valve spring damper

[jake197000]

got in a set of perfomer rpm heads for an FE inner flat spring is digging into sprong shim causing lots of debris.shows on crank etc can it take the flat spring out.mild engine.

[ProPower engines]

They really need to be there but you can replace the shims with hardened spring locator cups or ID locators.
Or just get the same shim thickness used from factory but with the same hardness as the locator cup etc.
You may also find that they have thinner shims in some locations like a .015 which will just chew up anyway but if you have a hard .030 or thicker shim it will stop it.

Also remove the damper spring and de-burr the ends to stop further wear issues. I know they should be doing this but welcome to the world of buying ready to run heads off a production line.

Its been said a million times NEVER buy complete production line heads as these are just some of the issues that get over looked during assembly

[jeff swisher]

Yep I had this happen years ago and started chamfering the damper spring.
It is cut and is like a knife point ready to do some digging. easy fix.

But on the removal I have ran many engines without the damper.
They were also mild with old school cams like generic 214-224@ .050.
If the thing does not see but 6000 rpm I would not sweat it.I have seen cams ran with 55 seat pressure on the springs and rev to 6000 rpm and duration like 236@ .050 and one was a 292H with 55 seat pressure. it was done at 5500rpm Chevy stuff.

Those had the flat spring (damper) inside of them though.
I figure if a guy ran the same cam and a 110 seat pressure spring with NO inner damper you would actually run more R's.
I do not feel a harmonic would come in until past 6000.

My 302 fords ran mild cams and single spring no damper never an issue to 6000 rpm.

It is one of those try and see.

And you know just 1 spring low on pressure or 1 spring going into harmonic will show up, something you will really know about when driving it ..So just saying you could do 1 intake and 1 exhaust and test it out.

If no issues then do them all.

[B Original]

Yep always radius the end of the springs outer and inner and dampers it's a part of engine prep don't matter who the manufacturer the spring is