If you were buying a set of heads for a SBC and comparing two sets, and they were the same price, and one cam with "regular" double springs and one came with Beehive springs, and testing showed the beehives to "RPM better", which set would you buy?

Or another way to put it, if they ONLY came with beehives, would you NOT want them?

I thought the beehives were a marketing breakthrough, not a technical advance?

I would buy the heads that fit my engine combination and the springs to match my cam. Just be sure the heads you buy will accept the size springs your cam requires.

Bill

once I verified the beehive springs on THOSE HEADS fit MY INTENDED APPLICATION Id buy them with no question, but I would not buy the heads JUST BECAUSE they had those springs

I thought the beehives were a marketing breakthrough, not a technical advance?


"Beehive" design has been around for decades. Nothing new. But from the testing I have personally done, they can help a lot. They are "new" to conventianal SBC/BBC engines.

Taking weight off the valvespring side really helps. The other side of the rocker, not near as much.

For ONCE, it is a "technical advance", not marketing. Besides the mass, they have a frequency advantage as well due to their inherent design.

Doug,

Personally, I would never again buy an assembled head from anyone. Bare with valves would be the max, and even that is doubtful unless I agreed on the valves used if the head supplier could even tell you what they really use.

Buying bare just saves time as you don't have to disassemble the heads to check and clean everything. ;)

On a lot of the more "budget" heads they need a proper valve job and guide clearance anyway.

I would rather know exactly where all of the set-up heights are, true open and closed spring pressures, and rate, and every spring is getting checked for pressure on my Rimac before it goes on one of my engines. There is too much chance that the generic stuff used will not match what is required for a given combo. There is also a good chance that the pressures quoted from various spring suppliers is not exactly as advertised. 99% of the time a higher quality and longer lasting spring is available compared to the springs typically supplied on assembled heads.

All that said, I would use beehive springs if it matched the combination as there is evidence that they work. I know Rafel 67RS502 has done his own testing to prove the point on his hydraulic roller equipped 502 as well as others.

Let me add a little more here.

First, Jason, I am with you 110% personally.

I appreciate the comments, but I'm not looking for that much detail.

Let me put it this way:

If you are a person that is buying an assembled head or even more detail, a matched cam/heads/intake package and had the choice of:
A) Heads with std. 1.450 springs
B) Heads with beehives

and both were all "matched" components,

would you go A or B (same cost)

"If you are a person that is buying an assembled head or even more detail, a matched cam/heads/intake package and had the choice of:
A) Heads with std. 1.450 springs
B) Heads with beehives

and both were all "matched" components,

would you go A or B (same cost)"


B,
SIMPLY BECAUSE UNDER THAT SET OF CONDITIONS THE BEEHIVES SHOULD POTENTIALLY WILL GIVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE[/b]

"If you are a person that is buying an assembled head or even more detail, a matched cam/heads/intake package and had the choice of:
A) Heads with std. 1.450 springs
B) Heads with beehives

and both were all "matched" components,

would you go A or B (same cost)"


B,
SIMPLY BECAUSE UNDER THAT SET OF CONDITIONS THE BEEHIVES SHOULD POTENTIALLY WILL GIVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE[/b]
=
Doug,
Way to loaded of a question but under those conditions I agree with Grumpy,,,

Must add though,
I am assuming we are talking flat tappet or hyd roller here
And heads with quality parts
For the most part I would also go with B.

There are many advantages to the Beehive not the least of which is it has no single resonant frequency, it is a variable rate spring.

And before someone gets on here again reminding some of us what we already know about Beehives being "old technology" ,,,
I am aware that the concept is not new technology, they were around in the 50's at the least.
This in itself does not make it a bad thing.

You cannot compare the spring of over 40 years ago with what we have today simply on shape or design.