Memories of my friends 1970 LS-6 Red convertible

[WILMASBOYL78]

Originally Posted by JRSully

The original valve keepers were very suspect back then, many dropped valves in the HiPo BBs

The valve train was definitely the weak link in the hi-perf big blocks...replacing springs, keepers, retainers, seals and ideally new aftermarket one piece valves is good insurance.

Dropped valves, broken springs and keepers were responsible for a lot of CE motors.

-wilma

[ssl78]

This is what the original owner to my L78 conv wrote me


"Yes, I dropped a valve twice, and the street racers/wrenches, said to put after market,
better valve springs in, Chevrolet wouldn't do it under warranty. So the third time a valve spring broke, I ran it at high RPM, till it quit, put the valve in the piston. A mechanic that worked on it the third time, told me Baston took it upon themselves, to upgrade the valve springs. Not sure if that was the truth, but never broke a valve spring after that".

[dustinm]

Those factory springs are like wet noodles, float the valves causing the rest of the damage.


To quote ssl78.. I cant imagine intentionally blowing up an engine on a new car just to get new springs. Why not purchase and install them himself?

[olredalert]

----Both times I broke valve springs on my 1966 427/425 Corvette it was on start up. Guess I just lucked out as the inner held the valve up at idle. After the second I had the main Corvette tech at Bob McDormans replace all the springs. He was racing the same combo and put good springs in.......Bill S

[Bill Pritchard]

Originally Posted by dustinm

I cant imagine intentionally blowing up an engine on a new car just to get new springs. Why not purchase and install them himself?

Because purchasing and installing them himself was $$$ out of his pocket, and if the dealer somehow found out about it later, bye-bye warranty. Blow up the engine and all the expense is covered by GM.