Valve Work Advice

Hey guys. My valve seals are pretty well shot, and they need to be replaced real soon. I've made two attempts to do this with the head on the car, using the rope trick, and for the life of me I can't get the retaining cup that holds the valve keepers to come down and release the keepers. I actually managed to get the valve itself pinned up against the head pretty good with the rope (about 1/4" deflection), but no matter what I do that cup will NOT come loose.

I really would rather not pull the head at this time, as I can't afford to pay someone to redo my work if I don't get it right, but if I have to I guess I'll have to. But before I do, do any of you guys have any tricks for working that retainer loose? I've tried tapping it before I compressed the spring, as suggested here; I've been as forceful as I could without jarring loose the compressor or mangling anything; I've tried using the compressor itself to give some extra foce (doesn't work well, as the top arms are small by design).

Help?!

I used a air holder (hoocks up to compressor) and a overhead spring compressor. but when I got done it made my valves stick real bad (no leaded gas here) and bent some pushrods. so I just had the head rebuilt instead. my cost was $370 including gaskets and a new set of pushrods. (had head milled .020" and hardened seats put in)

nick

The rope holes the valve from falling down into the cylinder. Then you use a spring compressor, to pull the spring away from the retainer.

I think that what you're asking is, after you have the spring compressed, how do you get the retainer to come loose?

Hit it with a hammer. Seriously. I use about a 9/16 inch deep-well socket. I hold the socket with a slip joint plier (I have poor aim.) Then I set the open end of the socket on top of the retainer as squarely as possible and give it a firm whack. Be careful to hit it as squarely as possible so as not to bend the valve's stem.

This should loosen the retainer and the valve locks. You'll probably need to pick the locks out with a needle nose plier.

Good Luck

One other thing you can try is to whack all the valve stems before you compress the springs. I don't know where I learned to do this, but it sure seems to work.

To do this with the head on, I'd rotate the piston to something below TDC (go to BDC if it makes you feel better) so you don't tap a piston. I use a plastic headed mallet to squarely whack the valve stems. I usually do this two or three times per valve and then proceed to compress the springs and perform whatever task is needed. Though I normally do this with the head off the engine, I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work in your case.

I've never had a keeper stick after doing this. Try it and see if it helps.

Thanks for the help, guys - still pretty new at this do-it-yourself thing, and it helps a lot having you guys around to ask these little things that I never learned in my younger years. If there's any other advice, I'd welcome it.