l29 heads 454HO cam. looks like one needs to spend 75 bucks on rotator elims and a set of shims on top of the price of springs. are there any springs that set up at 2.2 installed height rather than 1.88 1.9? i figure a longer spring would be less stressed cuz it isn't being compressed so close to coil bind. i am looking at modest pressure. 100-110 closed. 350-ish tops over the nose. 510-540 lift 5500 max rpm. i did find some long springs, but they are 3 times the spring pressure this build calls for, thanks..

I doubt you'll be able to get 2.200 with out changing valves. And then you're into a set of $300 heads for $1000 or more. Too much clearance between the coils can cause stability issues also.

I take out the rotators and I have 2.2. and the rotators are .340 and the eliminators are .300. so I have to buy shims too. but the springs really want to be compressed to within about .2 of solid?

.06 minimum from coil bind. So 1.88-.54= 1.34-.06=1.28.

Max coil bind should be 1.28. An isky 8005 binds at 1.15 as an example.

Long springs are not better than short springs. Taller springs are for longer valve lifts pretty much. You don't want the spring a mile away from coil bind.

With the rotator eliminator in place, I take it you have 1.900 to the retainer when measuring, if I'm reading your post correctly? You'd be much better off there , than a 2.200 IH. Being nearly 1/4 inch from coil bind, is not good. You can get away with alot of slack in the springs when its a low rpm daily driver, but a marine engine that see's sustained higher rpm's, you don't want that. You may even want to go shorter than a 1.900 IH, if you have the physical clearance to do so (retainer to seal clearance). You also have the option of + or - .050 locks, along with shims.

Be sure to measure each valve's installed heights. Last shop that did some heads for me, the installed heights were all over the place, and they didn't even bother to shim things to even things out, so spring pressures were all over the map.