COMP cams retainer height

[AA Performance]

Does any one know what Comps retainer heights are?
How are you suppose to buy a spring, retainer and lock set up?
At least Crane gives you a measurement of there retainers so you can get pretty close straight away by using the top of the lock groove as a reference.
I cant believe things are so difficult with some of these manufactures and common sense doesn't prevail, unless I'm missing something??

[Caprimaniac]

Quite sure the details can be found if you download the catalogue?
Checked online, and after clicking on part number, found no details.

[Baprace]

Does any one know what Comps retainer heights are?
How are you suppose to buy a spring, retainer and lock set up?
At least Crane gives you a measurement of there retainers so you can get pretty close straight away by using the top of the lock groove as a reference.
I cant believe things are so difficult with some of these manufactures and common sense doesn't prevail, unless I'm missing something??

AA Performance

You are not missing anything, retainer height numbers has been my bitch for years, it would be so easy to post numbers , especially when it's their product.

[AA Performance]

Crane has a reference point from the top of the keeper groove.
Cant believe its sooo easy and a reliable method it makes you wonder what all the other manufactures are smokin.
So frustrating when you buy retainers and then have to send them back as they don't work.

[BillK]

I have about 20 individual ones I have purchased from several manufacturers just for this reason It does get very tiring. If you have a particular one in mind let me know and I will see if I have it and a way to measure it.

Anyone that knows me well has probably heard me say "I hate valve springs" exactly for this reason.

[mag2555]

The height can veri greatly if we are taking about a retainer for a single, double, or triple springs.

In general most retainers will add atleast .100" to the height, but then again for most common valve sizes you can get .050" offset keppers if you need more spring installed height.

[PRH]

Most of the stuff I work on gets 1.437-1.550 diameter single or dual springs.
I try and use Comp retainers for most everything if they have one that fits the particular spring I’m running.
Their 10* steel retainers for these applications all have the same installed height on the same head.
A 740(1.437) installs at the same height as a 741(1.550).
The tool steel/titanium equivalent is about .030 taller.

Other brands of equivalent retainers can vary from the Comps, higher or lower, so unless you’re familiar with them....... it’s a crapshoot.

I recently sold a cam to a customer, and advised them what I would use for a spring/retainer/lock package.
It was an Isky spring, Comp retainers and locks.
They were going on a type of heads that I’m very familiar with.

He emailed saying he was having trouble getting the correct installed height.
I relayed what the height “should” have been....... then he confided he didn’t like the idea of mixing the brands of springs and retainers.
He was using some Isky retainers and locks.
I had no data on the parts he was using, but apparently the height was pretty far from what it would have been with some Comp 741’s. In the end he swapped to the Comp retainers and locks and it came out right where I said it would.

Another thing I find annoying is how much different the installed height can be with something as basic as a set of machined 7* 11/32” locks.

I try and use the same stuff as much as possible, so I’m not “reinventing the wheel” every time I put some heads together.

[AA Performance]

Looked at some of the Crower retainers and they list some heights. When they specify +.070", is that from the top of the lock groove?
Also does any one know if there 3/8 retainers such as # 87049 will accept Cranes Multi fit valve locks ? I'm having trouble getting things to fit on this Hemi 6 245ci which I'm fitting Manley 5/16 bead loc valves. E mailed Crower tech but didn't get any reply.

[1972ho]

See if this helps you out this is from one of the old 1990’s catalogs.

[AA Performance]

Hey guys, did a bit of research and looks that there isn't going to be an answer to my question. Seems like every manufacturer will probably have its own standard height they go by. I cant believe that Crane is the only manufacturer that has a reasonable system so as you can get close to what you want with retainer and lock combination. What is with all the others? can't believe they are sooo far behind with such a simple but important issue. They build and sell all the go fast bits but cant tell you what installed spring height you will have with there products. Very unprofessional and disappointing.

[AA Performance]

The height can veri greatly if we are taking about a retainer for a single, double, or triple springs.

In general most retainers will add atleast .100" to the height, but then again for most common valve sizes you can get .050" offset keppers if you need more spring installed height.

Crane has retainer combinations that go from minus .080" to plus .285" all in moly. Then you have extra with offset locks. So far ahead of the others with there system and a simple common sense approach.

[hoodeng]

Here is a tool i made to check top of valve to top of spring set down.

The retainer holder is machined so the outer ring that seats into the measuring tool is the same height as the area where the top of spring retainer seat is, the depth indicator holder is machined to take a 25mm/1" digital indicator that is easily zeroed when placed on a a flat surface, the valve is now mounted in the adapter using the collets and retainer that will be used in final assy and seated on the i/d surface, this assy is now inserted in the gauge holder, the reading on the instrument is the amount of set down of the assy.


Doing deep recess 4V heads bought about the manufacture of this tool. I would say i should have made the id of the gauge holder larger as i find it easier to use than inside caliper measuring spring install heights, there are also instances where like some of you guys have pointed out all you want to know is the set down of the retainer not the installed height in the head.

The old days of add this and subtract that are long gone.

The post has loaded with the photos starting from the bottom to the top.

Cheers.

[6.50camaro]

It is amusing to me how you can have 2 supposed std height 10° locks from 2 different companies be .030" or so different the the same valve and retainer

[hoodeng]

For the product i work on Crane used to make different 10°collets that gave different installed heights with the same retainer.Conversely they also had different height retainers that used the same 10°collets.It used to give plenty of options.

Cheers.

[quickd100]

I went through the same thing 4-5 years ago. I needed some .050+ retainers different manufacturers had different +.050 standards. Pulled my hair out for awhile. Ended up with Howard's retainers and Manley keepers.