Header air tubes and valve cover vents

[Adam Calley]

Im looking at getting some long tube kooks headers to replace the pacesetter shortys i have now and im wondering if it would be better to get the race ones without the air tubes or the ones with them. If i go with the ones without what do i do with the air tubes that are on the car now. Also i have been breaking poly locks when i get on the throttle hard and have been told i need to get girdles for it to keep that from happening, and then in order to put the girdles on i have to put the moroso tall valve covers on it and from what i can tell they don't have breathers or pcv fittings in them. they haven't came in yet so i haven't seen them, ive only seen just pics. What do i do with the beather and vaccume hoses that were hooked to the origional ones? ANy help on this would be appreciated!:angel_innocent:

[joecar]

Hi AC,

What is your car's primary function...?

If race car, then remove all the AIR tubes/hoses/plumbing and the AIR pump (it accumulates condensation/water if you don't remove), and plug off the vacuum port.

If street car and you have an emissions requirement, then get the headers with the flanges/fittings for AIR, EGR, O2.


Polylocks breaking: maybe there's a problem with the valvetrain (rocker geometry, lifter preload, pushrod interference, valve float)... have you checked your rockers for fatigue/damage...?

If you remove the PCV hoses, be sure to fit a breather (e.g. a breather cap). Can't the Moroso covers be drilled/tapped for PCV fittings...?

[Adam Calley]

Primary function is street and some drag racing, but mainly street. Im running one of efi lives custom os 02020003 so im not using the o2 sensor anyways. I do have state inspection to pass, but they don't hook the sniffer to it, they just scan it to check and make sure the readyness tests ready and they make sure theres no mil lamp on. I have had it inspected with this os and it passed. Im sure i could drill and tap the new covers, just though maybe getting rid of that stuff would be easier wasn't sure. as far as the valve train im not sure, i have looked at the rockers and they look ok, ive done some looking online and it sounds like im not the only one with those polys breaking, i also had a rocker snap in 2 one time also, it sure makes a heck of a ractet when that happens. From what i read, when you have a big cam with heavy dual springs, you get more valve train flexing they say it breaks those polys, i don't know what to think about it. Ive been setting the preload at a half a turn. I guess i need to measure my push rod length agian to make sure they are not to long.

[joecar]

I would get rid of all the AIR stuff.

You may need pushrods with bigger diameter (i.e stiffer)... was the reason for the rocker breaking ever found...? There's a bunch of valvetrain info on ls1tech, you have to carefully filter thru it.

[Adam Calley]

no it wasn't found, i sent it back for analisys but they never said why it happened, they said they have never seen that on the pro magnum rockers before. When it broke though, it broke right where the ball contacts it, my push rod shot right through it, sure seems like my push rods are too long, these things never happen unless i run the motor really hard, but it don't happen everytime. I will check out the ls1tech info.

[joecar]

Hmmm... the Comp Pro Magnum is a steel rocker...

There may be several motions going on:
- pushrods flexing/unflexing like a spring,
- pushrods interfering/contacting the side of the pr passages in the heads;
I'm no expert, but either of those two may cause shock loading on a rocker;
ls1tech does mention both of those, and rockers breaking, I'm not sure if they have been linked.
Let us know what you find out.
:)

[Adam Calley]

I took the valve cover off and i my spring are coil binding, i can see the marks on the springs from them coil binding. I call comp cam and my lifts spec with everything i got is .599 intake and .618 exhaust. I have the stage 3 ported patriot racing heads and they have their dual gold spring that supposed to be good up to .650 lift. I don't really understand why they would be hitting if they are .650 allowed. Any thoughts on that?
Also do you know who makes some stud girldles for gen 3 motors cause i can't find any. The ones i ordered were for sbc motors and won't fit ls motors. :angel_innocent:

[joecar]

The coil bind is the reason the polyloks/lifters are breaking... the polyloks sacrificed themselves to protect the lifters/pushrods/cam/bearings.

Are the springs over-shimmed (underneath)...? Are the valve stems shorter...? Are the valve seats walking out...? Something is taking up some of the spec. Maybe the spec is wrong (measurement is always advised).

Stud girdles won't fix the problem, they will move the damage elsewhere (closer to the cam).

$0.02

[Adam Calley]

Yes i know the girdles aren't going to fix the problem. But when i get what ever is causing the springs to bind fixed, i want to put girdles on it to make sure nothing can come loose, they just seem like a better idea rather than just those little polylocks on them. Comp also says i should run solid lifters because im running such high rpms with this setup. Im pulling the motor anyways so i can put in all new bearings, so i will put in solid lifters while im in there. As far as the valves, and shims and stuff, im going to call patriot monday to talk to them about them, they are brand new heads done by them and one thing comp mentioned is shims under the springs may be taking up some of my lift.