Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 20:41:01 -0700 From: Mike West Subject: Re: valve springs >Mike West and others have guided us through the process of shimming the >rocker arms. [Has anyone] bought such springs? Is there >a spring store that I should know about? If not, any clever substitutes? > >Jack - -0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Well . . . . . . I ended up getting a couple fair springs from a furniture repair shop. They are the coil spring for the back of some chair. Basically they are 1" in diameter, and just under 2" long. The big difference is the wire diameter is less that 1/16" Take your spring and the retainer cap when you go to pick one out. I have since decided that in a pinch I could even use an oil relief valve spring from the V-dub. The criteria are: has to go over the valve stem . . . has to compress 0.400" after installed . . . with your fingers. Take a look at the valve assy with the spring removed, there are several shoulders of different diameters where the spring can sit. If you just want to hold the valves halfway open, cut a spacer out of a piece of plastic pipe the right length and let the valve assy, less spring sit on that. You'll have to slit the side of the spacer so it can be installed with the retainer cap in place. west Re: valve springs