While I got my head off I want to take out my valves for inspection and a lap job or more. Is there any ways to compress the spring to get the keepers out? I have a modified c-clamp to work on my mustang and normal NON-OHC motors but won't work on this (not easily) because how deep it is in the head. I don't have a drill press either like how some shops do it. Is there a homemade tool that can be made to do this? Snap-on has a tool that bolts to the cam caps or somewhere and theres a pivot point and you just put the thing on the retainer and push it down but I'm not going to pay that much for a tool I'll rarely use. I'm sure some have done it Any home-made tools to do this?

 

In the past I have used a deep socket (maybe 16mm or so) and put it on top of the retainer and hit the socket with a mallet or big hammer. That will knock the keepers loose.

 

^ This... Works great and is way quicker than using a spring compressor. Just make sure you don't do what I did and lose any keepers in the process...

 

It works great for popping them out, but getting them back on is another story lol.

Hopefully I can type this so someone understands it lol.

I use the socket method to pop them out, always works, just be careful not to lose some keepers lol.

For putting them back in(with the head off the car) I use a huge c clamp, large enough to have one end on the retainer, and the other on the bottom of the valve. Then I use a plug cutter for a drill.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=plug+...1t:429,r:3,s:0

This is almost like a socket, kinda. Except its just round on the bottom and has a good portion of the side cutout of it. This normally fits into a drill, well, I put it in a 3/8 drive 1/4"socket. This gives the top of the c clamp something to sit on. Then I carefully tighten the c clamp down, with the bottom of the plug cutter on the retainer, until I can get the keepers in. Having the plug cutter, with its side cutout, allows me to sneak in there with a small pair of needle nose and put the keepers back in. Once they are in, I carefully back off the c clamp and, done! Move onto the next.

It def helps with a buddy holding things while I tighten the c clamp though.

 

They make a valve spring compressing tool so that you can change springs with the head on. I think it would make it easy. I will see if I can find a link.

 

http://www.euroexportinc.com/store/m...ompressor.html

 

if you mess up a valve, it's going to cost way more to fix your problem then it will for a tool you only use once.

the link above looks like a no hassle set-up & is even cheaper than a snap-on kit....

iirc, the snap-on universal kit is ~$90 or so.....thats what i paid for mine ~7 years ago.

 

That tool in the link looks like a sweet gadget. Ive never seen that before lol.

 

The kit above makes it pretty easy to do springs/retainers in car!

 

I've had the best of luck with the snap-on tool. Tried the c-clamp types and they suck IMO.

Aaron

 

thats a sweet tool. On a 3sgte I did recently Toyotool makes a little device that you push down on the spring/retainer and it picks up the keepers so they dont get dropped. You then flip the adapter to reinstall. That was a really nice tool as well. With that tool in your link how would you keep the valve from dropping down though?

 

Compressed air into that cylinder...

 

Or the rope "trick".

Aaron