Was about to replace the valve covers when I noticed this crap. It's bits of blue plastic and a metal ring. I think it came out of those springs as I can see blue plastic inside them. How bad is this and how do I fix it? I have no idea how to get into that spring.

 

The metal ring looks like a broken valve spring. The plastic is a valve guide seal.

Needs new valve springs and seals.

 

I have roller rocks and comp cam. Will I need special springs and seals?

 

That would explain why the valve springs broke.

Stock springs are barely not too weeenie for weeeeeeenie stock cams. They are ALTOGETHER UTTERLY TOTALLY inadequate for ANY aftermarket cam.

Check the Comp catalog for the recommended spring for your cam. Use it. Set it up properly. Setup is every bit as important as the part #: expect more of the same if you just take it out of the box and slap it on.

Lose those oil splash shields and the exh valve "rotators" as part of the process.

 

Forgive my ignorance but isn't that broken ring I pulled out a lot skinnier than the valve springs pictured. Could it be something else, like a retainer or something? Also what part exactly is the splash shield and rotators? This is a learning experience for me as you can probably tell

 

Looks like pieces of a valve stem seal. If the cam lift is too high the retainers are smashing into the seals.

RBob.

 

So a longer spring would remedy this? What do you think that skinny plastic ring is from?

 

The broken ring pieces look to be valve spring diameter. (~1.25")

The plastic pieces are part of valve stem seals.

No, different springs will not cure the retainers hitting the valve stem seals, if in fact that's what's going on.

What cam is in the motor? What springs? What was the installed height of the springs set to?

 

Not sure exactly, the build sheet just says comp cam for 350 and roller rockers. Stock springs I believe. How would you remedy this?

 

Remnants of an old rotten oil cap??

 

You need to find someone in person to help you out or take it to a shop. No offense but it sounds like you are in over your head and you wouldn't want to spend the money to redo this and find out you did it wrong. Chances are the pushrod length was not checked either. You need to find out the exact part number of the cam that is in the engine. Find out the part number of the springs if they are not stock. If the springs are not stock you need to know what height they were installed at. Look up the cam and see what springs will be required. Check the pushrods if any are bent and check the length. Might also need to make sure the lifters are not collapsed either.... Never know, but if the retainers and seals were the only things that were hurt consider yourself lucky, and warned.

 

Glad I didn't have to say that. If you found that on top of the head, what fell into the lifter valley or into the pan?

Too many people think a cam swap is easy only to find out there are more things to check than just piston to valve clearance.

I really have no idea what the large ring is part of but the rubber pieces really look like a valve seal was hammered out by the bottom of a spring retainer. Seeing those deflector cups and rotators, I'd say the heads and springs are still 100% stock parts

 

1. Find out what cam it is.
2. If you can't, buy a cam KNOWN to be good for an otherwise stock TPI motor (as long as you leave those long runners on there, consider this as describing your setup) such as the Comp "502" grind. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-08-502-8
3. For whatever cam you have or end up with, look at Comp's catalog and find what springs, retainers, keepers, etc. are supposed to go with it. Consider the "premium" choice or whatever they call it instead of the "just barely adequate" one. Might want to also consider LS series beehives; visit Texas Speed for those. https://www.texas-speed.com/p-415-co...set-of-16.aspx You'll need Comp 787 retainers and the matching keepers for them since the ones that would ordinarily go with them are for a different valve stem diameter.
4. Install said parts carefully, paying particular attention to valve spring installed height. You'll need a spring compressor and a height micrometer. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wmr-w89409/overview/ and http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-66902/overview/ for example.
5. Consider actual roller rockers, with a roller trunnion as well as a roller tip. The ones you have are CONSIDERABLY better than stock but still leave a good bit to be desired. Avoid cheeeeeep ebay knockoffs and such. Get steel ones, NOT aluminum, for street use. Such as http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cr...2-16/overview/.

 

Looks like self align rockers on non sa heads, might have bound up.

 

Good spot!
No matter what else is "wrong" and gets fixed, THAT needs to change.

 

OK...educational moment for me....how can you tell that?

 

Im guessing by looking at the size of the pushrod hole. They definitely seem very small. Barely wider than my guideplates.

Either way, everyone else has already nailed the important things. You need to know what you have to know what you need to make sure you dont break any more things.

Those metal pieces look kind of like chunks of valve seal to me...



But I cant really sure what size they are from his picture.

Either way, if valve seals are shredding then you will still need new springs. Those stock springs cant handle anythign that's hitting the valve guides.

 

Self aligning rockers, you can see that by the bigger round disks on each side of roller tip.

Non SA heads.. Small oblong push rod slots in the head.

With a SA head, the push rod passes through a big hole, rather than a small slot.

 

Yup...I had noticed that. Nice to know for sure though.


OK, I see that now.

Very good. Learning something new every day here. Thanks.

 

Those look like center bolt heads to me which would mean the rockers are correct. Is the motor smoking at all. To get to the seal is easy. You need an air chuck that goes in to the spark plug hole and a spring compressor. Both parts are cheep. You will fill the cylinder up with air and compress the spring with one hand and carefully pull the valve locks out with the other hand. the valve will stay in place as long as you keep it under pressure. When you go to put the springs back together use a little Vaseline on the locks or grease to help keep them in place it will make it a little easier. I would check the seals though.

 

Are your rockers the 1.52 or the 1.6 ratio rockers?

 

You can also get a spring for checking clearance. I don't remember what there called but its a light skinny spring so you can fit a feeler gage between the spring and retainer. You install the skinny spring rotate the motor tell you think your at full lift and check for clearance to make sure your not hitting. Most people recommend at least .050" clearance.