heres my problem, a while back i purchased a set of trick flow heads but when i called trk flw to ask which set i needed for the cam im using they told me the heads with the single spring. after buying and installing these heads i called trick flow for some other advice and a different guy told me i needed the double springs for my set up. well after going thru a bunch of bs i was told that the two springs were very similiar but comp recommends the double. anyway i left the single spring in because i was breaking in a new cam and i would have to take out the inner spring if i had the double spring set up anyway. i had all intensions of installing the double spring after break-in but never did. now 2 years later i think my valve seals are leaking and im thinking its because i didnt install the double springs. what problems would I have by using the single springs over the double spings if they were similiar in specs?

I don't think springs will have anything to do with valve seals leaking. Poor rocker arm / pushrod geometery will kill the valve guides though.

I have the TF heads you are talking about and have run both of those springs. If you got through break in with the big single spring than you are probably just fine.

The springs shoudnt have anything to do with the valve seals leaking, although I have seen a few heads with dual springs where they used too large of an OD seal and the inner spring would rub on the seal and work it off the guide. I have read that the Trick flows sometimes tend to wear out valve guides, but I have not seen it first hand.

If your seal to retainer clearance is (too) close, it is possible for the retainer to tag the top of the guide in a case where the engine gets over reved and the valves float.

The Trick Flow valve guide issue was with the OLD twisted wedge heads. The later 23* heads are fine.

thanks for the replies, do you know if a leak down test would verify if the valve seals are leaking or is there some other tests besides seeing smoke at intial start up and having someone drive behind me while i decelerate?

A leakdown test will not find bad valve seals. It would find a ring problem though, which is what I personally suspect in your case.

Are you running a high volume oil pump by chance? If so, what is your oil pressure at idle and cruise?

to be honest im not sure what oil pump i have but my pressure is low at idle 10 psi at cruz it starts out at 40 then drops to 35 when hot.

10 psi at idle and 35 at cruise is on the low side, but not necessarily a problem. I assume you are using a standard volume pump . . .

Have you done a leakdown test yet? or even a cranking compression test yet? That is IMO the first place to go if you are experiencing an oil consumption problem.

I have not done a leak down test yet (i do not have this tool yet) but i have done a compression check and all cyclinders are between 185 and 190. all my plugs are fouling and im getting smoke out the tail pipe on start up and i think i saw it when i got on it hard. i thought i had a fuel problem but i guess that would be black smoke? just wondering would a wrong heat range plug cause any of these problems?

No, plug heat range would not. The cranking compression test is just telling you nothing is broken or leaking -- a leakdown test will help you determine if wear is an issue. If leak down comes back high, squirt a little oil in the cylinders and try again. If leakdown improves then its a ring issue.

How many miles on the bottom end? What kind of parts in in the bottom end (pistons, rings, etc)?

somewhere around 15000 miles. as far as parts i didnt build the bottom end, this is a jasper crate motor sm blk 350 w/ 350 hp.

I think a leak down test would be my next step. Hard to say what the issue might be -- 15,000 shouldn't be enough mileage to cause a wear problem

I will try a leak down test next. Around two years ago I put these heads and a new cam in the car and now that im having a problem I just figured it was something that I did. thanks for all your help eric.

You're welcome. Please let us know what you find -- I'm sure there are others that are curious too.