MTFCA Forum

After taking apart the engine in my 27, I noticed the valve springs didn't all look the same. I lined them up, by length, but put the longest next to the shortest.

. .

There's about half an inch difference, the longest is about three inches, shortest about two and a half.

Just for fun, I measured the installed height, looks like around two and one eighth. I set a combination square to that length, and used it to push the shortest and longest springs on a an old dial type bathroom scale. Short one...just under ten pounds. Longest...just under thirty pounds.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the car not wanting to go very fast? Although I found plenty of other things wrong with it, as well.

I'm in the same boat with my '23 that sat for a couple decades.

waiting on parts right now, but she's getting a whole new valvetrain

How fast do you want to go?

Even with the stretched one, you could still be in the ballpark pressure wise. You could check them, put one back in get height open and closed and check what they all are, OR just get a new set.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/11 ... 1290583315

I'm getting a new set, of course.

I just thought it was interesting, how bad they can get....

I want to go faster than 25 or 30.

I ask, because at 25-30, you're pretty much at the torque/horsepower optimum range. Over 35 and you're well over braking ability, and past the point of bullet-proof reliability. T's driven at 25-30 will last pretty much forever, but when driven over 35 on a regular basis have a much shorter life between significant refreshes. Counterbalanced cranks, balanced rods/pistons, etc and you can up the reliability aspect 5-10MPH, but before I spent that kind of money for a few MPH, I'd just buy an "A" and have real brakes and be done with it.

Montana 500 folks get a LOT more speed out of them, and you can, too...just ask them for their cam specs, and good luck with that.

Thanks for the info, Scott.

I probably won't need to buy new valve springs, and several other parts I was thinking of getting.

Scott, I don't necessarily disagree with you. But alot of the good running T's I see run 35-40 pretty regularly. They all have been rebuilt in some manner, not all have Scat cranks. My T, personally likes 25-33, I'm OK with that. The next engine will be much more refined.

Jim, you probably already know, but Chaffins is also in CA and great for parts for you, I'd definitely buy new springs. I personally would not buy the reproduction retainers or retainer pins. You can use SBC 11/32 stem exhaust valves (if you open the guide and grind new seats) and Ford 9N retainers and the appropriate 7 degree locks, and you'd have a fresh valvetrain free from the stock two piece valves. Stock T springs fit those retainers just fine. I actually use '72 Ford 351W exhaust valves and matching stock locks.

Thanks for the info about Chaffin's, I'll give them a look.

I'm probably going to stick with the stock valvetrain for now. All of the valves but one are one piece, somehow a two piece with a well worn stem was still in there, I'll replace it with a new stock valve.