Valve Spring/ engine storage

Howard Jones · 03-31-04, 06:14 PM

A good friend of mine bought a 58 corvete with a 350 ci 400 hp small block in it and had a valve spring break after about a hour of easy operation.

He told me that the engine guy that he talked to told him that if a engine is not run for several years, Mike's chevy had been in a car that was stored for 10 years, the valve springs that are compressed can have a high failure rate after the engine is run for the first time. It's not unusual
to have 1 or 2 springs break and then after they are replaced not have anymore problems.

Anybody ever heard of this? It seams to make some sence to me although I think I would replace the whole set of springs together.

Kevin M · 03-31-04, 06:49 PM

Valve springs are cheap, and given how much better the metals used for springs are today, I would replace any springs that old just on general principals.

Kevin

Brian Kissel · 04-01-04, 03:04 AM

Howard !

I have seen this a lot of times. Someone will buy a real jewel of a car that has been in storage a number of years and next thing you know "bang" a broken spring or worse yet a dropped valve. Any time I do an engine for someone, and it isn't going to be installed for awhile, I back off all the valves after I run the engine in. I would much rather readjust the valves than rebuild a new engine. I had a customer that I did a 383 Chevy for several years ago store his engine for a year before installing it, then after installing it, broke a spring, and dropped a valve after about 25 miles. This engine had new Dart heads and new K-Motion springs, and Manley Super Duty valves. Ever since I back them off if they are going in storage. It is cheap insurance. And if I get one of those jewels in, the first thing I do is replace the springs, even before I prime the oil pump getting ready for the initial restart.

Regards Brian

Howard Jones · 04-01-04, 12:48 PM

Brian, How long is too long? I would think that if you just turned it over once a month or so it would solve this problem.

I went out and turned mine over last night because I couldn't sleep otherwise.

I hope everyone reads this one.

Brian Kissel · 04-03-04, 02:14 AM

Howard ,
You are correct, turning it over on occasion, certainly helps. I don't think there is any time frame for valve springs to just take a crap. So anything you can do to help them out insures there longevity. When I set up new springs for any cylinder heads, I bench cycle each spring several times to various set heights, and record the pressures. Then when I freshen the engines, and pull the heads apart, I recheck and record the pressures again. This certainly isn't a procedure, that you would do for your every day driver, but these engines are rated in cubic dollars. Another thing is to inquire about some of these "budget" brand name springs. Some big name companies were importing their lower priced springs from China and had many many failures. The same way with titanium for retainers and connecting rods. People were importing low grade titanium, from Russia, and making serious race car parts out of it. Same deal, "GIGO" (garbage in garbage out). Some friends of mine did a mountain motor Olds for a fellow, and he wanted to cut corners by buying bargain titanium rods. Well, after I think the second dyno pull, one of the rods broke, hurting the block, and crank very seriously. So bottom line is if some of those "bargain" prices look to good to be true, they probably are. This isn't to say you have to see how much you can spend on building a engine or your whole car. Just spend the money wisely in the places where it counts. And take proper care of what you have already spent ( an occasional rolling of the engine).
Regards Brian