[SSedan64]

What clearance is recommended for spring to inside locator seats, locator to guide, & spring to retainer using aluminum heads? Building a new set and want to make sure these are correct. Thanks for any specs.

[Stroke]

Depends on your set-up, but .005 to .010 on the diameter. Also the fit on the guides should be as close as possible...not tight. If you can't use a locator (I.D.) without wacking the guide boss, use a cup. Some ID locators just don't work, and then you go with a spring cup. That sits in the spring pocket and has no fittage on the guide boss. Check your installed height and don't leave excessive clearance in the coil bind deal! Shim as necessary. Your retainers should be matched to the springs, and if from the same maker should have the proper clearances - you would think. What springs, retainers locators etc are you using? Have your bosses been cut for seals? If so, what's the diameter? What diameter spring seat on your heads? What valve spring? What heads?

[SSedan64]

Originally Posted by Stroke

Depends on your set-up, but .005 to .010 on the diameter. Also the fit on the guides should be as close as possible...not tight. If you can't use a locator (I.D.) without wacking the guide boss, use a cup. Some ID locators just don't work, and then you go with a spring cup. That sits in the spring pocket and has no fittage on the guide boss. Check your installed height and don't leave excessive clearance in the coil bind deal! Shim as necessary. Your retainers should be matched to the springs, and if from the same maker should have the proper clearances - you would think. What springs, retainers locators etc are you using? Have your bosses been cut for seals? If so, what's the diameter? What diameter spring seat on your heads? What valve spring? What heads?

(Looking for a general clearance tolerance)
I'm using aluminum heads, spring pockets are 1.550" OD., bronze guides OD..560", Dual springs no damper ID.796",
The reason I ask is when looking in my CompCams and other catalogs they seem to have clearances as much as .100" between spring & retainer and spring & inside spring locator seats. I'm looking for a measurement that wont be too tight when hot/cold and not so loose that the springs are going to be moving around. The springs I'm using have specs identical to Comp 914's but much cheaper. The retainers I have have closer spring to retainer tolerances than most I see in the catalogs and when I looked up the matching brand retainers for my springs.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PERFO...QQcmdZViewItem

This is what I have now>
DualSprings- OD=1.437", ID Outer Spring 1.084",ID Inner Spring .790"
Titanium retainers OD.=1.347, ID.Outer Spring= 1.072, ID. Inner Spring = .717

[SSedan64]

Looking for a general clearance tolerance between springs & retainer,inside locator seats. Or what clearance most head builders recommend. Thanks for any ideas.

[Stroke]

This is going to depend on what you choose. There are plenty of compatible spring/retainer/lock/locator combos out there. With what you're doing it may require you to actually measure and fit everything as opposed to getting what a specific mfr has to offer. If you have movement top or bottom your springs are going to be all over the place. Even with the proper set-up there can be a lot of motion in the springs (Beehive) / (Dual Spring) / (Triple Spring) . If you do not set-up with minimum coil bind clearance (read too much) this may increase the motion of the spring and create problems due to wear and/or breakage.

[SSedan64]

Stroke I knew things up top flexed but I've never seen an actual SpinTron running in time lapse. That's amazing how much those stems were flexing. And the rocker bounce too.
Good site. They must have a very expensive camera to catch that many frames per second.