Necrobump. What cams were you running when you cracked OE retainers? You're the only instance I've been able to find of this. @SW20Mike

 

I'm running GSC springs and stock retainers. I don't need the lighter weight of the Ti retainers ,though. OEM will last forever, anyway.

 

 

$100 seems cheap compared to even an "off" chance of dropping a valve... if a retainer completely fails.

 

 

Titanium retainers have a drawback too. They sometimes fuse with the keepers. You will have a fun time pulling it apart when that time ever comes.

 

I've always been.told OEM lasts longer, so.I.kept them.

 

That's not even something to consider. I'd much rather deal with that than a dropped valve. And I seriously doubt it's nothing a real pneumatic valve spring compressor tool wouldn't be able to handle.

That may hold true in a forged vs OEM piston or Bronze valve guide vs OEM steel/iron guide debate. But titanium is 100% without a doubt stronger and has a much longer fatigue life than aluminum.

 

Ive been beating on the GSC springs and OEM retainers with S1 cams for a few years. Stock engine banging on 7800rpms a ton, 2.3l banging on 8k wayy to much.. until it broke the 100mm crank. Now 2.2l but I rarely hit the rev limiter set to 8k. Will be bumping that to maybe 8500 this year, we'll see how adventurous I feel. But the caps have never been a worry of mine.

 

same here.
I only "upgrade" parts of I need to.

And I've learned that whenever one person tells me one thing and someone else tells me the opposite ,it usually means either way works.

 

GSC S2 cams. I was told by everyone the OE retainers would be fine, and maybe they are and I'm just an extraordinary circumstance.

 

Hey Mike. Heres a clip from the GSC website. There maybe more to it than GSC trying to selling more parts, but maybe their research has proven the TI retainers are really needed (im running their full recommendation on my S2's)

 

It says springs or springs and retainers, which confirms what we've all been saying. Good info!

 

I forgot to mention I was also running MAP beehive springs, so possibly be ok with OEM springs with OEM retainers. However, I'd recommend just swapping it all out plus GSC valve stem seals at the same time.

 

OEM springs + S2 seems sketch. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with that.