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bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? #2523928
07/19/18 03:34 AM
07/19/18 03:34 AM
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Lincoln Nebraska
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RapidRobert Offline OP
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how accurate are they & which one should I get? thank you for your time.


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2523968
07/19/18 10:09 AM
07/19/18 10:09 AM
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lewtot184 Offline
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they can vary with ambient temps. use a "checking " spring for comparisons. I use one for my little stuff but wouldn't consider one for any serious race stuff.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524053
07/19/18 12:54 PM
07/19/18 12:54 PM
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So Near, Yet So Far
topside Offline
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Used to sell one that was accurate within 1%. They're made by an old funny car racer friend of mine. Bench-tested every one. He also sells 'em to Summit, Jeg's, maybe Speedway, which they re-brand as theirs.
You can PM me if you like for his phone #.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524055
07/19/18 12:58 PM
07/19/18 12:58 PM
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lewtot184 Offline
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the one I have is the 300lb version and was bought thru Powerhouse (comp cams). have no idea who makes them.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524060
07/19/18 01:09 PM
07/19/18 01:09 PM
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Pattison Texas
CSK Offline
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The one I have is way off


1968 Charger COLD A/C Hilborn EFI
512ci 9.7 compression, Stealth heads, 4.10 gear A518 ODtrans 4100lb,10.93 full street car trim
2020 T/A 392 Stock 11.79 @ 114.5

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: CSK] #2524068
07/19/18 01:32 PM
07/19/18 01:32 PM
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dogdays Offline
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There are only two realistic factors for accuracy (or not).
What you're looking at is a piston in a cylinder exactly 1.00 square inch in area, and a pressure gauge. Both have to be accurate and if they are, the device is accurate.

As it is much easier to produce a cylinder that is 1.000 square inches, the major source of inaccuracy is the pressure gauge. SO, if the pressure gauge is accurate to within 1%, that is what the device's accuracy is, as well. If one wanted to be idiotic, the distance the centerline of the gauge is above or below the centerline of the cylinder counts too, but it is usually much smaller than the gauge's inaccuracy.

IMHO it is much easier to be inaccurate about measuring the distance between the vice jaws than any other part of this process. If one wishes to be super accurate buy a super accurate gauge and have it calibrated by a deadweight tester traceable to the National Institute of Science and Technology, before the series of spring tests.

There are other less accurate ways to assure accuracy.

R.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: topside] #2524090
07/19/18 02:27 PM
07/19/18 02:27 PM
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Val-haul-ass... eventually
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BradH Offline
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Originally Posted By topside
Used to sell one that was accurate within 1%. They're made by an old funny car racer friend of mine. Bench-tested every one. He also sells 'em to Summit, Jeg's, maybe Speedway, which they re-brand as theirs.
You can PM me if you like for his phone #.

The Proform tester I bought was JUNK. The one I bought from topside some years ago is consistent and pretty accurate, based on what my calibration spring and other "known quantity" springs read.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524151
07/19/18 04:37 PM
07/19/18 04:37 PM
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Carson City, Nevada
Biginchmopar Offline
pro stock
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LSM
Not cheep but great tool

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524180
07/19/18 05:46 PM
07/19/18 05:46 PM
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So. Burlington, Vt.
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fast68plymouth Offline
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A friend bought one of the Proform bench top units that uses the hyd cylinder with the pressure gage on it.
Brought it down to the shop and we checked it against a PAC calibration spring...... it was waaaay off.

It got sent back.


68 Satellite, 383 with stock 906’s, 3550lbs, 11.18@123
Dealer for Comp Cams/Indy Heads
Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524216
07/19/18 07:38 PM
07/19/18 07:38 PM
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lewtot184 Offline
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pretty sure the one I have is some kind of liquid filled. reads high at cooler temps. at room temps it's pretty good. I think it does better if it's "cycled" a couple of times before taking a final reading. they're not professional quality by any means but for the guy messing in the garage on stocker type stuff they're ok. the "test" spring that comes with them is a helps.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: lewtot184] #2524352
07/20/18 02:03 AM
07/20/18 02:03 AM
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Lincoln Nebraska
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RapidRobert Offline OP
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Damn! I think I might try a bathroom scales in a drill press! (I read about that once).


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524428
07/20/18 10:40 AM
07/20/18 10:40 AM
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lewtot184 Offline
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you just have to keep in perspective what your buying. if you want $1000 performance then your not going to get it for $100. as a tool the one tester I have has helped me a lot but I respect it's limits; and, (just an opinion), I think the 600lb one is silly.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: lewtot184] #2524550
07/20/18 02:35 PM
07/20/18 02:35 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
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RapidRobert Offline OP
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Quote:
you just have to keep in perspective what your buying.
Exactly


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524575
07/20/18 03:09 PM
07/20/18 03:09 PM
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Aurora, Colorado
451Mopar Offline
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They are easy to screw up if you try checking coil bind. Forgot to remove pressure gauge before checking coil bind height and over ranged the gauge.
Might have to get a load cell like:
https://www.omega.com/pptst/LC302.html

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524640
07/20/18 05:14 PM
07/20/18 05:14 PM
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lewtot184 Offline
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I would never try to check coil bind with one of these gauges.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524781
07/20/18 10:14 PM
07/20/18 10:14 PM
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So Near, Yet So Far
topside Offline
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One of the tricks is the oil type & volume; that took some figuring out. The reject rate on the gauges themselves varied, but sometimes 30% were off more than the 1% benchmark we thought acceptable, or they didn't give linear/progressively accurate readings.

Re: bench vise valve spring compressor psi checker, accurate? [Re: RapidRobert] #2524896
07/21/18 10:06 AM
07/21/18 10:06 AM
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lewtot184 Offline
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I found that the readings on the gauge I have match up very well with the advertised numbers (when I can find them) for the assortment of springs I have. as I've said, I only use this tool for single springs for my driver type stuff. for me it's a useful tool, but it's not a substitute for the professional type testers.







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