Did I Encounter Valve Float ?!?!?! Need Help !!!

[ShadeTreeDSM]

i only have 100 miles on my brand new motor and ive had the head off 2 times already.

1st time was because of blown head gasket because it was improperly torqued down.

now the 2nd time was thought to be sticky lifters..but that wasnt the case..(and no it was not the timing..it was properly done nor was it setting the head down on any kind of flat surface)i took out the camshafts lifters and rocker arms out and then did a compression test. ( this means all valves were closed)

results were terrible..
# 1 cyl - 90 psi
# 2 cyl - 90 psi
# 3 cyl - 30 psi
# 4 cyl - 30 psi

i was told from a few people ( non dsm drivers ) that i may have encountered valve float. is that possible..

this is my current setup

93 short block: stock pistons stock rods stock head except for my cam shafts which are Crower Stage 2's..on their site it says its for street use...

my head is rebuilt but the parts are still from the car when it came out in 1993..

could the valve springs have weakend ? they have about 160,000 miles on them and the load that the crower camshafts put out may be stressing them out ?

what do i do !??!?!

here is the info on my cams :

Advertised Duration 242 / 240

Duration @ .050" 195 / 196

Gross Lift w/1.7 .391 / .378

 

[92awddsm]

How high was the engine reved? I myself would never reinstall stock springs with 160k miles on them with or without cams. A new stock spring should have been used because springs are like anything else, they fatigue and weaken over time.

 

[ShadeTreeDSM]

How high was the engine reved? I myself would never reinstall stock springs with 160k miles on them with or without cams. A new stock spring should have been used because springs are like anything else, they fatigue and weaken over time.

highest engine was revved was 6000 rpms..

well now i will get new springs..but should i do stock or something stronger ?

i saw a pair of 16 from Jackson Auto Machine $260.00

should get those ?

 

[92awddsm]

With the crower 2's, stock springs should be fine. If you want to upgrade, the jam springs should be a good choice. I personally run the manley springs from sbr with comp 101200's, ferrea 1mm os valves, and have turned it to 9k without any valve float. The manley and crower springs are cheaper than the jam springs but have been proven to hold up with no isues.

6k is all that it has seen? Seems kinda low for valve float even with old wore out springs. Have you done a leakdown test to be sure that the valves have been bent? I know you said the timing was done properly but that doesnt mean something cant fail afterwards. I would recheck everything before I pull it down and throw parts at it. I storngly beleive in finding the source of the problem before I try it again.

 

[ShadeTreeDSM]

With the crower 2's, stock springs should be fine. If you want to upgrade, the jam springs should be a good choice. I personally run the manley springs from sbr with comp 101200's, ferrea 1mm os valves, and have turned it to 9k without any valve float. The manley and crower springs are cheaper than the jam springs but have been proven to hold up with no isues.

6k is all that it has seen? Seems kinda low for valve float even with old wore out springs. Have you done a leakdown test to be sure that the valves have been bent? I know you said the timing was done properly but that doesnt mean something cant fail afterwards. I would recheck everything before I pull it down and throw parts at it. I storngly beleive in finding the source of the problem before I try it again.

i know some valves are bent because i had the camshafts removed from the head..all valves are closed so then i sprayed WD40 in each exhaust port and the WD40 was leaking around 5 valves...thats means theyre bent..i havent checked the intake side yet but ill get that looked at too

would this be a good set to get ?

http://www.dsmtuners.com/parts/product_info.php?cPath=2_133_165&products_id=545

 

[Defiant]

i took out the camshafts lifters and rocker arms out and then did a compression test. ( this means all valves were closed)

You're not going to get much of a compression test if the cylinders can't draw in air to COMPRESS.

i was told from a few people ( non dsm drivers ) that i may have encountered valve float. is that possible..

On a DSM, valve float is just about unheard of. They just don't have enough mass in the valvetrain for it to occur.

 

[ShadeTreeDSM]

so with the crower stage 2 camshafts i have should i just get a set of new stock valve springs or get the crower valve springs ?

You're not going to get much of a compression test if the cylinders can't draw in air to COMPRESS.

i did a test before taking out the camshafts and the compression was still the same ...what else could it be ?