Ok the comp cams guy suggests that I should switch from a dual coil spring with damper with 340 in/lbs spring rate to a beehive spring with 130 in/lbs rate on my big block with a hyd roller cam (comp cams xe-292-hr in a gen 6 big block). I can't get onto comps webiste right now, it appears to be down and I'm curious if the beehive springs are really that good that they don't require as much spring rate to do the same or better job. I fear I am getting a lot of vavle float or my factory gen 6 big block roller lifters are colapsing under the pressure of revs above 5500. Cams range is 1500-6200.

 

I can't open comp cam either. When i was on a spring hunt a couple of months ago. I looked at behive springs. The only ones I saw were wimpy ones only made for h-rollers in small block motors or for what i needed they were about $800 a set to take on a solid roller.

What is your present spring number or specs?

 

Well I really can't get to the specs, comps site is down. they are 924-16 dual springs though.

Did you take into account that the beehives are a progressive spring. They actually get stiffer with more lift. I found a car craft article that deals with the exact problem I'm having and they even used the first hyd roller cam I put in my motor. I'm two sizes down on the page now. Almost at the bottom of the page but not quite yet. They basically state that you can run a "weaker" beehive than what you would normally run in standard springs due to the reduced weight and the variable spring rate, not to mention the reduced harmonics of the spring compared to a straight spring.

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...ing/index.html

 

Good article.

Here's another http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/eb50354.htm

 

Almost 1,000 rpm higher for the same spring pressures!
That's to know

 

Vizard's articales are always educational. I ordered the beehives, hopefully I'll see the same results with my motor as Carcraft did with theirs.

 

We've tested many 540 C.I. BB's in the past year, and we are "dealer" for Comp Cams. The spring you mention (924-16) is not even the right diameter for the BB heads. You need 1.550's for starters. We've been able to eliminate all valve float up to 6500 RPM at the present. One problem we encounter is the BB's we're using all require the +.300 tall lifters. We believe this is not helping our goal of raising the RPM range. Being we're able to make over 740 HP at the present level, we'll live with it. I have more testing to do using the factory G.M. Hyd. Rollers to try to lower the total weight the springs are "seeing". So far the 928-16's seem to handle the RPM's we're at with no problem. We have one set out over 2 years and still pressure test good. The 740 HP test has Titanium retainers, which is a step in the right direction. We have to get up to 7000 RPM to be able to achieve the 800 HP we're aiming for, while keeping the C.R. at 9.9/10:1 area. We're going to "lower" the lifter bores in the next test and stay with the "short-lifters" and the Chrome-Moly retainers to stay within a certain budget. You need a minimum of 150#/160# closed and depending on the lift (our test was .720" at the valve), we had 380#/390# open. The spring rate is 352 Lbs./In. We expect to stay with this spring for now. Also slated for testing is a full set Titanium Valves. This should solve all our problems, with a "budget" exception. Thanks, Gary in N.Y.
PS I would like to add just one note here, all valve springs last much longer with the Titanium valve option. We have some springs (1.625-Triples) that are on their 3rd season at the race track. This also is part of a test at the moment.

 

You will love the bee hive springs .
Just put a set on a friends 502 went from 11.10 to 10.80 after rejetting the carb.

 

So far they are starting to work but my weak factory lifters aren't up for the pressures the beehives exert at max lift. So I'm waiting for a new set of comp cams factory replacement lifters from summit. They are supposed to ship on 7/8. I sure hope they get here sooner, I can't wait to see the tach go past 6000 without any spits sputters or any other noises from under the hood.

 

I'm using CC 918s and have been quite pleased with them in nearly 10K mostly street miles. I've spun it as high as 6500 on the dyno and run it to the redline fairly regularly which is 6200. Sometime in the coming months I'll have it apart again to install a stroker bottom end. I'll check the heads very thoroughly at that time so we'll see what everything looks like then.

 

I've been told to run this setup on BBC edlebrock per. RPM heads in place of the dual spring that came with the heads

all comp cams stuff
26120-16 beehive springs
4697-16 spring locators
794-16 Ti retainer
valve locks can't find number

Anyone running this combo?
With a 284XE cam and 2.30 intake vavle, I can't RPM above 5800 approx, so I need a solution. This setup prices out at about $520

 

Dave P

That's a big valve. What size stem does it have. If its 11/32 you need comp part 611-16 if you have 3/8 you need part number 612-16. The 795-16 retainer is the steel retainer and will save you about $100. I don't know what the overall weight saveings is over the titanium but it may be minimal for your application. I was advised by comp to use the steel retainer and I'm running hyd roller lifters.

What type of rocker arms and rocker ratio are you running?

 

One of the things that is great about the beehives is that the retainers are quite small. So even the steel ones aren't very heavy.

 

They are 11/32" valves, I figured I could use the steel, like you said I bet the weight savings is not great vs. $$$ invested. The Ti retainers were $199 by themselves, the steels have to be a fraction of that. I'm using 1.72 full roller Harland Sharps. I also wonder how much cooler things are without the dual springs rubbing and damping each others' harmonics?

 

anyone have an idea as to the price
26915?
26918?
thanks!

 

check summitracing.com and you'll find the 26918's for $180 a set - I would assume the other beehives would be comparable but haven't bothered to check for you. Some of the ebaymotors.com online stores have them for $10 cheaper, but I think I would stay with a larger company with excellent customer service.

I priced out the 918's for a smallblock I've build and with steel retainers, locks and locators it was just a hair under $300 to my door.

 

thanks for the price.
they sound a lot like the "conical" 982.
"cone shaped" except the small end is down!