Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Valve spring washers, thrust bearings?

I was taking apart my 250 head today and removing the valves and springs and found under each spring what looked like a washer type thrust bearing . it has radial grooves on the bottom side where it rides on the head. looks like it is designed to allow the valve springs to rotate without wearing the head out. A search online comes up with very little. Does anyone know what the official name for these things is and where to possibly buy them?

Sounds like someone installed the rotating retainers in the incorrect spot?


That's if this shim actually rotates the spring.

Got any pics?

MBHD

That is a spring shim. They come in many thickness's. Can be bought from Goodson.

Also try Silver Seal.

There IS such a thing as positive exhaust valve rotators but they look more loke a TRorrington thrust bearing (with a spring inside).

I believe those gizmos were designed to rotate the valve not the spring

and they replaced the cap not the alignment base.

regards,
stock49

That is what I thought he was talking about.

Don't turn too high of RPM w/those rotating retainers, they do fail.


MBHD

They were originally developed for heavy duty truck type motors that really work for a living i.e. dump truck, school bus, etc. to help extend exhaust valve seat life (the most likely valve to burn) Olds and some others used them in some pass car motors too. I supposed they can fail-but they do add SOME weight to the valve train and therefore can lower rpm level of valve float,and should not be used with any non-stock camshaft. The flat washer type BELOW the spring is offered in various thicknesses and is used to set up correct valve spring installed heights-critical in setting up correct rocker arm geometry.

Any machine shop that grinds valves will carry an assortment of the spring seat shims. Probably not the rotators.

NAPA sells the rotators, so they are easy to find.