KC Pond 482-580hp. Does that sound right?

[Barry_R]

My fear of beehives has nothing to do with the function - and everything to do with the potential failure mode. I have had the dubious pleasure of breaking valvesprings in the past - and only the presence of an unbroken inner (or outer) kept my junk together. A beehive is a single spring - if it breaks your skewered...

You'd like the springs on my most recent EMC motor. They are dual springs that are only 1.250 in diameter with beehive sized titanium retainers - LS1 stuff. They look positively silly on the big FE heads, but seem to work OK.

[RICK LAKE]

Barry R Like you and from my old race days in the mid 70's. I have worked on cars with 9,200 rpm motors both dirttrack and 1/4 mile. These are not FE motors. I have seen a number of guys break valve springs. Reason, the head builders can't measure the clearance between the coils on full lift, The coil binds and breaks the spring. Reason The dumb drivers overrevs the motor and bangs the motor off the rev limiter, piston and valve damage. Reason too heavy a valve train for the valve spring to work with, looses control and breaks spring. There was a whole bunch of stuff about the beehives breaking the bottom of the springs. I talked to the 2 senior engineers, both said the installer didn't measure for the correct bind clearance with a cam over the max safety limit. There where no cups for the bottom of the valve springs to sit in the pockets either. The spring where bouncing around in the oversized pocket. Since 95 all gm V6 motor are running these springs. I have repaired 2 motors from broken springs, one had 150,000 miles the other was a kid racing and over reved the motor. The single spring issue I can see. You could always add a small dampener inside the spring if you are that concerned. It still comes down to the right part for the right application. You can always get pistons with valve knockers to push the valve closed if you are that worried. Not sure how much this will effect the combustion chamber and power loss. You are only building motors with a 6,500 rpm limit. Anything more and you are wasteing motor for the EMC event. .120" is a safe coil bind, I have heard guys running as low as .070" and turning 7,000 rpm. These springs are going to break, it's a question of time, rpm and luck. Looking forward to seeing your new valve train setup, any pictures?? Rick L. Ps ran the car the other day, that stroker is something for bottom end torque. Tires don't stand a chance. Might advance the cam to remove a little of the bottom end. I wish I had the DannyBee timing setup on the 482 motor, 10 minute job and done. Later

[Keithc8]

You guys are over loading my brain here with all of this knowledge. I thought the customer just wanted a street engine.
I do not know where this limited rpm talk is coming from on stroker FE engines. I have built 527C.I. FE engines with a 4.375 stroke that we have turned 8000 rpms but it was a race engine.
The problem with any hydraulic set is the weight of the oil used, weight of the valves, retainers and locks, how you set the lash, how radical is the camshaft lobe, spring used, retainer used, lock used and the spring pressures. Just has to be a complete package that is best for the engine build and nothing more.
You can get several camshaft with the same duration at .050 and lift but there will be a lot of differences in them. I can tell you that a camshaft that will work in a LS1-6-7 engine and turns 7000 will turn about 1000rpms less in a stock valve type Fe because of the weight difference in the valve train. Install a 8mm valve with the light ratainers and beehive spring and it will turn higher
These discussions could go on forever on all of this stuff. I would like to do the Engine Masters deal but I just do not have time for it with the business, wife and three children to help with a little. I have tried to get the guys interested at the shop but have not had much luck.
Maybe if I ever get rich like some of you guys and Barry I can take some time and do it. Good luck, Keith