hepolite valve springs

[EDDIE SIMPSON]

i have a post 66 thunderbolt cylinder head with one set of valve springs missing so bought a new set on the internet to save time. these are branded as hepolite and looked good in the packet. however the coil wire thickness is thicker than the originals and when assembled the coils are bound up before the originals. in the end i only used one of the hepolite set and kept the originals in place. is this another case of inferior pattern parts or am i worrying too much about coil binding?

[Dibble]

Hi Eddie l experienced an almost identicle problem the solution for which is still been sorted. As well as the problems you describe the hepolite replacements would not sit in the valve seat cups! After lots of conversations with people who knew much more than me we discovered hepolite never made springs or many other of the parts now festooned with their logo! Another take-over story? The most helpfull suppliers for me at this time turned out to be C&D Autos of Henley. Cannot thank them enough.Good luck. Dave

[Bess]

Hi,
    I don't think you are worrying too much. Spring coil binding could bend push-rods, damage the cams etc. From 1966 onwards there are 3 different springs specified if you include the Wasp. Many manufactures have generalised the springs for the market and some don't fit fully into the cups which exacerbates binding. Also from experience, parts such as cups, valves, collets and guides have been mixed up by past users over the years causing issues.

I now carefully check the complete head assembly and buy my springs from SRM in Wales which are nearest to the original specification including the correct poundage when the valves are open and closed.

Best wishes...

[Spaceman]

This seems to be a well documented problem using generic valve springs on the A65. Specs for these can take the following form:

Outer spring length @ 1.805"
Inner spring length @ 1.407"
Outer coil wire thickness @ .160"
Inner coil wire thickness @ .119"
Outer Coil wire count @ 6
Inner coil wire count @ 6

The valve lift figure I found was 0.306" and, if the springs run out of compression and bind with this level of compression, then I would have thought it would not be safe to use them as they might damage the engine and probably the push rods in particular.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

I would go with the SRM springs.  They build engines and will not risk failure and damage to their reputation by using iffy parts assuming that what they use is what they supply.  C&D Autos is probably another trustworthy supplier as the brothers who run the business have been doing it for well over 30 years and whenever I have had a question they seem very knowledgeable.  I suspect that many of the suppliers out here all get their stock from the same place and although it will vary, their knowledge may not be as extensive as they would like us to believe.

Also, we must always send stuff back and complain if things are wrong.

Dave.

[Mike Farmer]

 

Abso agree. Send it back and publish it here. If it aint right and dont fit----then it aint right and dont fit. Simples. I'm just about to send back a set of fork bushes. Lower bushes about +005" and wont go into the fork sliders. Top ones go well into sliders with about -005" slack. Would be an instant MOT failure therefore--unsafe. (I know no MOT needed, but it would fail.)
The lower bushes where compared with a set of NOS factory bushes.

I contacted supplier. "Its what we always supply, but if you not happy feel free to return them. Good

Mike

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi Mike,

Who was the supplier?

DFave.

[Mike Farmer]

 

Hi Dave

If you don't mind I'll hold that info until I've/they have finished dealing with it. Then I'll tell them my intention to publish. From my standpoint they have dealt with this situ in a straight forward and sensible manner. Its a Co that I have dealt with before on several satisfactory occasions. I could only really publish the fact that they are happily exchanging.

I got a replacement set from KMC--not perfect but very satisfactory.

Mike

[EDDIE SIMPSON]

hi all,
seems i wasted my money and more time wasted. the sizes seem the same as originals but the coil thickness makes binding more likely.
stay away from them.

[Seamus]

Auto cycle Engineering have always been worth a call. They have decades of experience and Chris is always very helpful. Managed to get me a set of nos valve springs for my A10 Super Rocket motor.

[AdrianS]

+1 for Autocycle engineering in Netherton, heart of the Black Country. Very helpful people and carry vast stocks of original parts. I bought a factory fresh Bantam barrel and original piston from the a couple of years ago. Still wrapped in oily brown paper!

[EDDIE SIMPSON]

agreed chris is super helpful. only book the whole morning or afternoon off as he talk the hind legs of your grandmothers donkey.