Blown HLA's
 

So not too long ago my car started missing terribly and I eventually found out that one of my hla's blew apart shoving my exhaust valve open causing it to run like piss. So I changed the hla's and everything was fine. Yesterday I got to my house and heard this noise coming from my motor so I decided to pull my valve cover off and low and behold, I had damaged hla's again. I'm really baffled here as it's only the exhaust side hla's that are being effected here. Maybe it is an oiling issue but I can't seem to figure out what it is. Then again it may have something to do with my Sharkracing 268 cams and my full Ferrea valvetrain including dual valve springs. This is what it looked like the first time and yesterday it resembled the first time almost identically as in damage wise. One of them has a whole while others have dents in the top of them. Maybe my cam's duration is to blame here? I really don't know, may be looking into a beta II head with mla's in the near future if this keeps happening...



Any input would be helpful. Thanks guys.



http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...4/SSPX2570.jpg

I would say its the not stock parts, but why did this just start? If I am not mistaken cams are ramped a little different depending on if you have HLA or shims. Did shark setup their cam for a shim head? I am grasping at straws here.. good luck with the fix!

I would guess it is a combination of all the aftermarket valve train parts, as this is an uncommon failure with stock heads. Unless you are really revving a lot higher than the stock red line on a regular basis, you might want to try the stock springs for a while. I know there aren't all that many sets of SR cams out there, but I haven't heard that everyone who had them, had this problem.

They dont have shims, But they do have Lash Caps!!!



Lash Caps I think are a must for these, Remember a write up a fellow did in the UK on these cams, They shop did it, but he had to buy the cams and lash caps, worked fine!

Turboron, when you say lash caps, what exactly do you mean? And it is weird how it's only the exhaust side being effected and not the intake.

Lucky as all get out it's not the intake side. Stuck-open exhaust means bad running. Stuck open intake valve means a bent or broken valve and maybe a holed piston or destroyed combustion chamber and/or cylinder wall.



http://materials.open.ac.uk/mem/imag...es_fat/IC4.jpg

It turns out iron filings aren't combustible.

Wow.. Looks like a good time right there. Yeah, hoping that never happens. Brand new timing belt so that shouldn't be an issue in the near future. Lol.

Ok I will chime in here now that I have had opportunity to look at your photos. The Ferrea dual valve springs are HIGH pressure, by that I mean 200lbs to open a valve and 291 lbs to compress both springs 1 inch. This is WAAAAAAAAY too much pressure for HLAs, the cams you have most likely are higher lift which is adding even more stress to your lifters...and the rest they say is history.



Dual springs are not required unless you are planning to rev your engine up about 8500rpm, as we all know Beta motors are not able to do that anyhow.



Next topic, lifters.



The MLAs will not drop in to the Beta 1 head, they are designed to use with longer valves...IIRC the beta 1 valves are 12-14mm shorter than the beta 2. The shorter valves are compensated by the hydraulic pump within the HLAs, this is why the MLAs require shim adjustments. I am willing to bet the cams you have are pooched or on their way out based on the wear pattern from your photo.



Also take a look at your lifters, the oil is pooling in them meaning that the cam lobes are tearing into them causing pits...get a Beta 2 head and install it as is...but make sure you remove the oil valve from the front side of the block (it sits in an oil passage, centered between cyl 2 and 3).