Please help before 10am today. VALVE SPRING RETAINERS!!!

[89FHPLX]

I bought a set of new Crane Cam 99833-16 springs but the problem is that I cant afford the retainers.
The Machine shop guy that is doing my heads have more than 15 years experience working on E7te heads.

Hey says that with the crane cam springs and the stock retainers I can use the setup.

My friends say that to keep the stock springs on, but the machine shop guy says I wont have a problem, and I trust him.

My car has major ported E7s and a Cobra intake Lower Ported GT40 and a E-303 cam adavance to 2 degree more on the timing chain.
Your suggestions will help to make my mind about the Retainers. I might buy stock retainers from Napa or some other store.

I just cant Afford the Crane one's.

Oh yeah, my stock valve springs have 161k on them

[Old Guy with 87 GT]

in my opinion ,i don't think it'll work...........i put a crane kit in mine and the retainers were alot different then the stock ones

the stock retainers were different on the exaust valves ,they put the spring hight lower then the intake valves .....were as the crane kit i got used the same retainers for int. and ex.
also the stock retainers were a diffrerent style then the crane retainers.......different way of holding onto spring ,the crane ones fit down into spring wereas the stock ones sorta sat ontop

i'm pretty novice ,so your machine shop guy might know more then me .....but i'd do some investagating on how he plans to do it .....make sure the retainers will seat stationary (that they won't shift around after a hundred miles )........and make sure you will have the specified spring hight with the stock retainers

[89FHPLX]

Thanks for helping, but now I got another problem anyways.

While I was polishing my stock heads, I found a little hole on the exuast port that goes to the header. I lightly pressed it and got a big hole. My heads are ruined!

Now I dont know what to do, I put so much time and effort on those heads. And I dont have money to find new aftermarket heads.


thanks anyways

[Old Guy with 87 GT]

dude that sucks ............as for options there are a few

my friend was home porting his e7s ,hit the water jacket .........he had it brazed shut by a friend of his .....but it was a very smalle hole and he hasn't finished the car so i don't know how well it worked

option two .....keep an eye open for sombody that upgraded there heads .........the stock e7s aren't really worth alot so most peaple that go with aftermarket heads still have there e7s laying around in a garge or basment somwhere .......go look for mustangs with after market heads and ask about old heads (race track,local hangout ect)......you never know you might find a replacement for free or just a few bucks