security? (The guy on the Edelbrock hotline said "he would" use the retainers). Thanks for any help you can offer!
spring has sprung Well if you're using the #5722 springs they'll work fine. Just make sure and install them at the 1.77" height and not the 1.66" height. This will change both the open/closed spring pressure. If I remember right, the 5822 is a single spring & the 5722 is a dual spring setup. This is why they use different retainers and the retainer adjusts for the different height requirement. Since you're probably looking for a higher rev limit with the RPM cam I'd use titanuim retainers from Chet Herbert Racing. They're lighter, stronger so you rev just a little faster and the actually have about a 300 rpm higher float limit because they are lighter. And from CH they don't cost so much.
Thanks for the response, RickyRacer! They are the 5722 springs. I'm not sure if they're single or double--they're to be delivered tomorrow--but the book says nothing about a double spring. We'll see... These are to be used on a set of 1970 351W heads, so to install them at the 1.77" height i just need to get the edelbrock retainers and maybe get some nice locks like you were talking about. Sounds good! Thank you!
Springs etc. Just reading your post and was wondering if you had isolated the noise to a particular cylinder before ordering springs. Were the heads redone as was the engine? The cam mfg. most often will give you the installed hieght of a matching spring on the spec sheet with the cam. Unless you are into high rpm racing etc. these specs are what the cam grinders have tested and recommended for that grind for normal use. Are the 351 heads on your engine now? Setting the installed heighth with them on the engine is a little more time consuming(air to hold valves up and spring compressor etc.) Must measure distance from spring seat on head to bottom of retainer and add shims under spring to obtain correct heighth. Usually use of small dummy spring and heighth gage is the norm but can use a dial caliper also. Have found some 351 head applications where different length push rods are needed depending on cam lift and rocker arm geometry. Several people have the same noise you do for this reason and also if using the stock rail rockers have found a single tick noise was due to a worn rocker pivot seat and or tip. Valve springs are the most overlooked item on an engine. On my race engine(302) they are checked for proper tension every few race meets and changed when they fall below the specified allowance. I hope this not to confusing for you but to many times money and time is spent on things that never really improve performance for one reason or another. Pull the valve cover on the noisey side and see if you can find the culprit. New stuff can also be defective like lifters etc. One more thing if the new cam was installed and not broken in immediately like the mfg. recommends, a flat lobe could result etc. Sorry to ramble on but these are all things I learned about the hard way and paid dearly for.
What about lifters? I had a lifter start to tick on my old 302, and 6 months later, I was out a cylinder. I replaced the lifters, and that shut it up. I don't remember if the 302 is hydraulic or solid, Hydraulic if I remember right, might want to try a bottle or two of lifter silencer. I just finished an excruciating 4 month head gasket redo on a 94 bird, and by the time I finished, I had a wonderful "tick" that bottle of silencer shut it up.
