How to Install VE Valve Springs in an RR (Allows for 8k redline)
USDM Roller Rockers come with a very unSR20 redline of a whipping 6700 rpm. I have to shift twice before even getting to 55mph with that redline! 
Luckily wnwright chimed in and mentioned that he used to use VE valve springs on his Roller Rocker and that raised the redline to 7800-8000 rpm. This is excellent because JWT is the only one that makes stiffer springs for us, they are very expensive and are out of stock until further notice. You can get a VE valve spring and retainer set for about $50. I personally stole the needed parts from my old VE.
VE Parts Needed:
- VE Dual Valve Springs
- VE Retainers
- VE Inner valve spring seats
For more detailed information and step by step process please check these two threads out!
How to Build a 9000-rpm SR20DET Head
How to install Cams and Springs and/or Retainers in the VE
Removed the cams and all of that good stuff
Notice the Valve shim and rocker guide locations, this is important to remember!
Pulle the shims and guides out, make sure to keep them separated, otherwise you will have to reshim the head.
Valves and valve keepers exposed now
Using a valve spring tool I compressed the spring and took out the keepers
While I was at it I figured it would be a perfect time to change the valve stem seals. Gotta be very careful when using anything but a proper tool to remove old valve stem seals! If you scratch the valve it will cut the seal and leak. Get a proper tool if you can, I couldn't get one locally and didn't have time to order it.
I had a Supertech kit that I bought for the VE, but since I decided to pull the VE before I got around to replacing the seals, I had these handy. Supertech exhaust seals on left oem used ones on right.
Installed:
VE Valve spring seats:
When you compare it to the roller rocker one, roller rocker bigger valve spring seat has a bigger inner circle. The difference was significant enough for me not to be able to use VE valve seats on RR head.
The inner valve seats aren't really meant to be used on the RR, VE has the head machined to fit them, on the RR they wont sit right at first.
Once you insert the bigger valve spring it should align the inner seat.
Now is the time to put in the inner springs, make sure the painted surface faces down.
Installing the retainers with the valve keepers is where I had the most pain. My shoulders are still sour from keeping the valve springs compressed and trying to install the keepers.
Something to worry about on the exhaust side, there are oil drain passages. I lost a valve keeper into one of those, hence I started putting a magnet into the hole just in case. Still trying to fish out the valve keeper. Sadly no one locally had a magnetic drain plug for our M12x1.25 drain plugs.
Intake side was a lot more painful then the exhaust side, intake side required me to push up instead of push down. Luckily Keo's valve spring tool had a spot where I could add a wrench into for better leverage.
All done, finally! This probably was one of the more nerve wracking tasks I've done on the car. What's worse is, I couldn't use the compressor to pressurize the cylinders (it spun the crank). Thus I used TDC per cylinder to stop the valves from falling, that means I had to rotate the crank while the cams where off.
You can see the smaller spring hiding in there
For those that are curious here are some closeup shots of the roller rocker.
I thought I would measure the valve springs to make sure they were still within spec. I'm surprised that the RR ones with 100k miles still are within perfect spec.
VE one is too, granted I measured it at a bigger side, at the smallest side it was at 47.x mm too.
VE Inner spring
So far I've taken her up to 7500 rpm and regular dyno oil and she seems to be kicking fine. I just changed the oil to some 5w30 Valvoline Synthetic, will have some virtual dyno's soon.
Luckily wnwright chimed in and mentioned that he used to use VE valve springs on his Roller Rocker and that raised the redline to 7800-8000 rpm. This is excellent because JWT is the only one that makes stiffer springs for us, they are very expensive and are out of stock until further notice. You can get a VE valve spring and retainer set for about $50. I personally stole the needed parts from my old VE.
VE Parts Needed:
- VE Dual Valve Springs
- VE Retainers
- VE Inner valve spring seats
For more detailed information and step by step process please check these two threads out!
How to Build a 9000-rpm SR20DET Head
How to install Cams and Springs and/or Retainers in the VE
Removed the cams and all of that good stuff
Notice the Valve shim and rocker guide locations, this is important to remember!
Pulle the shims and guides out, make sure to keep them separated, otherwise you will have to reshim the head.
Valves and valve keepers exposed now
Using a valve spring tool I compressed the spring and took out the keepers
While I was at it I figured it would be a perfect time to change the valve stem seals. Gotta be very careful when using anything but a proper tool to remove old valve stem seals! If you scratch the valve it will cut the seal and leak. Get a proper tool if you can, I couldn't get one locally and didn't have time to order it.
I had a Supertech kit that I bought for the VE, but since I decided to pull the VE before I got around to replacing the seals, I had these handy. Supertech exhaust seals on left oem used ones on right.
Installed:
VE Valve spring seats:
When you compare it to the roller rocker one, roller rocker bigger valve spring seat has a bigger inner circle. The difference was significant enough for me not to be able to use VE valve seats on RR head.
The inner valve seats aren't really meant to be used on the RR, VE has the head machined to fit them, on the RR they wont sit right at first.
Once you insert the bigger valve spring it should align the inner seat.
Now is the time to put in the inner springs, make sure the painted surface faces down.
Installing the retainers with the valve keepers is where I had the most pain. My shoulders are still sour from keeping the valve springs compressed and trying to install the keepers.
Something to worry about on the exhaust side, there are oil drain passages. I lost a valve keeper into one of those, hence I started putting a magnet into the hole just in case. Still trying to fish out the valve keeper. Sadly no one locally had a magnetic drain plug for our M12x1.25 drain plugs.
Intake side was a lot more painful then the exhaust side, intake side required me to push up instead of push down. Luckily Keo's valve spring tool had a spot where I could add a wrench into for better leverage.
All done, finally! This probably was one of the more nerve wracking tasks I've done on the car. What's worse is, I couldn't use the compressor to pressurize the cylinders (it spun the crank). Thus I used TDC per cylinder to stop the valves from falling, that means I had to rotate the crank while the cams where off.
You can see the smaller spring hiding in there
For those that are curious here are some closeup shots of the roller rocker.
I thought I would measure the valve springs to make sure they were still within spec. I'm surprised that the RR ones with 100k miles still are within perfect spec.
VE one is too, granted I measured it at a bigger side, at the smallest side it was at 47.x mm too.
VE Inner spring
So far I've taken her up to 7500 rpm and regular dyno oil and she seems to be kicking fine. I just changed the oil to some 5w30 Valvoline Synthetic, will have some virtual dyno's soon.
Last edited by Vadim
on 2014-09-28
at 20-50-14.
Be the first to like this post.
Back to top
