I have an Evo 8 with all the mods below besides the cams,springs and a few others but they are all being installed.
Question here is I just read somewhere that If you install Kelford 272 cams putting in
stiffer valve springs can actually hurt the performance of the Cam. Does this hold any truth? I am putting in Beehive springs and Titanium retainers because I heard that with the kelfords you need to get a stronger spring? I have not yet ordered the springs or retainers yet so this is why I ask. I would think putting in better springs would always be a good thing right? I would like to bump up my rev limiter a little and be able to have some extra rpms up top as long as I am not losing alot of power up top. I just like a higher winding engine but I know thats not always a good thing.
So any tips or .02 on whether or not the springs are needed, a good idea, a must, or a bad thing would be great. I already have searched around for this and havent found much. THank you

 

Yes, good beehives are recommened with the Kelford 272 cams due to the agressive ramp rates.

The Kiggley beehives, BeeMad, Ferrea Beehives, GSC 5041kit all work well with the Kelford 272

You will need them to keep the follower in contact with the cam in the higher RPM range.

You may want to look through this.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/en...ring-info.html

**EDIT**

I can not stress enough how importaint that the springs be installed properly, meaning each valve's spring measured and the spings be shimmed as needed to achive the installed height needed.

 

Thanx, Ya i figured its necessary. I just didnt know if there's any truth in what I read about softer springs will make the kelfords perform better

 

my car currently has HKS 272 cams and supertech springs/retainers. I'm thinking about HKS 280, will that be fine with my current springs retainers?

 

Since GSC is on this fourm, Check with them on the 5041 kit, I perfer them due to them being a taller spring than the Kiggley and BeeMad

I can not give you an honest anwser to your question with out some more details.

What part number ST springs/retainers did you have installed?

What is the net lift of the HKS 280s?

What installed spring height was used?

What is the spring seat pressure?

 

I can't answer those questions LOL. I bought the car 5 days ago and am an EVO newb.

 

We were all newbs at some point.

So basicly you are at square one,

All the above needs to be found out and checked before I would say it is ok to just drop in the 280's.

Do you know if the ST springs are duals or singles?

Did you get any recipts when you bought the car?

So unless you want to pull the head and get the anwsers to the above questions, leave the 280's in the box on the shelf. Untill you know what valve spring set up you have.

 

theres no need to pull the head to do valve springs can be done easily with head in situ

 

Oh no doubt that it can be done with the head still in the car.

But most mechanics I know do not check installed height of the valves springs, or have the shims on hand if needed.

If the head has been off, and had a valve job, the factory set specs are off.

Cut the valve seat, the spring installed height has changed.
Grind the valve face, the spring installed height has changed.

Now the new box of valve springs you bought to match your new cams, say they install at 85lbs @ 1.580

But after the valve job, the installed height is 1.610, you will not have 85lbs on the seat. We will say 55-60 on the seat.

So you install the new springs, with out measuring the installed height. Now the cams do not perform like they should.

Valve float happens, follower chatter in the upper RPMs.

Now who is at fault?

The spring manufacture?
The cam Manufacture?
Or the guy who installed the springs and did not check the valve spring installed height?

It is always better to know, than assume.

 

dont turn it into another dark art , its a simple job , measurements and all .

 

No it is not a dark art at all, just some basic math, and attention to detail, and a handfull of specality tools.

 

Forget it.

 

I know that my st springs are singles.

 

having been around this car for awhile, and done the above swap on cams etc, i have an idea of what i would do but I am NO expert so take my advice with a grain of salt (or the 3 glasses of 100pf bourban ive had prior).

realisticly speaking, with the kelfords you can set your limiter and not need any valvetrain work and just drive it the way it is with gobs of more power.

that being said, on the off chance you drive like an a-hole and float a valve you are in trouble.

i got the S2s in my car, stock turbo. figured while i was in there i might as well replace the springs seats and retainers for peace of mind. it will allow you to rev higher without the worry of popping something important.

the cams and everything else CAN be installed without removing the head, so the little extra money spent could be good insurance since your already in there.

my rec, for what its worth (if you stick with kelfords over GSC....why....?) just do it all at once an not worry about it.

gl on your build, keep us posted. cheers brotha.

 

Just by the nature of the single, straight spring, I would not install a 280 cam on it.