I made a valve spring compressor that work just like the ones for sale. However, when I compress the spring, the keeper stay in the spring. What's the trick to hold the valve while compressing the spring. I tried to put a small block of wood under with no luck. I don't want to chance cracking the head. Any help is appreciated.
tia,
1: whack the keeper with a hammer before trying to compress it. Thst should break it loose. 2: feed compressed air into the cylinder through the spark plug hole to keep the valve from moving.
Works for me. Even without the air.
I will assume that the cylinder head is off since you are removing the valve. The commercial units sandwich the cyl head and stop the valves from moving as you squeeze the spring down. Nice easy to use design. Or there is the big clamp that does the same thing as it touches the valve on one side and the spring on the other.
You must be us>> I made a valve spring compressor that work just like the ones for sale.
Your home-made valve tool obvious doesn't work like the real thing or the keepers would stay put.
Try a thicker block of wood. You don't to see any movement in the valve at all.
Once the spring is compressed the keepers will tend to stick to the valve. Use a sharp scriber to spilt them away from the valve stem then a sharp joggle to pop them free. Put the keepers, retainer and spring in a MARKED box and stone the edges of the keeper-grooves. In use, the keepers will generate a feather-edge of metal at each groove that will ruin you valve guides unless removed.
After removal, the wiggle test will usually show the intake GUIDES are within spec (they wear at about half the rate of the exhaust guides.
-Bob Hoover
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