Installing Kelford cams and have some questions.

[Grant #2]

On my blacktop 20V engine I just installed Kelford cams, 194-Bs with stock valve springs. Max cam lift of 8.9mm (which = 8.65 at the valve supposedly).

I measured the gap between the valve springs at peak lift (as close as I could tell anyways) and there is only 0.020" of clearance! (.508mm).

This is for the exhaust side. I think the problem is stock cams have only 7.6 mm of lift on the exhaust and I am trying to increase it by a mm or more.

And does anyone know the difference between silvertop and blacktop valve springs? Why does toda make springs for both?

[TODA AU]

Installed height is different so 2 differnt springs are produced.

[Sam-Q]

I have been told that stock blacktop springs have one extra coil in them, why this is so if true I have no idea, there was nothing wrong with the silvertop design. So the head itself is machined deeper then?

[TODA AU]

You're right, the AE111 is machined deeper than the AE111 as both engines share the same valve length (98.6mm IN / 108.4mm EX)
The actual differnce in the springs is as follows
AE101 (Silvertop) installed height is 35.6mm / 46.2mm free length
AE111 (Blacktop) installed height is 37.5mm / 47.0mm free length

[Grant #2]

Thanks for the info.

I have the Kelfords installed now....power increase was very good. Although my car felt slower than it should have been.

One issue is the clearance on intakes and exhaust valves wer eon the upper end of the clearance range in the FSM. Maybe that was making the power less than it should have been?

I'm using stock valve springs (which at first I was told it was OK, but it really isn't and I have to purchase aftermarket springs) and VVT. At first I was worried about engaging VVT but the car was very slow up to 7K. Now with VVT it pulls harder than stock from about 2700 up to redline. Pretty happy with the cams, but now I'm wishing I had one step hotter =) =)

Idle is unaffected when VVT is off, and fuel economy seems to be about the same.

Map at idle went from about 45kpa to about 55kpa....I would expect these cams to run a bit rich at idle with a factory ecu....

[Grant #2]

Does anyone have any used aftermarket blacktop valve springs that they would be willing to sell me? I have cash.