Problem with Web Cam valve springs, Valve springs won't fit Options

[mdawson]

I'm having problems with these Web Cam valve springs, they won't fit over the valve guide boss in the cylinder head or fit the spring retainer. I made some measurement of the parts:

Web Cam Spring ID: 0.925"
Stock Spring ID: 0.972
Valve Guide Boss OD: 0.935"

I was told that these springs would fit without machining the heads. I had the parts store (Bow Wow of Lynnwood, WA) call Web Cam about the problem, they said to send 'em back for inspection.

Did I get the wrong springs? Is there something I'm missing?

I'm re-camming a friends '75 914 2.0l as a wedding gift. I chose a Web Cam grind # 86 with 0.423" lift and 270 degrees duration. I bought the cam, cam gear, lifters, and springs from them assuming it would all work together without problems. He's got Weber 40 IDFs on it. We dropped the motor and tranny last weekend, all was going well until this came up.

TIA,

[Jake Raby]

Using stock retainers with ANY aftermarket spring is a recipe for disaster... The added tension generally pops the valve keepers right through the retainer and costs you an engine.

Here are the rules.
-cams that are not stock (no matter how slightly altered from stock) ALWAYS get a better valve spring than stock.

Better springs ALWAYS get better retainers to compliment them.

In my store I'm no longer selling just camshafts with lifters, from now on the cam, lifters, pushrods, springs and retainers to get the job done right- this will include H/D rocker studs with 8mm nuts for the guys running/needing dual springs.

This area of the engine is by far the absolute most important yet misunderstood and misconfigured part of the assembly.... 90% of all engine failures with a TIV are valvetrain related and most of that is because of incompatible parts.