This question will not help my credibility any, (as if I've got any!) but I
must know what the deal is with valve spring height. Here's the deal:
Back in '88-'89 when I rebuilt my TR6 motor, I installed high performance
valve springs. (Can't tell you the manufacturer... got them at a local
import parts house... got my A&E .040 over pistons there, too.) I must
first point out that I found in the engine some non-standard items,
including some valve stem seals of some sort. Also, there were some shims
placed under the old valve springs for some reason, and they did not appear
to be an OEM item. (BTW, the machine shop was incredulous when I told them
it didn't require cam bearings or valve stem seals!) Obviously, the motor
had been gone through at some point. (it had .030 pistons in it already!)
Well, not knowing any better, as this was the very first (and to date,
last) engine I had built, I installed the springs with nothing under them.
(no shims) Well, recently I've heard references here and there to checking
the valve spring height and tension and so forth when rebuilding a cylinder
head. I'd like to know what this is all about, and to know if I screwed up
big-time or not. Well, considering that the motor has been running for
30,000 miles since then, and running fairly well and reliably, it must not
have been a "big-time" screw-up. So, what's the deal?
Thanks for the instruction!
Pete Chadwell
1973 TR6
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