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Joined: Mar 2001
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mark50 Offline OP
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Has anyone used, or can you use SBC valve spring retainers on a 235 head? I'm rebuilding my head after machining and last night noticed that several of my valve spring retainers were super thin and worn. I want to try and get this finished over the weekend so I want to try and get some retainers locally.
Has anyone done this or is the 235 retainer a unique size?

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Greetings . . .

NAPA still carries these:
Part No SEP VK115R


regards,
stock49

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Thanks for the reply. I have the valve locks— I believe that's what they're called, but needed the flat, washer like retainer that sits on top of the spring. I found some NOS on eBay so not going the SBC route. Checking the measurements for SBC retainers it seems like they would work?

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Curious . . . when you mentioned retainer wear I just assumed wear in the retainer locks. Never seen wear on the retainers themselves . . .

Haven't wrenched on a v-thingie in a long time - memory suggests that those retainers are smaller diameter.

In addition, when inter changing 'seemingly' similar valve components beware that some are built around 3/8 valve stems and others around 11/32 . . . mixing will affect installed spring heights. Mix locks between these diameters and things will break.

regards,
stock49

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The stems are both 11/32".
The V8 springs are 1.25" OD, the L6 1.35" OD.

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Thanks again for all of the input. I went with the NOS set on ebay since they were a reasonable price. I hadn't really seen wear on the retainers before either, but then again I hadn't really been looking. So when I went to reassemble my head, I was about half done when I noticed one was so thin it looked like the edge could break off with a little force. I went back and checked them all and saw that the retaining flange varied a lot. Out of the 12 at least 5 had some noticeable wear.


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