I'm wondering if anyone else is noticing a real durability problem with Crane's line of valve springs.

A few years ago, I built a 465 Pontiac for a 1968 Firebird. I used a set of Crane valve springs. Less than 6 months later, and after not even 500 miles, I noticed valve float and took the covers off, only to discover EVERY single spring was broken.

The machinist didn't think Crane would cover them and tried to say it was "how I drive". :rolleyes: I asked him, "What, I'm not supposed to take it down the dragstrip?" But Crane did pay for a whole new set, and I replaced them with Edelbrock, and had no problems since.

I thought nothing of it anymore until today. My friend called me to tell me that every single one of his Crane valve springs is broken, and he has maybe 600 miles on them at the most. He's got a 468 Chevy in a 1969 GTO, and didn't notice his valve float until he tried to take a run down Bandemere and the motor flattened out bad at half track, and he only ran a 12.85@110.
He knew I just installed the very same Crane springs on my 427 in my Vette and told me to keep an eye on them.

What's up with Crane? Does anyone else know what's going on with their quality control? Or have had similar problems?

A couple hundred dollars for a set of trick valve springs is too much to spend to be this short lived. I don't mind spending the money, but I like them to last a reasonable amount of time.
:confused:

 

Well, apparently not. I'll try some other websites, like smokemup.com. They have more of a cross section of hotrodders.

 

try here to,go to the bottom of th paqge under "performance mods".
http://www.chevytalk.org/threads/ubbthreads.php

 

Bearcat,

I am now installing a Crane mechanical roller cam with Crane 99876-16 springs into my 427. Are these the ones you installed?

Chuck

 

Yes they are. My friend and I are thinking that they might have had a bad run. I am hoping that's all it was, because I have that exact set on my expensive new 427. I'm going to inspect them frequently!

 

Is your friend absolutely sure they were installed correctly and weren't binding? Which springs broke, outer or inner? Did they break on just intake or exhaust valves, or all valves? What kind of heads was he running? If the distance between the valve seat and the spring seat is too great, the springs may have bound even though the cam's lift was reasonable. For that matter, what were the cam spec's? This is more than a little un-settling to me!

Chuck

 

My friend has over 30 years experience with engine building. This engine is a 468 cube BBC that he once had installed in a 1969 Camaro that ran 10.01 at Bandemere in the quarter. Back then, and until a few years ago, it had a ZL1 solid flat tappet cam with GM springs. Never a problem like this. He went with the Crane P/N 138601 solid roller to gain midrange torque and some upper rpm, and the springs were triple springs recommended on Crane's website.

Only the innermost springs are broken, leading me to wonder if it's a design flaw. I mean, if oil has difficulty reaching the innermost springs in all but the highest oil pressure, then metal fatigue could set in and definitely kill the springs inner to outer.

The cam specs:
246/254 @ 0.05" duration
0.615"/0.636" valve lift
110 degrees LSA
IVO=18.0
IVC= 48.0
EVO= 62.0
EVC= 12.0

This cam's powerband is from about 3400 rpm, where it gets very strong, to over 7000 rpm. I have the same cam in my 427, and I have my rev limiter set to 7200.

Yes, this is very unsettling. One doesn't invest nearly a thousand bucks on a very trick cam and valve train set up, only to have durability problems on a nearly $200 set of valve springs.

Like I said, when my Crane valve springs (double springs) died in my 1968 Firebird's 455, it was all 16 springs also. Crane replaced the springs without any problem. My friend's springs are from the same time period as the ones I bought, but he's driven his car a lot less frequently than I did.
He's writing to Crane, and I'll post here what the verdict is, and what they have to say about their much-vaunted product.

 

Bearcat,

That is the very cam I am installing. I am currently running a factory L88 cam which is fine except for the rich exhaust fumes that anger adjacent motorists while sitting for long light changes. Listening to my side pipes bellow at the 1500 rpm idle hasn't won me many friends either. Ah, to live again in my Colorado mountains with miles of open roads and few stop lights.

I'd love to hear more about how you and your buddy otherwise like the cam. I am pleased to hear you guys have it. I thought Crane put the never exceed rpm with this cam and springs at 7200rpm. This seemed low to me with such timing and lift. But the springs are also much lighter in pressure than what most of the competition runs for roller cams. Is is possible that your buddy exceeded this 7200 limit a few too many times floating the valve train and binding the springs? The lighter springs (along with the pro-lifters at 211 grams per pair with bar) appeared to me to be a reasons they could claim long term durability for their solid roller.

Chuck