Valve Spring Removal

[jc71corvette]

What is a easy way to remove valve springs?

 

[Black94DSM]

With the cylinder head on the car or off the car ?

 

[1990talon]

Buy the tool.

 

[95Talonized]

Well some of the spring compressers dont work with the 4g63 head because of the angle the valves/compression chamber is.

This is what i did, i bought a 8 inch c-clamp for my local hardware store and some jb weld. Then i found an old off brand deep well socket that i didnt need and hacked a side out of it.
I took a grinder and cut about a 1in slot. Then i took the jb weld and put it on both the socket and the clamping head and then clamped it down to a table, i left it there for a while and now i have a spring compresser that works every time.

Hint: i found out that one of those magent tools that are made for picking up sockets and what, is a big help in getting those little retainer clips out too.

maybe that helped you out maybe not.

-Dustin

 

[Rex2342]

What I do to remove valve springs is I take a deep well socket slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the retainer and a 3" extension. I place the socket and extension on the retainer and give it a good hit with a hammer. This dislodges the keepers and then you can take the springs out. Just watch where the keepers go if you plan on reusing them because they do get lost in the head and this doesn't help with putting it back together. I usually have a shop reassemble my heads anyway and they charge me less if they don't have to take it apart. I don't suggest you try this method with the head on the car. Before anybody jumps on me for suggesting this method you should know that I've done it this way for years on multiple heads from multiple vehicles with no problems. It's an old trick a V8 head showed me a long time ago.

 

[GVR4592]

I really don't know what compressors most people are using, I've done it so many different ways I can't even remember them all. The normal style compressors do work, I guess there might be a few out there that don't, but the Craftsman compressor I have and the generic parts store compressor I have, work just fine. I had to make a socket to fit it, but it was very simple. I used a piece of 1" square tubing and notched it so only about 40% of the tubing is in contact with the retainer. This gives you a lot of room to play with the keepers.

One time I had a junk head, so I just stood on it with one foot, stuck an o2 socket on the retainer, pressed down the socket with the other foot, and I fished the keepers out with a magnet. If you're strong enough you can push them down with your hand, but putting them back in that way is a pain in the ass.

You can do the C-clamp/steel bar thing, but that seems like a huge pain in the ass and it's slow as hell. I can remove and replace all of the springs in about 15 minutes with a normal compressor. With the compressor I use at work I can install them in under 5 minutes. It's too expensive for DIY work though.

http://www.goodson.com/store/templa...IID=2547&SID=b453c184326c23708b450dae9e00c857

The parts store compressor I have is made by Powerbuilt and it's around $50, I don't have a link for it though.

 

[GVR4592]

What I do to remove valve springs is I take a deep well socket slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the retainer and a 3" extension. I place the socket and extension on the retainer and give it a good hit with a hammer. This dislodges the keepers and then you can take the springs out. Just watch where the keepers go if you plan on reusing them because they do get lost in the head and this doesn't help with putting it back together. I usually have a shop reassemble my heads anyway and they charge me less if they don't have to take it apart. I don't suggest you try this method with the head on the car. Before anybody jumps on me for suggesting this method you should know that I've done it this way for years on multiple heads from multiple vehicles with no problems. It's an old trick a V8 head showed me a long time ago.

What is the valve doing while this is happeneing? Slamming into the countertop and possibly bending? You'd have to hit it pretty hard to get the keepers to come out. I alway give them a few light taps to break the keepers free, but hitting hard enough for the keepers to pop out might damage the valve if it comes in contact with a solid surface.

 

[Rex2342]

What is the valve doing while this is happeneing? Slamming into the countertop and possibly bending? You'd have to hit it pretty hard to get the keepers to come out. I alway give them a few light taps to break the keepers free, but hitting hard enough for the keepers to pop out might damage the valve if it comes in contact with a solid surface.

I've never noticed the valves even moving but thats not to say they don't. If they are moving I'm not using enough force to overcome the spring tension and the valves to come in contact with the bench. You don't have to hit them with all your might but just enough to pop the keepers out. Your point is understandable but I haven't experienced this. The only reason I've ever pulled out valves to begin with was because they were bent from our lovely timing belt setup

 

[GVR4592]

Our timing belt setup works fine for me, it's the balance shafts that kick my ass.

 

[XtremeDrag]

What is the valve doing while this is happeneing? Slamming into the countertop and possibly bending? You'd have to hit it pretty hard to get the keepers to come out. I alway give them a few light taps to break the keepers free, but hitting hard enough for the keepers to pop out might damage the valve if it comes in contact with a solid surface.

I have also done this for years.. i usually stuff a rag under the valves and i have never had a problem. Its alot harder to bend a valve than some people think imo... well with a hammer i guess its not

 

[GVR4592]

They bend a whole lot easier than most people think. Have you ever checked your valves after removing them that way? Have you ever tested the head to see if it will hold vacuum when it's assembled?

 

[Rex2342]

I just removed a set of springs from a b16 head last night at my buddies house. After GVR4592's concern I decided to see if they actually hit anything using this method. I put grease on the exhaust valves and proceeded to knock them out. With the head flat on the bench 3 valves made contact and the others showed no signs of contact with the bench.I couldn't tell if the 3 bent for sure but the suspicion is there. Honda springs are a lot lighter than DSM springs and required less force to knock loose. So if you plan on reusing your valves I would now suggest a different method but if not then whack away.