Rebuilding a head, question on retainers, springs, and etc.

[bruno8747]

I'll see if I can get you pics of the Ferrea locks and the oem locks.

The Ferrea design is slightly longer and it does hold the valve tighter, I know this because it was a pain in the ass getting them in the pockets. But once they are in they are tight and perfect fit.

The problem that I found out was that the oem locks will tend to deform at high revs and move about inside the retainer pocket. Thus making a groove in the pocket and causing the valve to pull through.

Its isolated cases but still there none the less.

[myk]

Dont worry about thread jacking, its all good info being spread around


To add about the valve locks and retainers, titanium do wear fast no matter what locks you use on a daily driver. I just got back from my tuner (Mike @ www.kingmotorsports.com) asked him a few questions and he even suggested if I chose to run an aftermarket valvetrain that you stay away from titanium retainers and use chromoly steel, like the crower retainers.

[bruno8747]

Dont worry about thread jacking, its all good info being spread around


To add about the valve locks and retainers, titanium do wear fast no matter what locks you use on a daily driver. I just got back from my tuner (Mike @ www.kingmotorsports.com) asked him a few questions and he even suggested if I chose to run an aftermarket valvetrain that you stay away from titanium retainers and use chromoly steel, like the crower retainers.

Well some people choose to run the steel ones and some choose to run the titanium ones, The main reason to run the titanium ones is the weight compromise. The TI ones are the lightest and strongest for the weight. They are not they strongest over all but for weight savings and performance they are the best.

Ferrea and Manley are the only 2 companies that made valve locks for the F22A but I think with the h22 supertec should have what you want. Aswell as ferrea and manley.

[bruno8747]

sorry to possibly jack your thread myk but this is the first time ive heard other people mentioning this problem with mixing and matching valve locks.

bruno, by the lock being longer, do you mean it just came to a sharper point at the bottom? because all locks should be the same overall size and wedge angle, minus the newer style that honda is using.

ive actually had a problem in the past with reusing OEM locks in a set of aftermarket retainers, just to find them pulling through after 1k miles. i attributed this problem to the poorly made, possibly no-name retainers - not the original OEM locks that were previously fine.

i was under the understanding that it was not even necessary to use brand new OEM locks instead of reusing old ones... to be honest with the lack of mention of swapping locks, ive always assumed that just about everybody reuses their OEM locks when installing new valve springs/retainers. my reputable machine shop didnt have a problem with reusing them either.

is this a documented or otherwise known problem of mixing and matching used OEM valve locks with new titanium retainers? id just like to know a little more about this, because i have a set of used OEM retainers installed into a newly built head, which is going into a car soon :X

Mike that was the problem with your retainers, The OEM locks tend to pull through because they move around in the pocket too much, I cant get the pic of the ferrea retainers and locks right now but the way they are they have little to no room to move about, Unlike the oem ones that have some play.

Hope I was some help to you guys, I've had the aftermarket valve train for a while and had to research all these stupid issues before even doing anything.