What will be the results of putting 18lb valve springs on a out of the box Predator. We have what I call a backwoods track close to where I live. The motor has to be stock out of the box. You can put on a top plate and header. No other modifications except 18 lb springs. I think they will be tearing up more motors. Probably figure with the valve springs they can turn the motor more. Curious to see what happens. Seems like all the tracks down here have abnormal rules. I am going to run a Clone this year. Just wondering about the valve springs. Oh, someone asked the track manager why the 18lb valve springs. Here answer was one of the girls was wearing out here valve springs. I figure if she was running a box stock predator with stock springs and turning it what a box stock should be turning that she would wear out the springs.
Predator valve springs
- Thread starter bullerman
- Start date
DynoDon
Moderator
There are some hemi engines that are coming through with the valve springs right on the money to the 10.8 clone aftermarket spring. I had a request by my group here in Pennsylvania to allow the 10.8 valve spring. I did so only to catch a bunch of flak from a certain individual. In a roundabout way I understood the slack because he did not want to put the engine in the hands of the builder. I am in 100% agreement with that. It is not an easy job for the average person to change the valve springs on a hemi. So many would need to send the engine out to get it done. But I was so upset with the way it went down I decided I would do my own testing to see whether or not the 10.8 valve spring definitely was an advantage. Mainly because I had a group of guys telling me that they were almost positive that the engine was shutting off because the valve springs were weak. I bet them a $100 bill that he was wrong but he didn’t take me up on it. So I went ahead and did the Dyno testing anyway. Believe it or not the springs that did not measure 10.8 or stronger made more h.p. than the 10.8 springs. I will leave it at that
Mac_49
Member
I don't doubt that one bit and honestly that's pretty neat you went through the effort of finding out!
My suggestion/reasoning with the 10.8 is it's easy on the valvetrain and since they're popular with the clones they're super available basically anywhere you want to shop around at.
As the saying goes " I don't have a dog in this fight" I guess I really shouldn't care. I have been out of racing for about six years but I am starting back this year. Don't know how it will go. I think I can still do it. I will be 74 in August. I raced at this track when they first started racing the Predators. It was supposed to be a sealed motor. That didn't work.
Anyway they are letting the people go to the 18 lb valve springs this year and I was just wondering about it. I don't think most of them will understand what that will do. Apparently they think the springs will last longer and I guess they probably will. I know it is going to wear out more parts. They probably won't be able to understand that. I am pretty sure the stock predator came aren't flame hardened like Dyno cams so I don't know how long they will last with the extra pressure.
I thought the thread Dyno Don wrote was good. The old stock springs showed more hp than the aftermarket 10.8. If I run another Predator I know what springs I will run. We have 4 tracks within 100 miles of me. One of them allows aftermarket 10.8, two of them say stock springs and the one says 18lb.
Thanks for the comments.
Anyway they are letting the people go to the 18 lb valve springs this year and I was just wondering about it. I don't think most of them will understand what that will do. Apparently they think the springs will last longer and I guess they probably will. I know it is going to wear out more parts. They probably won't be able to understand that. I am pretty sure the stock predator came aren't flame hardened like Dyno cams so I don't know how long they will last with the extra pressure.
I thought the thread Dyno Don wrote was good. The old stock springs showed more hp than the aftermarket 10.8. If I run another Predator I know what springs I will run. We have 4 tracks within 100 miles of me. One of them allows aftermarket 10.8, two of them say stock springs and the one says 18lb.
Thanks for the comments.
A SIMPLE PLAN
Member
did i miss something in the original post... or was/is it just to be "understood?"
The motor has to be stock out of the box. You can put on a top plate and header. No other modifications except 18 lb springs.
no gov delete? override? if not, 3600R's what is the point of changing springs?
springs rated on the seat @ .850" right? stock is 10.8# but at .2" lift they are ~18#? the HD 10.8# springs are 19.x# at .2" lift. so extrapolating from then seat pressure and the .2" lift pressure.... @~.3" lift they will be 22#. too bad they dont come up with behive/ovate springs that we dont have to worry about coil bind at all til WILD lifts that most wont run.... i.e.; .450"
The motor has to be stock out of the box. You can put on a top plate and header. No other modifications except 18 lb springs.
no gov delete? override? if not, 3600R's what is the point of changing springs?
springs rated on the seat @ .850" right? stock is 10.8# but at .2" lift they are ~18#? the HD 10.8# springs are 19.x# at .2" lift. so extrapolating from then seat pressure and the .2" lift pressure.... @~.3" lift they will be 22#. too bad they dont come up with behive/ovate springs that we dont have to worry about coil bind at all til WILD lifts that most wont run.... i.e.; .450"
