Most people believe that the tang inside a valve lock is what actually
holds the valve spring retainer and spring in place while the engine is
running. This is not the case. The cross-section of material in the tang is
not strong enough to withstand today's open spring loads of 1000
pounds or more! The sole purpose of the tang is to temporarily locate
the lock, retainer and spring relative to the valve until the taper of the
retainer can nest around the outside surface of the lock. This creates a
"collet" effect that binds the two together. The more spring force exerted
on the retainer (as the valve opens), the more force applied by the "collet"
effect to keep the retainer and lock in place.
With the emergence of valve sizes other than the standard 5/16",
11/32", and 3/8", it is important to make sure the valve locks match the
valve size. There are a couple of small items to check to see if you have
the proper size valve locks for your valves. There should always be a
small gap between the two halves of the lock when they are properly
positioned on the valve stem. If the two halves butt up against each
other without a gap, the valve locks are for a bigger size stem. If the
locks fit tight to the stem and leave a gap between the middle of the
lock and the O.D. of the stem, the locks are too small for your valves.
All locks should be checked prior to final installation to make sure that
they are the correct size. With such small parts, the possibility always
exists for mixed or mis-boxed parts.
VIEW CART
