Valve lock ok to use?

[Mark Williams]

I managed to hurt a valvelock today while changing Valve seals is it ok to use anyway? Or is it saftat to buy a new pair?
160 seat 440 open valvespring pressure If that matters?

[mag2555]

If you need to just get the heads bolted back on and move the car around in the driveway or such, then yes it’s safe, but otherwise you should get new ones.

[cgarb]

Is there a burr on the surface of the taper? It's hard to see in the picture. If it's just one with a small burr or nick on it, if it was mine I would stone the nick or burr off and put them back in. If you remove the raised area, the lock should still pull tight in the retainer like it was designed to do.

[mag2555]

So your asking him to take a chance on loosing a whole motor for the sake of what comes down to like 45 bucks for a new top shelf set of 32 keepers?

[Mark Williams]

Yes its a Burr/nick and first I Did as suggested but got scared it wasnt ok.

The locks are Comp 611 and single was avaible, so a new pair is ordered Coates 8$ with shipping.

[BillK]

I pretty much consider locks as a consumable item. If they come off an engine they go in the trash. Simply not worth taking the chance.

[cgarb]

I could understand not wanting to chance it, especially if I was a business owner and it was a customers engine that I would potentially have an issue with and end up costing me money. I see that side of this yeah. Unless the lock is cracked or there is a major deformity in the groove of the lock...there would be nothing wrong with stoning that nick down and using it. With the spring loads provided by the OP I can assume this is not a Winston cup engine or NHRA pro stock. That's why I said...if it was mine. I would do that in my personal engine If I had to.