best aftermarket valve springs

Spring pressure will not hurt a valve, a ProStock engines uses a 6 mm valve and over 500 lbs of spring pressure. A Cummins with a stock valve is 7 mm.

I really feel that any thing over 100 is more then sufficient on any street cam. As you get to the race only cams, it’s not RPM that is a problem, but the ramp acceleration rates. The spring pressure needed to keep the valve train controlled on one of the motors is no more then 125. I used 125 lbs spring on the Nitro Flash engine. This pressure is sufficient for 6000 RPMs
 
Isn't the Cummins a welded stem valve? I am sure the exotic materials used in Pro Stock, can stand up to more than a mass produced Cummins valve. The issue of boost pressure also plays a hand in controlling valve action. Seat pressure is what hold the valve closed. The math to figure backpressure is 3.14 x valve head radius squared, divided by seat pressure. 105 on the seat, equals about 80 psi, 82 psi on the seat is mid 60's. Stock is around 55. Drive pressure, which is rarely measured, can cause its own problems, like a free egr system, with a contaminated intake charge. We have disassembled engines running alot of boost and drive pressure with stock springs. The intake valves and seats, get over heated and discolored. They will erode and not seal. The intake track and heater grid get sooted. High drive pressures with stock exhaust seals, wears out the exhaust guides quickly and cokes the oil at the top of the guide. We remove the seals from the exhaust side. A little smoke on start up, but no problem with added crankcase ventilation.
 
WICKEDDIESEL said:
Isn't the Cummins a welded stem valve? I am sure the exotic materials used in Pro Stock, can stand up to more than a mass produced Cummins valve. The issue of boost pressure also plays a hand in controlling valve action. Seat pressure is what hold the valve closed. The math to figure backpressure is 3.14 x valve head radius squared, divided by seat pressure. 105 on the seat, equals about 80 psi, 82 psi on the seat is mid 60's. Stock is around 55. Drive pressure, which is rarely measured, can cause its own problems, like a free egr system, with a contaminated intake charge. We have disassembled engines running alot of boost and drive pressure with stock springs. The intake valves and seats, get over heated and discolored. They will erode and not seal. The intake track and heater grid get sooted. High drive pressures with stock exhaust seals, wears out the exhaust guides quickly and cokes the oil at the top of the guide. We remove the seals from the exhaust side. A little smoke on start up, but no problem with added crankcase ventilation.
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Don't you need to subtract out the area of the stem??
 
Yeah, I guess so. Well with the radius of the stem to valve, that might equal the same surface area as the valve stem itself, with the stem removed from the equasion. Actually, to be exact, you need to figure in the weight of the valve too. What do you think within 4 to 5% of exact science?
 
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Probably close, to be techincal though the radius area I don't think counts. You need to think of it as frontal area.
 
When the first springs for the 24v engines came out I witnessed people running up to 180lbs. seat without issues. PDR sold 220lbs. for a while but had problems with the cam eating into the block, unless you used cam bushings. Greg is right 125lbs is no problem. Do all the math you want I have seen it.

zach
 
my hamiltons came today :D

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texashighways said:
When the first springs for the 24v engines came out I witnessed people running up to 180lbs. seat without issues. PDR sold 220lbs. for a while but had problems with the cam eating into the block, unless you used cam bushings. Greg is right 125lbs is no problem. Do all the math you want I have seen it.

zach
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You only need enough seat and open pressures to get the job done. This is where the math comes in. One size fits all does not apply. We have four different springs and some retainer options as well. As stated too much pressure on the cam can cause accellerated wear. Another important fact is that it takes additional torque from the crank to turn the cam, with increased pressures. Although we are at the 4000 rpm threshhold. Boost and drive pressures, combined with higher lift and increased rpm, make the factory springs pretty useless for controlling valve action.
 
"We have four different springs and some retainer options as well."



I hear advertiseing here is pretty cheap. You may want to consider it.
 
I've spoke to Greg before on this as well.. I'm pretty sure I need springs, my wallet these days has shrunk amazingly over the past couple years along with the market here in FL. I don't know what kind of rpms I'm turning, but 128 mph on a tire that measures 28'' has to be a lot.. I'd like a set when the budget allows.. Sometimes after a run, it sounds as though the valves are clattering on the return road.. It has to run a while to clear up, and then it appears to be fine to make another run.. Can't be good though.
 
I agree only get the pressure you need. I am not advocating using 180lbs springs on a street truck, but there are trucks out there that need that much seat pressure. I have run 180lbs springs to 6500 rpm for extended periods with stock retainers and locks with no problems or valve stem failures. As far as saving weight with lighter locks and retainers, it can also be done with superior beehive designs that have less mass on the end of the spring that moves the furthest.
 
So what would be a good spring for an 04.5 CR? Thats is with a stock cam, II silver 62 @ 50-60lbs, Flux 2's, and 4K rpm (when the programming comes out). I don't want to get too aggressive of a spring and wear my stock cam down to nothing, but yet I do not want too weak of a spring that will cause my valves to float and possibly drop from a broken spring going down the pulling track. Also can some one give me a link to a good set of push rods, or do you think the stockers would be fine?
 
I have the race proven MaxSpool Pushrods with over 200 sets out there with zero bent. I have them is standard, +.100 +.200 along with the MaxSpool double Spring and Titanium Retainer package

This spring package is the same spring that regularly goes to 6000 rpm on the NitroFlash Truck. This is all the spring you will ever need, Dr. Performances Diesel power Specialty’s Warehouse and Industrial Injection both use and carry this spring package along with the entire MaxSpool line of valve train products
 
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I don't agree with the spring pressure issue and it not hurting valves. Maybe using some good aftermarket valves but the OEM units are delicate in my opinion. This is one set that a valve broke and took out the cylinder. I have seen too many like this and all were on trucks running pretty high seat and open pressure.
 

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I have piles of those broken valves laying around Most of them from common rail trucks with injectors that stuck open and overfueled one cylinder. Most of them had stock valve springs. Egt in my opinion is the number one killer of valves and seats as well as heads, turbos, pistons and wallets.

Industrial Injection also carries other lines of valvetrain components that are race proven.
 
These are from a midly modifies 24v. I have seen lots of them as well both highly modified and mild. As for ones with high seat/open pressures I have seen many more failures. I don't believe that high pressures are good in these engines.

If someone is building a purely race truck then race components are the key. But for everyday use I like durability! We use lots of titanium, forged pistons, custom valves, etc in competition engines but for the street this stuff will not go the miles. Is it stronger, heck yes for a short time and that all we are worried about in competition. Tearing down and engine is just part of the process in that game. But I really don't want to pull and tear down an engine on my daily driver every few thousand miles!
 
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