360 Head valve spring install questions. Comp cams 995-16.

Hello. I am building a 360. It came from a 1987 3/4 ton d250 truck. Factory 4bbl.
I am planning to install a comp cams K20-224-4 kit. Included are springs 995-16.

According the summits comment section, it sounds like a chore to install the springs.



What is required to install the valve springs onto the cylinder heads?

Do I need a thinner stem seal or is there milling and grinding involved?



What else would be required to allow these heads to use 1.6 rockers later on down the road?

Is there any other spring options that would be easier to install?


Also looking for someone near DFW, Texas to go through the heads and do a valve job if anyone has any shop recommendations, that would be most helpful.

Thanks. Drew.

If you're pulling the heads, you'll need a spring compressor that will hold the valve and compress the spring, like this:
If you're doing it with the heads still on, you'll need a way to keep the valve closed (via air or the old rope trick) and a valve spring compressor that bolts to the rocker stands. I'm not sure about the stem seal and the ID of the spring, but I wouldn't think it would be an issue. You'll still want to check retainer to seal clearance to make sure nothings hitting and they have plenty of clearance. Another word of caution: I would recommend buying a better set of lifters than the Comp lifters. Myself and many others have had lifter failures from Comp and I tend to shy away from them. With the 1.6 rockers you need to make sure you have plenty of retainer to seal clearance and piston to valve clearance. I would definitely want to check the piston to valve clearance with this lift, regardless of rocker ratio. An easier spring to install might be a PAC single spring, just find one with similar open and closed load, plus the spring rate.

Ajp087 said:

Hello. I am building a 360. It came from a 1987 3/4 ton d250 truck. Factory 4bbl.
I am planning to install a comp cams K20-224-4 kit. Included are springs 995-16.

According the summits comment section, it sounds like a chore to install the springs.



What is required to install the valve springs onto the cylinder heads?

Do I need a thinner stem seal or is there milling and grinding involved?



What else would be required to allow these heads to use 1.6 rockers later on down the road?

Is there any other spring options that would be easier to install?


Also looking for someone near DFW, Texas to go through the heads and do a valve job if anyone has any shop recommendations, that would be most helpful.

Thanks. Drew.

Click to expand...

Are you sure you want to use that kit in a truck? Duration seems too high for me and you will have to do a lot to use those springs on your 360 , let alone 1.6 rockers. If you have rotating retainers you will need all new valves. You will also need to use aftermarket seals to fit inside the inner spring ID. So you would be looking at cutting the guide to shorten it, less life, and for the seals.

To “properly” install those springs, the heads have to come off and machining is required.
Additionally, the ID of the inner spring is quite small.... so the guide will also need to be machined to facilitate the use of seals with a small enough OD to fit inside the inner spring.

If the heads currently have exhaust rotators, and 2 groove exhaust valves, the valves will likely have to be swapped to the four groove(or single groove) variety so you can get enough installed height, and the rotators won’t be used.

Aftermarket retainers are recommended.

I have 4.11's in the axle already.

Pretty set on the cam but i can be swayed..

I was going to purchase the kit last night but decided to sleep on it. Glad I did.


If I bought the cam separately...
What lifters would any of you recommend?
And what springs and hardware would you go with for ease of installation?

I want it to flow nice. Im currently hunting an m1 intake for the quadrajet (love the sound of the secondaries) .The engine is on a stand.

Heads are going to a friends place who will do the port and polish. But then I will need to find someone to do a valve job and install springs retainers and what have you.

Stock bottom end. Just want the top to flow nice.
Will choose whatever stall converter goes with the cam i get.

1008 head gaskets new melling oil pump and cloyes billet double roller just sitting here waiting...

Thanks for all the responses. Appreciate it.

Ajp087 said:

I have 4.11's in the axle already.

Pretty set on the cam but i can be swayed..

I was going to purchase the kit last night but decided to sleep on it. Glad I did.


If I bought the cam separately...
What lifters would any of you recommend?
And what springs and hardware would you go with for ease of installation?

I want it to flow nice. Im currently hunting an m1 intake for the quadrajet (love the sound of the secondaries) .The engine is on a stand.

Heads are going to a friends place who will do the port and polish. But then I will need to find someone to do a valve job and install springs retainers and what have you.

Stock bottom end. Just want the top to flow nice.
Will choose whatever stall converter goes with the cam i get.

1008 head gaskets new melling oil pump and cloyes billet double roller just sitting here waiting...

Thanks for all the responses. Appreciate it.

Click to expand...

Is this going back in the 3/4 ton truck? Johnson makes good lifters, some like Lunati (never had issues with them), and I have no problem with the Rhoades lifters I've used. Like PRH said, it's going to depend on what the current valves are and if there are rotators or not. If this is going in anything heavy, I would stay away from an M1 and this camshaft. You might want to look at a cam with smaller duration and a nice dual plane intake. The stock bottom end is going to hinder you too. There's not really enough compression in the stock bottom end for this camshaft. I just don't want you to spend all of this time and money to have a pooch that doesn't perform like it should. If you're staying with the stock bottom end, I would stay with closer to stock parts (cam, intake, etc.).

Assuming small block installed spring height of about 1.69 inches, which I doubt you have because of the rotators, those springs have 115 lb on the seat and a spring rate of 402 lb/in. What do your heads flow? I doubt there is little to no gain past .450 in lift. Anyway the thing to do is match your components and not waste money and effort for no or negative gain. On anything I want to run on the street, I always run viton stem seals and single springs.

PRH said:

To “properly” install those springs, the heads have to come off and machining is required.
Additionally, the ID of the inner spring is quite small.... so the guide will also need to be machined to facilitate the use of seals with a small enough OD to fit inside the inner spring.

If the heads currently have exhaust rotators, and 2 groove exhaust valves, the valves will likely have to be swapped to the four groove(or single groove) variety so you can get enough installed height, and the rotators won’t be used.

Aftermarket retainers are recommended.

Click to expand...

this.