who is using kirban's valvesprings?

[bar87]

the majority opinion on this bb seems to be that kirbans valve springs are too stiff for the factory cam, so i ask you:
who is running his springs?
who has wiped their cam after installing them?
who has been problem free?
i already have the set, and was going to install them,i just want to be sure...id rather not have to buy another set and have this set collect dust... so chime in all...tell me your stories happy or horror

[gn1220]

I put my set in, ran the fastest my car has run, then drove to Detroit and back on the Power Tour, all in about a 3 week span Haven't had any problems since

[salvageV6]

I am one who wouldn't use them, I like the c.c. 980's with no cups.

Anyway I did buy the Kirban valve spring tool and prolly would have had a tough time doing the job without it.

Tested 2 sets of comp. cams and one set of Kirbans on an Instron force machine to make up my mind.

One of our Buick board members sent me his new in the bag springs to test, since I wasn't about to buy any.

If you can rev. to 5400 or so with the cc 980's I don't think you need the extra 16lb.s force of the Kirban springs.

Dead stockers are usually 65lbs. so the 84-85lb. 980's will give you a big improvement.

Just my .02.

[1badTTA]

OK, I admit that my cam wiped pretty quick with the Kirban springs. Then again it was only 1 lobe and the cam had 500 miles when the springs were installed (floating valves @ 4500rpm). I never did send the cam back to the grinder to get credit for it since it was under warranty. Instead I just reinstalled the factory cam with new lifters and the Kirban springs and have driven it 15,000 miles with no problems. Heads have been off and all lifters have been checked. everything looks great.

You tell me what the defective part was. Cam and lifters (bought from same TR vendor), valve springs that are fine with 14,000 miles on the original cam, or stock springs that seemed fine with stock cam and lifters.

I personally think it was just a bad combination of parts that added up to a failure. All vendors were told what was on the engine and nobody said anything didn't match but obviously something caused this unless it was just a bad cam or lifter.

[87LtdT]

I agree with SalvageV6...cc980 with no cups is the safe alternative. No need to risk your cam lobe any more than necessary unless you are sub 11 seconds....if you are that fast cam changes are much more likely anyway.

Regards, Bob

[Red Regal T]

I installed Kirban springs not once but twice. Ran them for 70,000 miles on my original cam. Just installed another set about 5000 miles ago. No problems.

[bar87]

thanks for the replies guys.......anybody else???

1badtta, clarify for me, do you think it was the cam &/or lifters, or the springs that caused you trouble? also the cam & springs went in at the same time, correct?

[GNocide]

have them , been running them since 98. all is great.

[d0n_3d]

my motor is factory stock 92k miles roughly...my valve springs were so weak and i was floating the valves at 4400 rpms...

put in a new set of kirban 100 lb springs and WOW what a top end improvement...i can rev to 5200-5400 no problem...i have put about 5000 miles on the springs so far and no problems here...my cam is bone stock and again has about 92k miles on it...eventually the spring pressures drop to around 90 lbs after so many miles so don't be too afraid of the extra pressure...they don't stay 100 lbs very long trust me...i tested my stock springs and a couple springs were in the 50's so weak i could use my thumb and press down on it