RV VALVE SPRINGS
Most of our rebuilds are 70-80’s V8’s. Quite often our customers want a camshaft upgrade. The so-called “RV” cam is often re- quested. The grind most everyone uses was designed for a SB Chevy using 1.5 ratio rocker arms. This same grind is offered for most Ford V8 engines as well. The trouble is these engines use either a 1.6 or a 1.73 ratio rocker arm which gives a much higher valve lift than when used in the Chevrolet. Some of these engines have a very short valve spring installed height due either to a short valve length or the use of a rotator for a spring retainer on the exhaust valves. The factory valve springs on most of these engines were never designed for higher valve lifts and fast ramp speeds. For these reasons we always sell new valve springs that are designed for use with these camshafts. New retainers will be needed to replace many stock retainers and rotators if so equipped. Don’t forget to check for retainer to valve seal clearance when using a performance cam in a Ford, or any engine for that matter. This is often overlooked. To ensure long engine life and performance make sure you match the correct valve spring with the camshaft you’ve chosen.
Patrick Paulsen
Laughlin Machine
Laughlin, NV
August, 2014
