Thread: Question on valve spring

I plan on doing a cam swap here on the spring, but i'm ready to top swap next week. So I was woundering if I can swap( while the heads are off) and run 105s safely until I do the cam swap in the spring.

Why are the heads off? I would imagine you could run the heavier springs, but I do not know if the stock cam shaft is hardened enough to withstand the extra force. If you do change the springs you should change the chain the same time. The old chain will fail under the extra force. Why do you want to change the springs now? You'll need to take everything apart again to do the cam I would just wait till then.

he's doing a top swap which requires him to use L67/L32 heads.

I am top swapping so the heads are already off. I was thinking of throwing the springs on now while the heads are off, that way when im ready for my cam swap I don't have to take the heads off again, or pressurize the cylinder while i change the springs.

Why don't you just hold off until you can do the top swap and the cam at the same time? Seems pointless to do the same work twice for no reason...

I think you'll be fine going ahead and putting the springs in it might but a bit more wear and tear on the valve train but you'll probably be replacing the timing chain and dampener. Ill let others chime in though!

Originally Posted by Anthony Smith

Why don't you just hold off until you can do the top swap and the cam at the same time? Seems pointless to do the same work twice for no reason...

You don't have to pull the heads to do a cam.....

Valve springs will be easier to swap with the heads off I say go for it.

Plus if you drop a valve like I did when I did my springs you'll have to pull the head anyway and rear was a pain to do valve sprigs in with the motor in the car.

Originally Posted by REDCOMPG

You don't have to pull the heads to do a cam.....

Ok....but you still have to pull the fuel rail, injectors, valve covers, rockers, push rods, supercharger, lower intake and lifters so.....why would you do all the work twice? Be patient, build it all at once and be done.

Originally Posted by Anthony Smith

Ok....but you still have to pull the fuel rail, injectors, valve covers, rockers, push rods, supercharger, lower intake and lifters so.....why would you do all the work twice? Be patient, build it all at once and be done.

Those things are pretty simple to pull doesn't take whole lot of time or effort. He's having to remove his heads now anyways to top swap why wouldn't he just take the extra and go ahead and do his valve springs why he's at it?

105 springs are some of the easier on valve train springs that we have available. I would put them on w/o worries.


On the work invoved for a cam swap... I disagree, all the time of putting in a camshaft is getting the lifters out. If we didn't have to pull the lifters, it would take an hour or two for a cam swap at the most.

Lower cradle 20 min (including draining coolant and supporting car)
Pull timing cover 10 min
Remove chain and thrust plate 5 min
Slide cam out. 5 min

As for dropping a valve into the motor, if you have the intake off, you don't usually have to pull the head. The right sized magnet and a zip tie have been some of the worlds best tools on a bad day for me. Another trick is if you don't have air to hold the valves closed, ensure you've rotated the engine to have the piston up on the cylinder you are working on. Valve can't go far if the piston is at the top of the stroke.

And God of the 3800 has spoken!

I'll never do another cam swap at a guys house where there's no power. String trick didn't work so well for holding the valve in question up.

Lol the magnet trick didn't work for me so I just pulled the heads and recently dropped them off to the machine shop and ill have him check them before I throw them back on. Never will I do another cam swap in my driveway lol

So at the end of the day black with this you can do whatever your heart desires. For what it is worth doing valve springs with the engine in the car isn't a huge deal as long as you can fill the cylinder with air or bring the piston TDC.

I think everyone's forgetting the part where he is doing a top swap that's why the heads need to be pulled off so why not make it easier for himself just in case he doesn't have a decent sized air compressor to do the valve while they're still on the car. Plus he's having to change the head gasket anyways just save yourself the time (when you do the cam) and go ahead and deal with heads all at once and valve springs are a lot easier to do with the heads off then on especially the rear)

^^^ Heard that lol. Thanks bill, always appreciate your words of wisdom. But i may just wait for the cam swap becuase i don't want to buy the supercharger and LIM Gasket Twice. ( or can i reuse them if they are that new?)

Reuse the lim gasket. Replace the SC gasket that's like $8 or so from Zzp last time I checked. If it was me and I could afford some downtown with the car I would do the cam swap with the top swap and be done taking the car apart.