Changing Valve Springs
- Thread starter gbodyera
- Start date
Yes but why not just pull them off?? You have to use a fitting in the spark plug hole and pressurize the cylinder with each piston at TDC, one at a time start to finish. Kind of a pain in the *ss if you ask me, I would rather just pull the heads!
Comon.......Its not that bad......
Let them on.. Saves you money not to buy new head gaskets.......jmo
Let them on.. Saves you money not to buy new head gaskets.......jmo
Yeah, I prefer doing it with the heads on also. The tool is easy to use and I think it's alot faster and cheaper when you consider that to take heads off you have to drop exhaust, pull intake, pull alternator and p/s pump and AC if equipped. And then draining coolant, cleaing heads and decks for new gaskets, chasing head bolt holes and cleaning and thread sealing head bolts. . . Only drawback for me is having the damn loud compressor running just about the whole time.
its real easy if you use one of those lever type spring compressors. SBC is easy. I recently changed the springs on a 4.6 SOHC in a 99 mustang with the cam still installed and the motor still in the car,,,,give that a try if you want a challenge ,especially if you got big fat hands like me!
brian
brian
It's pretty simple to change springs in the car. I put the cylinder at the bottom of the stroke as the air pressure wants to push it down anyway. I had a long handle ratchet on the crank mandrel when the crank went spinning 180 degrees one time and it nearly took my hand off...BDC for the spring swap.
We always just roll the piston to TDC so that you can't lose a valve. :shock:
(I put the cylinder at the bottom of the stroke as the air pressure wants to push it down anyway. I had a long handle ratchet on the crank mandrel when the crank went spinning 180 degrees one time and it nearly took my hand off...BDC for the spring swap.)
Thats why we have never used air pressure.
(I put the cylinder at the bottom of the stroke as the air pressure wants to push it down anyway. I had a long handle ratchet on the crank mandrel when the crank went spinning 180 degrees one time and it nearly took my hand off...BDC for the spring swap.)
Thats why we have never used air pressure.
A method used since there has been a shady tree w/a guy working on his car under it:gbodyera said:
Just use soft cotton (or similar) cord. Thin dia. rope, in other words.
W/the piston down the hole some- coming up to TDC firing- insert all the cord that will easily fit.
Now, turn (by hand) the engine over towards TDC until the cord jams firmly against the valve heads. Remove the springs at your leisure.
No worry of losing a valve (personally, I'd worry w/the piston at BDC, but that's me) and no need for an air compressor.
If you DO use a compressor (the easier, quicker method, IMO), you may be able to use the hose from a compression tester.
Depending on the style, the schrader valve can be removed and one end easily screwed into the plug hole, the other end (on mine) will fit the compressor hose.
