Triple valve springs with stock lifters

[Supersnake 27]

G'day guys, I picked up some heads for my cleveland at a good price to replace my original old heads. Turns out they have had a bit of work done to them including triple valve springs. Now they are a bit extreme for what I'm wanting right now, and I figure they may have too much pressure for my standard lifters, cam and timing chain that in the engine now.

 

Question is can I simply replace the triple springs with singles? Or is it likely that the heads have been machine to accept these springs and singles will no longer fit?

 

Any help would be appreciated,

 

Cheers

[Trev Vaa 1,185]

most likely heads have been machined to suit, however i am sure if you went through a catalouge you will find springs that will fit fine.

 

those springs will be way too strong, it begs the question, what is done to the heads? tripple springs are only used on huge cams...

[Supersnake 27]

The heads definitely have a fair bit of work done, I plan on quite a few mods in the not too distant future, so instead of spending money to get the heads reconditioned, and then getting more work in the future decided to go for these. 

 

I'll take a spring out and measure it up, see what I can find.

[ILIED 316]

Have you thought about a simple new cam and some solid lifters?

[slydog 7,873]

Thats a cool plan...if it doe's infact have triples (could be duals with a damper) a roller may be a better option.If duals a solid.

[Trev Vaa 1,185]

oooo chaise i like your thinking

depends if they're 2v's or 4v's.... theres probs no point with a solid roller on 2vs unless they have MAJOR work done, unless maybe you went something with low lift like a comp 288R or crower 284R which could be an option if the bottom end can handle it...?

 

yeh sly i reckon theyll be duals with a damper, tripples would only be used on a set of heavily worked 4vs with a massive cam i would think... then again nothings unheard of?

 

either way your springs will need replacing if you don't know how old they are... last thing you need is valve float on a new engine.

[slydog 7,873]

Doesn't have to be a solid roller...a HYD roller will do but as we know clevo's LOVE a camshaft in em.

 

You could check spring rates on inners outers and such then select a cam to suit.If the outer's have 125 seat alone then use the dampers and the outers for a solid.If the outers and inners have like 200 seat pressure then you know they were a roller spring set up so go for a roller.

 

You also need to measure the base size of the spring to see if you need to change em what size inners and outers it can take.I use Clevo springs on my xflows as you have a wider range to choose from and better frequency rates to match to. 

[ILIED 316]

only one P in triple, Trev

[Trev Vaa 1,185]

i failed english at school, aced maths.

probs should learn good english at some point but....

 

true could run a hyd roller depending on spring rates.... 290hr works well in clevos.

[Supersnake 27]

Solid cam, hmmmmmm. Any idea how often I'll have to be adjusting lash? It's just a weekend car. I might replace the stem seals on the heads for now and build up what I need and do it in one hit.

[ILIED 316]

Adjusting? Rarely.

 

Checking? Every couple months

 

If anything changes, more frequent. Something is wrong

[Trev Vaa 1,185]

depends what you call a weekend car and what you consider a decent cam, for example and f246 i'd check every 2500, but probably be lucky to be adjusted every 5000,

solid rollers, every 1000ks if its a decent sized roller, more because if it needs adjusting, something is wrong. in saying that a mild roller you would only need to check every 2500. rollers shouldn't need adjusting as the whole idea is the roller rolls along the cam, not rubs like a tappet.

hyd roller, once in a blue moon (every 5000 check), again if you have to adjust preload you have a serious issue. or a loose stud.

hyd tappet, pretty much set and forget, if you thrash it check preload every 10,000ks or so... if that.

[NZXD 2,328]

Aren't hyd rollers set and forget, that's the idea of the hydraulic set up?

[slydog 7,873]

Correct...

[Trev Vaa 1,185]

sure are NZXD, i've always checked to make sure the roller hasn't been damaged from abuse/valve float. (which extends to my driving style, and i have had a hyd roller lifter fail which would be the reason why i'm a bit pedantic about it)

 

in a perfect world, a solid tappet would be the only type of cam that would need adjusting.

[slydog 7,873]

No reason any should go out really...just checking FFS in most cases really or to tune the car to conditions.Nascar teams open the clearances RIGHT up for more top end and close em down for torque.Personally I set my solids @ 8th inlet-10th exhaust dead cold.After they warm on a alloy head that will increase so on a iron head I'd look at 14-16th to start with and have a reasonably quiet clatter free solid cammed engine with great throttle response and heaps of pull...with a added top end charge only a solid can bring.  

[Thom 6,654]

we've just finished changing my old mans 393 clevo from a solid roller to a hydraulic roller, in 30,000ks it's ruined 2 sets of lifters,one cam and 5 rockers, clevo's and big block Chevy's seem to have a habit of causing excessive wear and tear on solid rollers from some of the stories I've heard, if it's going to see plenty of street miles go for a hydraulic roller, essentially set and forget (in saying that comp and lunati are both doing extreme duty solid roller lifters now so they may have overcome the issue now)

[Supersnake 27]

Thanks for all your help guys, I've decided to get the springs checked and if needed replace them to match a hydraulic roller cam. Was leaning towards something from comp cams as I hear a lot of people are using them on here. But that's all going on the backburner for the moment, I'll turn my attention to getting some new wheels for the fairlane.

 

Cheers guys

[ronny 204]

we've just finished changing my old mans 393 clevo from a solid roller to a hydraulic roller, in 30,000ks it's ruined 2 sets of lifters,one cam and 5 rockers, clevo's and big block Chevy's seem to have a habit of causing excessive wear and tear on solid rollers from some of the stories I've heard, if it's going to see plenty of street miles go for a hydraulic roller, essentially set and forget (in saying that comp and lunati are both doing extreme duty solid roller lifters now so they may have overcome the issue now)

Any motor with solid roller and lots of idling/street miles = sore lifters

But now they have the bushed lifters (well Isky has been making bushed for a long time)

These bushed lifters (rather than the needle pin bearing) last a long long time

[gerg 10,871]

Lots of good info here folks... Good thread

 

I think hyd lifters in general are softer on the rest of the valve train, due to the fluid cushioning built into them.

 

Solids could perhaps transmit a lot more shock loading throughout and this is also taken up in the poor little needle rollers in the case of roller-type, and if they start to gall or have Brinelling, it's all downhill from there. Maybe that's why they're now making them bushed, to spread the load better across the pivot.

 

86-on 5.0 Windsors had hyd rollers from factory, and if they passed the Ford durability test, then they're fine in my books. Sure the cams are pissy but they're tons better than any equivalent flat tappet.

[n00bus m@x1mus 465]

You could always pop the centres out of them to drop the spring rate if your worried, wont have to change a thing then.