I don't see how the valve stem height could be off unless the used the wrong valves that have a different keeper location or didn't cut the valve seats deep enough which I doubt. The spec sheet shows 2.065 stem height and it appears to be correct, but I will recheck later today after I install my front springs and get the car off the jack stands. At any rate, other than finding a spring that will work, the heads will need to come off and probably go to machine shop jail for the next year. I paid a professional a lot to do a professional job and that's not what I got. Actually, the more I think about this and the more I see that their specs are not what I am coming up with, I think I need to measure cam lift. If the cam lift specified is not what the actual lift is, maybe I'm going in to coil bind. I only have .094 until I go in to coil bind using my installed height and their cam specs.
I wouldn't trust anything to be correct based on what you've found so far. Setting the stem height comes before setting spring pressures since any change in the stem height will also change the spring pressures.. that's proper procedure.. no sense in changing shims or ordering springs until that is confirmed.
Interesting.. First off.. .094 from coil bind is no issue. .050 is the industry accepted spec. Second.. Knowing the parts like I do, I am having a hard time trying to figure how you came up with that 1.744 installed height, considering the dimensions of the parts and heads. Are we sure that is not 1.844? A picture of the Mic all tightened up checking one might be helpful here. You confirmation of a 2.065 tip height tells me we are not talking about a shallow valve job, or any issues with the spring seat location/depth in the heads. That's a very much normal tip height for a 1.8XX installed height, using all the TA parts. Valve tip height is measure from the tip of the valve, to the valve spring seat, with no shims or seats installed. Are we talking about 3/8 stem valves here? if so, that makes it even less likely this is a parts issue. There are far fewer parts options with the Buick specific valves. 11/32 stems opens things up to -.050 retainers and keepers.. I think you would have to have both to get to that 1.744 number from a 2.065 tip height. You say no shims.. have you pulled the seals off and removed the locator?.. I assume you have, because there would be no way to accurately measure the tip height otherwise.. We always put the shims required to get to 1.800 (roller cam spec height for most HYD rollers and that 1125 spring set) under the hardened seat. Do me a favor, set that spring mic up again, and take a picture or two. JW
AHHH, that’s right! Like I was saying Saturday, I question TA’s quality and attention to detail. I feel bad for Mike as he’s always produced a quality product, but as I’ve said before it matters NOT the name on the building, its the EMPLOYEES!
And that is something I should had asked about calve stem diameter........my heads used the smaller 11/32 valve specifically because there was more and better parts selection. I forget that most do not. Mine actually run behive style springs, they reduce retainer weight and gain clearance at the rocker arm. Good point on if they shims are under the locator......easy to miss those that way.
I'll be the first one to admit when I make a mistake, I've made 1 or 2 in my life. Saturday I actually measured the mic with my mic to make sure that it is accurate. It is. I do know how to read a mic, but I went out and remeasured and still came up with 1.744. I'm looking at the new mic that I just bought from Summit and realize that the inside diameter is too small for the retainer to go all the way in. So I measured between the retainer bottom and the top of the mic. It's .123. So I added .123 to the 1.744 and come up with 1.867, pretty much right on the money. I retested the spring pressures and came up with 135 closed and 340@ 1.262, a little high on the closed side and low on the open side. The mic that I bought from Summit was the only one they sell and it got 7 good reviews. I guess I'm the only one to use it on a Buick.
Since I've now resolved Summit's, China's, and my mistakes, mostly mine and came up with readings that aren't too far from the build specs, why are my springs breaking? Will the 30lb. low open pressure cause an issue?
Maybe the springs were heated treated too hard. What is the Rockwell C hardness suppose to be? I would be checking with the manufacturer of your springs. Just a suggestion, I used to work in the tool & Due trade and did a lot of heat treating, it's easy to screw-up a heat treating process. VET (Navy)
But at least now you have a new spot to kick off and search for springs. Keep in mind it's not uncommon that springs loose about 5-10% of their pressure within the 1st few heat cycle.....so plan that into your figures
They are cheap Chinese crap. It states that it fits retainers up to 1 1/2". I guess the Chinese don't know that a retainer is not flat.
If nothing makes since, maybe it's a defective spring. Heat treating materials to a specific hardness can fail. I know for a fact, if the Chinese are making the springs and using their grade of steel, you can bet, there will be failures. All you have to do is look at all the flat tappet cam & lifter failures. All caused by poor heat treating practices. Vet
You want to borrow my height mic? That way you can accurately calculate your spring installed height then subtract your valve lift to figure your open spring height.
