How often (miles possibly?) are people changing out springs with solid rollers? I changed out my first set at around 3,300 miles to "play it safe."
Ok i will have to get that on order. BB with Edelbrock 440 max wedge heads. What tool you guys using to remove and install springs with heads on the engine?
The one I've been using looks like the Comp 5324, but I don't remember paying that much for it. It works ok, but is somewhat labor intensive. If I was buying now, I'd get the LSM on head spring compressor as well.
To any lift really.
So the spring will have some rating for @seat and specific lift (spring compression) given the particular spring rate. If you want to check whether the spring still holds true to those values (assuming of course that you did that check already to start off with when you originally installed the springs) then yeah, simply push down on the rocker arm until the valve shows the desired lift and read off the pressure the tool is seeing.
I find that tool to be the quickest way to actually check the "health" of the valvespring fairly quickly (stll installed, all you need to do is to yank the valve cover off and go measuring).
Realistically speaking, as you get into more aggresive springs (and therefore higher spring rates) it's much easier to check @seat and maybe half-lift...ha ha, the arm sure gets a pretty good workout. I only did this a couple of times, so I suspect that the engine builders on here probably have much more robust and easier/better ways of accomplishing the same thing.
With the last two sets of springs, I brought them to a machine shop and both sets were measured right were they were spec'd at @ installed height and 0.600"(?) lift. And both sets measured low by me, brand new when installed on the heads. I haven't checked installed height myself, but with the first set of springs I asked the machine shop to install the springs with 215 pounds @ 1.950". I chalk the discrepancy up to my measuring technique
I'm always interested in learning how other people use the on head testers. I only check the seat pressure a few times a year, but I do have the AR Engineering plate that would make measuring at lift a little easier
