I have BBC valve springs that have the coils spaced close together at one end. Does this end go against the head or against the retainer?

Schurkey,

I haven't owned any of those but I have seen them many times. All of them I've seen had the closer coils against the head.

Tom

That's exactly how I would have done it. I think the idea is that the close-spaced coils don't do much anyway, they coil-bind right away. They do have just as much surface area, though, so you put them against the head where it's hotter, and the close spaced coils keep the rest of the spring cooler by radiating heat picked up from the head.

The guy at Competition Products told me to put the close spaced coils against the retainer, though, so I don't know which way is right, now.

He'p me, He'p me!

Shurkey,
All of the factory springs that have variable coil spacing have the "close" coils down, against the head. YOu see them a lot in the high revving dohc 4 cylinders. I dont think the coil configuration has anything to do with heat, I am betting it is to help harmonics in the springs.