Thanks bud. If my memory is right, the 9905s are too light for me ...

MT, I have had good luck with Crower 68385X2 springs. I don't know what can you are running but check them out and tell me what you think.

165# at 1.900", spring rate of 475.

Maybe one of you cylinder head guys can shed some light for me. In the past, i've always left this stuff up to the machine shops. Deciding to stop taking their words on things these days.

Played around a little more today, snapped a few pics. You can see where the spring base was rubbing on the locators.

I mic'd each setups installed heights. Measurements in the pics. .045 off from tallest to shortest.

Need to bring springs to shop and check the pressures, but from my homework, these were ISKY 9925 springs, according to their stripe colors, and physical dimensions. Shop originally had told me they "came in around 165psi on the seat, and 450ish open". I dont see how that is possible with install heights ranging from 2.00 to 2.045 . FWIW, all this stuff is going in the trash, but......

And a video clip of the slop in the spring/locator fitment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCkhwpDDL5w&feature=youtu.be

Clearly the wrong ID locator for that spring and I agree...there was no way you were getting 165# with those installed heights. The variation in installed heights comes from measuring the first one and "assuming" the rest will be the same just because the retainers and locks are "supposed" to be the same. Depending on where you get them (retainers and locks) they may vary as much as you see or even more. To get installed heights right, every valve needs to be measured. Springs, retainers and locators all need to be matched for proper fit. I'll share one other little detail most don't know; if you look at the pic of your valve spring, the ends of the coils are different on the inner and outer. The outer looks like it's clipped off straight and square, and the inner looks like it has a point to it. There is a top and bottom to each valve spring...the top is the end with the point, and the bottom is the end that is cut square. If you look at your spring, the other end of the outer will have a point, the the other end of the inner will be cut square. That spring in your pic needs to have the inner removed and flipped over so the points are on one end and the square cuts on the other. The pointed ends go up when you install the spring. I can see that the tip of the valve stem in the video doesn't look real happy either.

Thanks for the insight ! Definitely making some changes to the setup. Fun learning what to do and what not to do. Going with all new springs and hardware, and plan to spend the time evening the install heights, proper hardware fitment, and so on.

Isky Tool Room. You won't regret the little extra dough

Little update. Pulled heads off and brought them to head shop.

Spring pressure checked out at 180psi on the seat, and 470 open.

There were definite signs of the spring/locators and what not in severe rotation. Polish marks in the aluminum under the locator as well. They are not the 9925 springs I thought they were.

At max lift, I was only around 1.400" of the spring due to the excessive install height with these springs. His thoughts were, besides the locator and retainer being the wrong pieces, the fact the spring was setup a mile from coil bind/full stack, the springs were probably seeing a significant surge condition and walking around.

Getting all new springs, hardware, and a fresh valve job. The valves did not have a backcut on them, but will now.

Mike@ High flow will set you up right, he`s very detail oriented and won`t just throw a bunch of incorrect parts together like LAN (LAM?) or whatever that mickey mouse shop is called. I wouldn`t let them tie my shoes.
My heads were a mess too.