im trying to set the valve lash again on my car, and ive noticed this time the valve springs wont compress all the way.

anybody got any ideas?

thanks vince

 

Only have more questions than answers. What gives you the impression they won't go all the way? Are you looking at coil bind or retainer clearance?

Are you compressing them by hand with a tool or are you watching the cam open and close the valves? IF your watching rotation, are you rotating the engine by hand or with the starter?

Why are you setting valve lash again? How often do you do this?

I could go on and on but let's wait to see what you can tell us.

 

I've got some too....stock cam? A stock cam is not going to compress the valve springs completely. A higher lift cam will compress the springs more. When setting the lash, you shouldn't concern yourself with the springs compressing. You do this with absolutely NO LOAD on the rocker arm you are setting the lash for....unless you are setting the valves while the car is running.

 

If the valve springs compressed all the way you have what is called coil bind; meaning run that car wide open and expect to destroy your engine by the time it hits overlap, or get lucky and just bend a valve or snap a rocker arm and ruining the head not the block. Also if they are not closing to the recommended clearance you might be too loose or have a collapsed lifter. use a dial indicator the next time you set the lash and check each spring for clearance and bind, its the only true way to tell what is wrong. Stock springs do not last that long under severe conditions--I changed my springs out and no joke 4 of them were broken and only stayed together because of the retainer!!!

 

ok, 306 cam, cranes 600" daul coil valve springs, i heard the best way to adjust is to watch the intake spring and as is starts to open adjust the exhaust, and when the exhaust is open all the way and about to close adjust the intake.

 

This is one method to adjust the lash but it has nothing to do with how much you compress the springs. I'm

 

uhh the springs should never compress all the way, that's called engine failure. to adjust valve lash correctly, the engine should be running and at full temp. use a piece of hose and put one end in your ear and the other near the nut you're adjusting, loosen the nut til you hear ticking then retighten til the ticking just stops and then tighten an additional 3/8-1/2 turn. you might want to get an old valve cover to cut up so oil doesnt spray all over your exhaust

 

You can cold lash a hydraulic roller valvetrain just fine... although I know some people prefer to lash with the engine running.

 

If the engine isn't running the lifters will bleed down when they go on the cam lobe, not lifting the valve as much as when running. Let the spring in the lifter push the cup back up before adjusting.

 

How about doing it this way (prefered by comp and crane cams). Use the EO-IC like you said to get them at the right point and tighten locks until you just start to feel drag on the push rod as you rotate it with the other hand. Then tighten 1/2 turn more and lock them down.

If you only rotate the engine and look at valve spring compression, the springs should not be bottoming out. That would be catastrophic.