[Z06] Valve Springs Preventive Replacement?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 4
From: Palo Alto CA
Valve Springs Preventive Replacement?
So every few weeks I read about a C5Z that breaks a valve spring. I know a few guys are replacing theirs as preventive maintenance. I am curious how common these fail, and is this something that really needs to be replaced in advance on a stock car? How commonly do these fail?
What are people's stance on this?
What are people's stance on this?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,532
Likes: 79
From: pueblo co
So every few weeks I read about a C5Z that breaks a valve spring. I know a few guys are replacing theirs as preventive maintenance. I am curious how common these fail, and is this something that really needs to be replaced in advance on a stock car? How commonly do these fail?
What are people's stance on this?
What are people's stance on this?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 4
From: Palo Alto CA
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 78
From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
Springs can be had for $200. Add new gaskets for the valve covers, use of a tool to compress the springs and an afternoon. Maybe $300 or so depending on the springs...Shops charge $100-120 or so an hour, figure 3-4 hours book would be my guess.
If I had gotten an earlier car I would have changed them, but '04's are safe from what I know...
If I had gotten an earlier car I would have changed them, but '04's are safe from what I know...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,355
Likes: 113
From: Los Angeles
This is a good replacement spring for the stock cam: http://www.texas-speed.com/p-439-pac...ve-spring.aspx
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 35,874
Likes: 1,600
From: Honolulu HI
This is a good replacement spring for the stock cam: http://www.texas-speed.com/p-439-pac...ve-spring.aspx
PAC springs have a great reputation.
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 16,135
Likes: 5
From: Newberry FL
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
I have swapped springs several times and it really is not that bad a job. I have a spring compressing tool, that acts as a rocker arm and I compress it, have a buddy use my magnet, grab the retainers and swap it out. I have it down to a science now and can do a how set, and have it all buttoned up in about 2.5 hours and running. As long as the hose I use doesn't give me troubles when I am ensuring air is being put into the cylinder to hold up the valves. I run COMP 918s on my stock setup, no issues. COMP had a short stretch of quality issues/concerns, but they since got that fixed. Honestly, for the price and the time it takes to do it, I would just do it and continue driving without having to worry to much about the concerns you are having.
- Micah
- Micah
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 323
Likes: 9
In my research of these cars, it happened often enough to make me decide if i bought one in the affected years, i would have it done, unless the current owner had a receipt showing it had already been done.
The car i ended up buying was a 01 though, and they did not have that problem, due (i think) to a cam with less lift.
The car i ended up buying was a 01 though, and they did not have that problem, due (i think) to a cam with less lift.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,484
Likes: 27
From: Torrance Calif
Getting ready to do mine and for more "peace of mind", am going to do this also:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...2-and-ls3.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...2-and-ls3.html
Racer
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 330
Likes: 3
I have swapped springs several times and it really is not that bad a job. I have a spring compressing tool, that acts as a rocker arm and I compress it, have a buddy use my magnet, grab the retainers and swap it out. I have it down to a science now and can do a how set, and have it all buttoned up in about 2.5 hours and running. As long as the hose I use doesn't give me troubles when I am ensuring air is being put into the cylinder to hold up the valves. I run COMP 918s on my stock setup, no issues. COMP had a short stretch of quality issues/concerns, but they since got that fixed. Honestly, for the price and the time it takes to do it, I would just do it and continue driving without having to worry to much about the concerns you are having.
- Micah
- Micah
If you get a wicked strong rare-earth magnet like the ones you take out of computer hard drives, you can stick it on the valve stem and it will catch the retainers every time.
If anybody has had it done at a shop, it would be interesting to hear what they charged.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,955
Likes: 161
From: PNW
Getting ready to do mine and for more "peace of mind", am going to do this also:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...2-and-ls3.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...2-and-ls3.html
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 4
From: Palo Alto CA
I just asked this question of Rich ( richierichz06 on the forums ) who works at Able Chevrolet which is a shop that specializes in Corvettes. I drive 200 miles to get my car serviced by them. He is also a prior owner of a C5 Z06 and current owner of a C6 Z06. He said that in all of his years of working at Able and at another Chevrolet dealer, he has seen a single valve spring failure ever. He said he works on countless race cars, etc...and only one failed ever. He said he didn't want to tell me not to swap them out just in case they did fail, but his attitude is that the failure rate is maybe 1 on 2,500 cars.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,393
Likes: 17
From: Belleville Mich.
They don't even make the LS6 motor any more.
If that motor blows over something as simple as a v/spring replacement,
your going to kick yourself.
Get your A-- down to a shop, if you can't do this simple job & have your springs replaced.
From one 03 Z owner to another.
If that motor blows over something as simple as a v/spring replacement,
your going to kick yourself.
Get your A-- down to a shop, if you can't do this simple job & have your springs replaced.
From one 03 Z owner to another.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
From: Killeen (Fort Hood) Texas
guys i can tell you from my own expeience. if you are stil running the stock springs, dont take the chance. change them as soon as you can. 2 months ago i had a spring failure & it reaked havoc on my engine. it put the intake valve from #5 down through my piston & destroyed the head. i spent close to $2800 rebuilding my engine but that was with a few upgrades as well. like & cam & LS7 clutch package.
dont take the chance guys, replace them & be done with it.
dont take the chance guys, replace them & be done with it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,955
Likes: 161
From: PNW
I just asked this question of Rich ( richierichz06 on the forums ) who works at Able Chevrolet which is a shop that specializes in Corvettes. I drive 200 miles to get my car serviced by them. He is also a prior owner of a C5 Z06 and current owner of a C6 Z06. He said that in all of his years of working at Able and at another Chevrolet dealer, he has seen a single valve spring failure ever. He said he works on countless race cars, etc...and only one failed ever. He said he didn't want to tell me not to swap them out just in case they did fail, but his attitude is that the failure rate is maybe 1 on 2,500 cars.
http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...-question.html
Racer
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 491
Likes: 38
It happens quite often it seems as seen on various chat boards. Not sure why shops claim they never see any cases of broken springs. Here's another one that just showed up. Read the first 3 sentences. Also, there have been dozens of reported OEM spring failures on the board alone. Don't play Russian Roulette ... could be costly in the long run.
http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...-question.html
http://ls1tech.com/forums/generation...-question.html
Thing is, with the internet, people typically are only going to go and make a thread if they have an issue, so of course when you search it, the problem seems like an epidemic. Combine this with people who know little about cars and you start getting "automotive hypochondriacs" who think their car suffers from absolutely all "known issues" for a given car.
Nobody makes threads saying "valve springs all good here, no issues" to offset the people who experience an issue.
That said, I'm still doing it to my 02.
Last edited by 98DC231; Oct 8, 2011 at 09:19 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,955
Likes: 161
From: PNW
While its probably a good idea to get them done as a preventative measure, its easy to see why the problem is so "rampant".
Thing is, with the internet, people typically are only going to go and make a thread if they have an issue, so of course when you search it, the problem seems like an epidemic. Combine this with people who know little about cars and you start getting "automotive hypochondriacs" who think their car suffers from absolutely all "known issues" for a given car.
Nobody makes threads saying "valve springs all good here, no issues" to offset the people who experience an issue.
That said, I'm still doing it to my 02.
Thing is, with the internet, people typically are only going to go and make a thread if they have an issue, so of course when you search it, the problem seems like an epidemic. Combine this with people who know little about cars and you start getting "automotive hypochondriacs" who think their car suffers from absolutely all "known issues" for a given car.
Nobody makes threads saying "valve springs all good here, no issues" to offset the people who experience an issue.
That said, I'm still doing it to my 02.
Plus, there are a lot of guys who work on their own car, so maybe they just fixed it themselves ... that's what I would do.I wasn't going to wait around and take chances to see if I was lucky or not with an issue like this. If it was a failure that wouldn't result in a destroyed motor than I'd probably take my chances. But in this case, the resulting consequences outweigh the risk of doing nothing by a mile.
Last edited by ZeeOSix; Oct 8, 2011 at 01:29 PM.