which 440 valve springs?

[daytona kid]

I have a few questions about 440 valve springs. #1- Do I need to figure out which stock heads I have before ordering valve springs? #2- Or will all stock 440 heads except the same springs? I'm looking at comp cams for some new springs because I get a discount with them. Would like to reuse the caps and keepers also. My motor is bone stock basicly so I don't need or want any expensive ones. I'm hoping to get some aluminum heads in the future but funds are low so I'm just going with some new springs for now. #3- Anyone know the comp cam part # of what I need? I'm going to call them tomorrow but I'd like to hear what you guys think before that.

 

[Nate S]

Stock magnum springs have a single coil with damper inside. Stock wimpy springs have just a single coil. Good cheap magnum springs are Melling VC-430. Get them at rock auto for dirt cheap. Exactly as stock magnum.

 

[daytona kid]

Stock magnum springs have a single coil with damper inside. Stock wimpy springs have just a single coil. Good cheap magnum springs are Melling VC-430. Get them at rock auto for dirt cheap. Exactly as stock magnum.

So there is no difference in springs on different 440 heads as far as fitment? Oh and rock auto is out of stock. But I see they have them at autozone, summit, etc.. A little pricey tho..

 

[Nate S]

For stock springs, nope. Heads are the same, high performance to regular. Put either spring on. At some point with larger cams you need to alter the valve guides so things don’t bottom out but once again it’s the same with all heads regardless of what they originally came on.

 

[69L48Z27]

I just sort of went through this with my build. Long story but Hughes Engine has springs that will do hydraulic flat tappet up to .600 lift. Single with damper. The retainers needed to match the springs in this case. I got their keepers just because. They were 7*. My old springs were some over the top double spring with damper, way over kill.

Point is, match your cam spec. Be careful with Comp stuff. I’ve had random issues over time and I’ve never been impressed with their cams either. I thought the Hughes stuff was reasonable. Free shipping with Summit would have been the icing but they only sell through themselves.

 

[wyrmrider]

`stock cam either standard or Magnum the Magnum springs with the dampner are most likely going to be less expensive than any spring from comp unless you are a WD
aftermarket cam post up what you have
If the heads have had several valve jobs you may have to shim
new stem seals
how's your timing chain if stock it is way past due for disaster

 

[Babyblue66]

Comp 911-16 springs. Mopar retainers will be a little loose on them, but I've ran them like that before.
Also I just put a comp 270h in my low compression 440. It runs really well. I took out a 284 484 mopar cam which was a turd in that 8 to 1. I think with a little more compression, the comp cam would be an even better all around grind. 224 @. 050, 470 lift. I like it. Running a thermoquad, performer, manifolds and 2.5 inch exhaust. With a little pocket porting. It'll blow the rear tires off at will and gets a real healthy second gear scratch with a b&m shift kit.

 

[wyrmrider]

comp 270 is about like the stock mopar 260 with the lca squeezed giving an earlier intake closed and more dynamic compression a UDHarold vintage design?
not as noisey as an xe
today there are better cams for low compression motors

 

[Babyblue66]

comp 270 is about like the stock mopar 260 with the lca squeezed giving an earlier intake closed and more dynamic compression a UDHarold vintage design?
not as noisey as an xe
today there are better cams for low compression motors

I know what the specs are, I Advance the cam a couple of degrees as well. For the price, it does what what I wanted it to do. I have a hughes cam in my 9. 4 to 1 compression 440 in my 66 Coronet, that runs really well too but it is noisier and I didn't want the excessive valve train stress on my stock rocker arms. The 270 is a lot more cam than a stock 260. It has 224 @. 050 which is 10 degrees more than a 383/440 magnum cam. Also the 110 lsa helps cylinder pressure. The intake closes at 38 @ 50 on the 270 which is why I advanced it a couple of degrees. I believe the smaller stock cam is around 33 and a magnum cam is around 40 on a 115.

 

[wyrmrider]

sounds good
compareing at .050 only gets you roughly close
I'd rather have the H series than the XE much smoother
You are correct on the Magnum cam but the ramps below .050 are LONG especially on the close side
the non hp 260-268 @.008 is more like 270-280 compared to the comp- which along with the lca really bleeds of the dynamic compression (but helps with smog)
The 268 HP cam has even longer ramps - 290-305 @.004
I've posted the .006 elsewhere in the fabo 318 cam list but I forget

 

[Babyblue66]

I had a magnum cam in this motor at one time. It was more lazy on the bottom but pulled pretty good rpms. It also had headers then. Which helps there. I stuck a degree wheel on it it was around 300 @.006 intake and more on exhaust. Too much for low compression, although it did run well. I put a Comp xe 268 in my dad's challenger 383 because he got it cheap at a swap. That has 9.4 with stock everything, runs good, but I'm not impressed with its rpm capability. Seems to drop off sooner than it should. I put an Elgin 218 @ 50 288 advertised on a 112 in a roadrunner for a guy once. It was 8 to 1, a bit soft on the bottom but revved really well with stock manifolds. It would have been a really good cam with more compression. Almost used that in my 440.

 

[daytona kid]

`stock cam either standard or Magnum the Magnum springs with the dampner are most likely going to be less expensive than any spring from comp unless you are a WD
aftermarket cam post up what you have
If the heads have had several valve jobs you may have to shim
new stem seals
how's your timing chain if stock it is way past due for disaster

I put new chain and gears on before I installed the motor.