Power piston springs

A power piston spring allows the power piston (aka "PP") to behave like a Holley power valve (or "PV"), that is, the enrichening system is controlled by the amount of vacuum the engine is producing- which is also an indication of how much load the engine is under. More load = less vacuum. Less vacuum = more enrichment, all else being equal. PP springs aren't always mentioned when Q-jet tuning is being discussed, but need to be addressed just like if it were a Holley PV. The same principals apply, as far as tuning for low vacuum cams, etc.At high vacuum, the vacuum exceeds the PP spring rate and the primary metering rods are pulled down into the main jets, leaning the fuel/air mixture. Conversely, when vacuum drops, like when under a load or the accelerator pedal is whacked WFO, the PP spring rate exceeds the pull from the engine vacuum, which allows the spring to lift the primary metering rods up to their smaller diameter, or "rich" position.If a “medium” PP spring = a Holley 6.5 in/Hg, a "soft" PP spring (allows enrichening to come in at a lower vacuum) would be like a 3.5 Holley PV; a “stiff” PP spring = a Holley PV of, say, 8.5 in/Hg. Longer duration cams will use a softer rate PP spring.Below, left is an image showing a variety of different springs. The springs vary in length, coils per inch, and wire diameter (0.012"- 0.020" in the collection below, as an example).The image to the right shows three different types of power piston. The power piston on the left with the rod extending from the bottom is used with the baseplate mounted APT adjustment.Edelbrock has four different PP springs: gold (4"/Hg), orange (5"/Hg), black (6"/Hg), and yellow (8"/Hg) in their p/n 1994 spring kit. These springs are also available in their "Race Calibration Kit" that contains a selection of main jets and rods, secondary rods, hangars, PP springs, high flow needle and seat and an accelerator pump. There are also other suppliers of PP springs and other various tune up and repair parts; see the links below this section.

• GM power piston spring p/n 7037305 is set for a tip in point of ~6 in/Hg, and would work well with a high vacuum, smooth idling and/or wide LSA type cam.
• GM PP spring p/n 7036019 has a tip in of about 8 in/Hg.
• GM part #7029922 is a rather weak spring that was OE for HO Pontiac engines from the early ‘70s. It delays enrichment until vacuum drops to ~3 in/Hg. This spring will work with durations >/= 230 degrees @ 0.050” lift.

GM/Delco PP springs come in packs of 10 springs unless you can talk your way into buying less.