[Z06] Need Valve Springs
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 74
From: Jacksonville Fl.
Need Valve Springs
I have a 04 Z06/Z16 with 3000 miles on it, I was told today that I needed new valve springs because the car was peaking HP @ 5500 RPM, I've been told that it is usually caused by over reving, I maybe have hit the rev limiter 5 times max while shifting too late, has anybody else had this problem or ever heard of it happening with this little miles on the car ? This was discovered while the car was being tuned and dynoed. Thanks in advance for any input 
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 215
Likes: 0
From: Granbury TX
Are you hearing any valve clatter at high rpm's?
Is it backfiring at high rpm??
If not then I doubt you need valve springs.
You could always take one off and take it to any motor shop and have them test them.
If anything, buying valve springs now wont help you if you plan on putting a cam in, because your most likely gonna need different ones anyways.
So if your thinking about putting in valve springs you might as well get a cam and do it all at once IMO.
Is it backfiring at high rpm??
If not then I doubt you need valve springs.
You could always take one off and take it to any motor shop and have them test them.
If anything, buying valve springs now wont help you if you plan on putting a cam in, because your most likely gonna need different ones anyways.
So if your thinking about putting in valve springs you might as well get a cam and do it all at once IMO.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 74
From: Jacksonville Fl.
I'ld rather not say who is doing the tuning at this point, but the car ran like a scalded dog before, she ran a best of 12.40 @ 117. at the track, the whole purpose of the tune was to add a 150 shot of nitrous safely,and also I wanted it tuned and dynoed because I added a Halltech and the Borla exhaust, so I had them do the LS1 edit to maximize the bolt ons, so needless to say I was floored when they called me and told me the 150 shot was only adding about 120 HP and that I needed to drop down to a 100 shot to be safe, so I said okay, then I got the call about the valve springs, and of course they also said that if I changed the valve springs I could safely run the 150 shot, and the "only" reason I'm going the nitrous road is so I can a little extra kick on the top end to put me in the 11's without putting to much stress on the rear suspension by doing a monster launch, so I'm thinking I can do a "good" launch and come on strong on the top end, so anyway thats the story, didnt know if anybody has had a similar problem...This is turning into a nightmare
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 74
From: Jacksonville Fl.
I was told by another reputable tuner that if the rev limiter was reset higher then the normal 6500, the motor could have been overreved and frying the springs !!!! Has this happened to anyone else ?
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Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 6
From: Melbourne FL
Originally Posted by TopSpeedNeed
I was told by another reputable tuner that if the rev limiter was reset higher then the normal 6500, the motor could have been overreved and frying the springs !!!! Has this happened to anyone else ?
Overreving the engine is really not the cause for spring wear. As the engine can easily be overreved with a manual transmission without resetting the rev limiter. Just cruise down the highway at 80 mph and drop it into first gear. I guarantee you the engine will overrev under this situation.
Not sure what you've done as far as engine work. But, if it's stock; I'd put it back together and take it to the dealer and have the springs replaced under waranty. Or pull a couple springs out and take them to a machine shop and have the spring pressures checked.
Best of luck with getting it sorted out.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 74
From: Jacksonville Fl.
I've taken it to the track twice, and I've had the car right at a year, and only put 3000 miles on it, point being, I've waited 20 years to buy my first brand new corvette, and even better it being the Z16 package, so I'm really proud of it and take extremely good care of it, almost in a eccentric manner, so autocrossing it is out of the question just because of the abuse, so in short I cant see how it could've been anything I did, although I've hit the rev limiter, but only at the track, but it was only for a second obviously while shifting, not missing a gear, I've told the tuner to go ahead and change them, only because he is 250 miles away and I'm kind of stuck and have to trust him, but I will have them tested as soon as I get my car back, and will keep everyone posted as to the outcome.. PS, the only mods to the car is a Hallteck and Borla exhaust.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,411
Likes: 2
From: N Carolina 08 Z51 Coupe
Sorry, I think you made a mistake. You should have taken the car to a GM dealer and had it checked out under warranty. As long as you didn't have the NOS installed on your car, you were fine for warranty work. If it even needs it. This whole thing sounds like BS to me.
I also think that 250 miles is not far enough away to consider it an inconvenience. IMHO.
Good luck in getting it all resolved.
mike
I also think that 250 miles is not far enough away to consider it an inconvenience. IMHO.
Good luck in getting it all resolved.
mike
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 74
From: Jacksonville Fl.
A new "Twist"
Well the reason I have not just went and picked the car up is because the car was 95 % done when they discovered the "valve spring" problem, so the best I could do was either let them do the valve springs and prove everyone wrong, or go pick up the car 95 % done and have to pay them for a car the runs worse then when I took it in! But the new twist is they can't get the window switch to work properly, they've gone through 3 window switches, saying all three were defective, and now trying another new msd window switch...Supposedly the switch activates at 3000 rpm like its supposed but becomes irratic between 4000 and 6000 RPM...I shudder to think the amount of abuse the car is taking while they are trying to get all this working correctly 