Valvetrain question for you builders....

[TBass]

I was shopping for the suggested valve springs and components for the cam I am going to run, and in doing so I ran across this difference in parts that made me question myself. Comp (who I'm not impressed with) sells retainers and locks separate from the springs. However Lunati offers the entire kit in order to facilitate the suggestion. What I ran across is that the Lunati kit comes with a set of 7-degree locks and retainers with "2/4 grooves". The Comp stuff doesn't specify the number of grooves, but is 10-degree stuff. I thought original valves were single groove??? Am I wrong? Mind you, I know that as long as I change retainers and locks, the degree don't matter, but ordering that kit to find out the grooves are wrong is not a good weekend in my driveway. Just want to make sure I have the right stuff on it's way.

 

[IQ52]

If you are running stock heads with stock valves, they are most likely the 2/4 groove combination. If you order the 627-16 Comp Cams lock set you get 1/2 set of 2 groove and 1/2 set of 4 groove 10 degree locks that will work with most stock factory 3/8 stem big block valves. The only single square groove valves, in stock heads, I have seen, have been aftermarket valves.

 

[TBass]

Yes. They are stock 516s. They've been apart for a valve job once and I've been running them since. Just time for a cam change. Just didn't make sense to me that Lunati is selling something totally different.

 

[Meep-Meep]

I have seen both types - single groove and multi groove. The multi groove keepers with corresponding valves function as valve rotators. If this is what you have make sure there are distinct individual grooves in the valve stems. I have seen these multi grooved valves worn so bad that the space between the grooves becomes razor sharp, and that creates a lot of up and down play.