sitting 5 years
Racer
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
From: St. Rose LA
Somone told me that the valve springs would hold a slight compress, which could cause valve float at high rpm. Is this possible? I thought they would "spring" back open after being compressed for so long? 
Pro
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 550
Likes: 2
From: smithfield nc usa 27577
Many motors have them in use for a long time.
I did have a 63 vette motor that spun a bearing in the bottom end ....went thru it but didnt touch the heads.
The motor ate a few cams,lifters and the valves would not stay adjusted.
After the 3rd cam ....we pulled the heads....a few of the springs were soft enough to allow hi rpm valve float ...at low rpm.
Replaced the springs and all was well....they should not have been weak,because the motor was turned off right away,when it made noise and it didnt get very hot.....
I have friends that race (old nascar guys)and guys that build engines all the time....we could not find the problem.
In the end an old accountant that ran small block dragsters thru the 60s heard the details...and said he had seen it once before....solved the problem....without even seeing the car.
