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How often are people checking their aftermarket valve springs on track cars?
I'm running a TSP 228r with the PAC springs. Very low mileage with about 8 HPDEs over four years.
Are the "on motor" testers any good? Currently I don't have any spring tester but have access to a Tinius Olsen where I can plot the stress / strain over the whole length of travel. I don't have it in my garage so all the springs would have to come out at once and I don't know how to do it w/o dropping a valve in the motor (guess I could put the original springs back on).
If you look at the cost of a set of springs versus the amount of time you are going to spend, you will realize that it's just more cost effective and cheap insurance to replace them. My car is race only, 5-6 event weekends a year and I replace them annually. Despite that I still bent a valve last year when a blown diff caused an over rev.
Think about this....what if just one of those springs tests low? I somehow don't think anyone is selling you one spring (unless you are going with stock GM beehive springs).
If you purchase the correct tooling (about $100.00) you can do them one at a time with ease. Brian Tooley Racing has the tool available.
Thats a good idea. I'll get a second set for the car. I'll pull the current set and check them on the Tinius. If they're good, They'll go back in next year and I'll pull / check the second set.
Unfortunately, there isn't much thats going to help when you over-rev!
Originally Posted by Hi Volts Z06
If you look at the cost of a set of springs versus the amount of time you are going to spend, you will realize that it's just more cost effective and cheap insurance to replace them. My car is race only, 5-6 event weekends a year and I replace them annually. Despite that I still bent a valve last year when a blown diff caused an over rev.
Think about this....what if just one of those springs tests low? I somehow don't think anyone is selling you one spring (unless you are going with stock GM beehive springs).
If you purchase the correct tooling (about $100.00) you can do them one at a time with ease. Brian Tooley Racing has the tool available.
The current technology dates back to a small company in Michigan know as Performance Springs Inc. Steve Bown and Larry Luchi recognized that most high rpm engine failures are associated with inclusions within the steel used for the valve springs. Other companies knew this but they never instituted the appropriate manufacturing procedures. Bown and Luchi simply took the time and set new quality control standards for the manufacturing of valve springs.
The standard for valve springs has been Japanese Kobe steel but there has been a real revolution in materials recently. VIMVARVAR (vacuum induction melted twice vacuum arc re-melted) valve spring steel produced in Pennsylvania is currently an alternative to the Kobe steel that’s produced in Japan.
You might want to give some thought to upgrading the entire valve train.Pushrods are one improvement that won't cost a huge amount of money. The goal is valve train stability.
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Valve Spring Testing
