Ford Pinto SOHC valve stem oil seals

I've done it with the head in place by the old trick of feeding a length of thin rope into the plug- hole then rotating the engine to compress the cord against the valve, then using a combination-spanner to depress the valvespring enough to get the collets out.

Only problem is, if the seals have gone then there's a good chance that the valve-guides [actually just holes drilled in the head-casting] have also worn - thats what had happened in my case - and the new seals stopped the blue-smoky exhaust for all of 2000 miles......

Before I go ahead and remove the head totally I would like to know if it was possible to do this job with the head in place?

I bought a tool secondhand sometime ago which was claimed was to remove the valves from pinto engine with head in place, no instructions and I am sceptical that think its for a x-flow.

it is perfectly possible to do in situ, but this is such an easy engine to take the head off that I wouldn't try to do it in situ. Take the head off, renew the back core plug, clean and fettle/skim the head, decoke the pistons, clean the crap out of the waterways, have hardened seats put in if needed, recut the seats and valves and rebuild, Sounds like a lot, but the improvements will be noticeable and will last for ages.

the special gadget for the springs looks like a weird right angle pliers gadget, I don't remember actually using the one I have !!

mrcheerful

Seconded, if you're putting it in a kit car you're going to rev it & at that point a skim, recut & phosphor bronze valve guides are nice cheap power & insurance. It's worth buying new collets from Ford as well, if you've revved it you tend to wear the old ones & they don't come with any cam kits.

It turns out the tool I have consist of the spring compressor and an adaptor which fits into the spark plug. A clean air supply of 95 to 125psi is appli= ed to the adaptor and this air pressure is supposed to keep the valve in place, kind of funky. The adaptor has been modifed and the no return valve removed so I will not attempt to use it (dont think I would put my trust into such a method anyway) and instead will use the rope trick you mention. After the seals are replaced and it is evident in a short time the valve guides are worn *then* I may remove the head and have it reworked as suggested by others in this thread. It is a emax pinto (bigger and hardened valves, longer stroke?) so I am loath to have it reworked straight off, and would prefer to spend the money on rebuilding a bigger/better engine. BTW can the CAM remain in situ ? as this will decide on where I do the job, on my driveway in wiltshire or workshop in wales.

When you do the "rope trick" you actually use the cam as the fulcrum to lever against with the combination- spanner.

Spanner-jaws on valve-spring retainer, centre of spanner against the cam, lift the free end of spanner. Spring- retainer is pushed down, collets come free, then you can relax and remove the retainer/spring to access the valve stem oilseals.

Stuff some cloth or something down the oil-drain holes though, unless you like fishing collets out of the sump!

The message from Pinto contains these words:

It works fine - though the one I had never had a non-return valve anyway

- you left it connnected the whole time.

Oh the air compressor solution works, just tap the edge of the valve spring retainer to break the varnish on the collets.

. BTW can the CAM remain in situ ? as this will decide on where I do the job, on my driveway in wiltshire or workshop in wales.

the cam comes out of the back of the head, so usually would stay in place.

mrcheerful