Building a head... valve locks?

[SleeperG]

Hey guys i appreciate any advice you can give me, i searched and read through several unrelated threads and found no useful information to my question sso hesitantly i starrted a thread,
So here goes...

I'm bulding a 6 bolt head. i'm fwd, and i want to have a wider powerband with which to enjoy my 50 trim.
My galant will only see a a couple days at the strip each year, but of course i want to perfrom well and woudl love very much with practice to get into the upper 12's.
For the most part this will be my street car but it will see several autocross events this year(hopefully)
So my desired setup is as follows:
Brian crower 272's
Brian Crower Springs and retainers
ferrea valve seals
arp headstuds
MMC MLS headgasket

i am not on a strict budget, but i woudl like to cut costs if i can because i will be in need of a trans rebuild sooner or later.

Now that i've briefed you on my status,
Finally the question comes

Is it a bad idea to reuse the factory valve locks/keepers?
Do they wear out? do they fail?
What are the real pro's of upgrading to ferrea or manley keepers?
I know they are only 90 dollars, but still thats 90 dollars i could use towards revised lifters, or i coudl use that 90 dollars to skip the crower springs and go with SI dual springs from sbr.

What do you guys think?
Reuse? Replace? Upgrade?

Anyone knnow how much OEM replacement locks are?

Thanks for taking the time to help a guy out.
Anybody who is runnign this setup feel free to chime in and tell me how it works for you.

 

[1SloColt]

If you use OEM valves then just use the OEM keepers. I just took a head apart that has 140k on it, keepers look fine to me. I can't really see them going bad but maybe someone has?

 

[TSIfreek]

I have never heard of the keepers failing. I would just go with the stockers even with aftermarket valves. I would get the new lifters for sure you need them anyway.
The only time I would put after market keepers in is If the head had dual valve springs with a real crazy cam but in your situation no.
I would also go with a stock OEM head gasket for your power level if you have not bought it already so it will save you money there. With the head studs you will have no problem with the OEM HG.

 

[fourreGsixty3]

No need for the dual spring's either...I doubt you are taking it past 10k, and the Crower, Manley, ect, ect...can be taken to 9k without problems, and the cam isnt such an aggresive cam that the dual's are needed. The keepers will be fine long as you dont see any crack's. I have yet to hear or see sign's that a keeper cracked or failed.

 

[SleeperG]

Excellent,
thanks for the tips guys,
slowboy is having a sale on the brian crower cams and spring kits this week, so i think now is as good a time as any to swipe my card,
guess i'll take the keepers out of my cart.
my current lifters never tick(probably going to jinx myself)
but there is no real reason i shoudl have to include them on this purchase anyways, changing lifters is one of those things i could do at any time.

 

[my98GST]

Totally not trying to hijack this thread since its the same valve springs i'm looking at.... the BC valve springs and BC 280 cams.... Would those singles be good enough for 9k occasionally?

 

[2gAWDTalon]

Totally not trying to hijack this thread since its the same valve springs i'm looking at.... the BC valve springs and BC 280 cams.... Would those singles be good enough for 9k occasionally?

I think I mentioned this in the other thread... but your best bet is to call Brian and ask... I did, I told him I was going to rev mine to 8500 daily and he said I was golden, he also said other guys have reved his single spring valve train kit to 10K rpms. This is the same kit that we have. I would be worried about my bottom end if I were you, my engine builder told me to keep mine to 8500.

 

[my98GST]

Yes I realize about the bottom end and wouldn't take my 7 past 8200 but I'm in the process of putting a 6 bolt together...

 

[2gAWDTalon]

Yes I realize about the bottom end and wouldn't take my 7 past 8200 but I'm in the process of putting a 6 bolt together...

Make sure you take the crank to a good machine shop that can balance the shizznit out of it. Tell them what rpms you want to run the motor at. Might as well bring them your rods and pistons so they weight match those also.

 

[fourreGsixty3]

No need to buy the lifter's now, but I would have them inspected...and make sure you mark which spot each came from. As to the other question, yes BCs single spring kit can be taken to 9k, and like ^^^ stated people have taken it to 10k. This is where you get into the lifter "floating" though, where they are moving so fast they can not completely fill with oil...how often are you going to be putting it to 9k? I would say not only balance the crank but the whole rotating assembly, and I would go with a knife edging on the crank, then have it all balanced. The knife edging will help the counter weights cut through any oil they hit when at high rpm's instead of the weights hitting the oil, and it being like an open hand slapping water...slow's the crank, if you didnt get the point I was making.