I picked my truck up Thursday afternoon from the shop that installed my cam, springs, and tuned my truck.(2002 5.3 rcsb) When I arrive they tell me that they have bad news. They said my lifters were going out and it was causing my truck to make a loud ticking noise. I take the truck home and tear it down the following day. I find that 2 of the push rods on the passenger side are extremely bent. So I replace the push rods and the truck is as quite as a mouse. So I decide to drive back to the shop to explain what I found. On my way to the shop I was driving about 45-50 mph when I hear a loud BOOM, followed by clanks of metal. The truck instantly dies and I merge onto the shoulder. I call the shop and they tow me back. We pull the vale cover's to discover a broken rocker arm. WTF? Why is my truck bending push rods and breaking rocker arms? Then I notice that my truck has a single coil valve spring's.Keep in mind I ordered double valve spring's that were good for a .650 lift. So he tells me that the double springs were on my truck, but they took them off because they were rubbing the rocker arms. So he replaced them with single springs that were good to a .650 lift!

They replace the push rod and rocker arm and send me on my way. I have babied the truck since I have got it back. Fast forward to Saturday. I am on my way to my parents to take them to lunch, and the same thing happens again. Driving about 40mph the same familiar loud BOOM, followed by metal clanking. I get towed to my friends shop and proceed to tear my truck down. Another broken rocker arm! I tear the truck all the way down to the cam, to make sure the cam is lined up with the crank correctly, and it is. Why is my truck all of a sudden breaking these parts? Every push rod that has bent, and every rocker arm that has broke have all been exhaust valves! I seriously think that the single spring's that are on my truck are not capable of holding up to a .588 lift. I am running out of idea's, and I am sorry for the long story. Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

The single springs that are on my truck has one tappered coil at the top, with a white line that is painted down the coils. Any idea's of what this spring is?

 

What's the specs on the cam. It sounds like the valve is smaking the piston

 

Are the heads milled?

 

Also, with the double springs, you cannot use the stock valve stem seal. They did put the aftermarket ones on right? If you put a double spring on the stock seal the inner coil hits it and it wont seat properly

 

The cam is a 220/220 .581 .588

The heads are stock 862 heads.

The truck doesn't have double springs on it. They put single springs in that are suppose to be good up to a .650 lift.

 

Tell them to prove it that they're good up to .650. I wouldn't even run your truck anymore dude until you start doing some valvetrain measurements.

 

I'm not. I am going to the shop Monday and making them prove that these springs are the pac behive springs that are .650! The pac springs are about $100 more than the patroit golds. I dont see why he would spend extra money on them.

 

If you can pull a valve cover, take a feeler guage set and at maximum valve lift, how much clearance is there? Go check and report back

 

I'm guessing timing chain is off a tooth or two.

 

I checked that earlier today. Its not 100% in line, but it is less than 1 tooth. I would say it is 1/4 tooth away.