Lets talk Valve springs and retainers

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

I am looking at different manufacturers and prices. Are titanium retainers really worth the extra $250? Lets just say that the motor only see's 6K rpm's max.
Roller valve springs, are the ones that come on bolt on heads good(canfield,edelbrock,dart,etc)?
Are 10* locks necessary? What would be an application where they are necessary?

[AzMandella]

Hey Mike.I wouldnt worry about titanium at those RPM's.And as far as springs I would go with what is recomended by the cam manufacturer that is matched to the cam.I.E. Crower,Comp,isky.I have been told to be warry of assembled heads not so much for the parts but the assembly.

[sanger rat]

www.dougherbert.com sells titanium retaners for under a $100

[wsuwrhr]

When it come to valvetrain parts, lighter is key.
I would go for the retainers for sure.
Brian

[Fiat48]

and the 10 degree locks. Dont skimp on critical parts.

[wsuwrhr]

and the 10 degree locks. Dont skimp on critical parts.
Yea what he said, almost forgot.
Those babies aren't going to get pulled thru.
Brian

[79centurion]

go with the springs that the cam manufacture recommends. I would also go 10 degree locks
Dan

[cstraub]

Cylinder Head assemblies are cost effective and most use good quality parts but in some cases you are better off to buy the heads bare and then get the parts you need to complete the build.
Spring material referred to as Super Clean material is what high endurance springs are made from today. Now Chrome Silicon is the base material for the super clean stuff and is what most of your OEM to medium performance valve springs are made from. Super Clean takes CS material through several more process to remove the impurities that lead to spring failure. Super Clean has the inch rate of Tool Steel but the endurance properties of CS. The negative is a set of Super Cleans is usually $150 to $300 more a set.
Steel retainers for an engine under 6500 max rpm for the occasional pass will work fine. An engine that is going to see sustained high rpm for several minutes at a time you need to consider titanium.
Locks. 10/ or 7 the pricing is not much different. The 10's offer lash cap recesses and the 10 degree retainer is universal for any stem diameter with the size difference made up in the thickness of the lock.
Hope this helps.

[JAY4SPEED]

Wouldn't a very steep ramp rate on a roller cam lobe dictate the need for titanium also, not just rpm?
Jay

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

I always match my cam to the manucactures spring but was curious about "bolt on" aluminum heads with springs.
What about isky "tool room" springs and the famous "bee hive" springs???

[WannabeRacing]

We have tested the Doug Herbert titanium retainers to astronomical numbers. I have never seen one fail. And they are 59 bucks for a full set. So, why not run them. You are not in the rpm band to desperately need them, but any lightening on this side of the rocker arm is helpful for any rpm. (And rumor going around that Doug actually ran a set of his retainers on his fuel car to prove they work. Cannot confirm, although a worker at Dougs parts store did tell me it was more than a rumor.) If you are afraid of them, then run the tricktitanium ones for 100 bucks a set.
10 degree locks are manditory in my mind. Boats see hard time, don't skimp on this. And like Chris stated, gives room for a lash cap if you want to go that route. Pull one 7 degree through and it will cost you 1000 times the cost of the 10 degree locks.
There are not that many spring manufacturers. These individual cam companies do not make their own stuff. So look for the material, the installed heights, the pressures etc that you want to run, and forget about the name on the box. The 'superclean' springs, as they call them, are usually worth the extra money, and will test out amazingly well day after day, month after month, and even year after year. Great endurance material.

[UBFJ #454]

These 'Guys' ... http://www.lsmeng.com/Springs.html ... get all their materials from the best suppliers in Japan and make springs for a lot of top NHRA, IHRA, NASCAR, IRL, CART and, Formula 1 Teams. Their not cheep, but, they last in some very harsh environments.

[502 JET]

Don't trust mass production manufacturers. I would have the (ready to bolt on) heads checked for guide clearance, spring rate, installed height, and proper valve job.

[GofastRacer]

I would never buy new heads assembled, I've never seen any that were setup for my particular application, so I'd have to strip them down anyways and get all new parts and start from scratch, and besides when I do them I'll know they're done "right"!. So why pay for a bunch of stuff you're not going to use anyways!.. Just my worthless .02!..

[steelcomp]

10 degree locks are not the hot set-up that everyone thinks they are.
Michael, you don't need Ti retainers, and they won't last as long as a good set of chromoly ones. If you were only racing, that'd be different.
What Art said about heads. Buy a bare set and build (or have them built) yourself. If you're running a roller, you'll want to run severe duty valves. The cam grind will dictate springs, and once you know what you need AFA installed ht, seat pressure, rate, etc, you can shop. Buy a good super-clean like CStraub said. Isky Gold Stripes, KMotion, Crower, and others like them. IMO, springs are no place to skimp. Valve locks are also critical. You can have the best valves and retainers, but stick a cheap stamped lock in there and you'll surely drop a valve. With steel retainers, 7* or 10* won't matter. If you go with Ti retainers, then the 10* are probably all you'll find, but the best set-up is the super 7, which is a 7* retainer ( better than a 10* in that it provides better clamping force on the stem) with a lock that will not allow it to pull through the retainer. You won't be running spring pressures to worry about that, though. All the hype about 10* retainers dosen't apply here.

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

If I have to spend a few extra 100 for better stuff then so be it. I am looking for longevity. I dont run my boat wide open for no longer than 15-20 seconds at a time. I will usually be in the 4000-5000 rpm range with the new motor unless the water gets calm. Then the R's will be hanging around 6k but not for 10 miles. Hell I cant stay in it that long even if I wanted to. THe water is too rough where I boat.
Thanks for the info fellas;) I really appreciate it.......