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valve spring compressing problem, help needed asap

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dsmoverboosted

15+ Year Contributor
217
0
Feb 26, 2006
Winnipeg, Manitoba_Canada
Well I am in the middle of changing my valve seals with the head still on the block and I am trying to save on buying a bolt to the block type compressor so I tried to make my own. I am using a bar that is bolted to the head with the valve cover bolts as leverage and a open ended wrench to compress the springs.

Now I can compress the springs with my setup but my problem is when I do the valves open, even with 100psi pumping into the cylinder. I know the cylinder is pressurized because when I put enough force on the spring to compress it and the valve opens it is a big whoosh and the air pisses into the exhaust.

Why would the valves be opening, should they not stay in place with 100psi pushing them up? Is it because of my homemade compressor? Are the keepers just sticking?

I even tried tapping on the retainers and keepers a bit then compressing the springs but the same thing happens.

Any help would be great thanks.
 
the keepers/locks could be sticking like you said. You could try tapping them(the retainer) with a hammer or whatever you would need to get at the springs.
 
I did try to tap on the retainers a bit and on the keepers too with no luck. :(
 
You gotta do what you gotta do....

I think I'd rather pull the head in the long run, too. There's way to many ways for the train to come off the tracks, and/or things to get complicated...plus you can clean and inspect the valves, seats, and guides for wear and issues.

Btw, Mac tools has a high zoot plastic adapter for old school spring compressors. Of course, I had already made my own out of a diesel injector socket....I have seen all manor of creative solutions for this problem. I like laserspeeddemons approach. I say whatever works for you is totally cool.

Just understand there's some force involved, and safety glasses are a good idea. Try very hard to get everything centered up before trying to compress the spring. It's really easy to drag the retainer down one side of the valve, creating a gnarly burr...

One very important detail to remember if'n you're going to do the job with the head installed. If you're whacking the retainers hard enough to break the keepers loose....you're also opening the valves some....PLEASE....move the crank 90* from tdc so there's no pistons at tdc..It would really suck to ding a valve off a piston crown....

To break the keepers loose, just put a clean ~ 17mm. socket on the retainer and smack it one time, moderately hard. Please do NOT hit the end of the valve!!! You're trying to move the retainer relative to the keepers and valve stem.

To seat the keepers on assembly you can use a wooden dowel, or plastic hammer handle, whatever,.... gently on the end of the valve stem..just not a hard metal punch or anything like that. It's really easy to damage the valve stem tip....

And, the keeper you'll be looking for is on top of the light fixture......:D
 
keep air in the cylinder and get a socket just a little smaller than the retainer(11/16 or 3/4 socket).put it on the retainer and give it a good hit but keep preassure on the socket so the keepers dont fly all over the place...works everytime.
 
laserspeeddemon said:
Just pull the head, you seem to be making more work for your self this way anyhow. Also it is easier and more effective to build a ghetto tool this anyway. See my thread


Haha...I built one like that a few years ago as well! Sometimes its the simple things that work best, eh? :thumb:


Matco makes a compressor made for the ohc engines, and it runs about $80.
 
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