valve spring replacement
03-16-2011, 12:34 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
valve spring replacement
Hi
I am looking to replace my valve springs to the comp 918 beehives. Is there any good write up on DIY or anyone to guide the steps?
Thanks
I am looking to replace my valve springs to the comp 918 beehives. Is there any good write up on DIY or anyone to guide the steps?
Thanks
03-16-2011, 09:21 PM
#2
Team Owner
try search in C5 tech or engine forum or just google it if nobody hits you here. Even shop manual should tell you basics. They have it online in the C5 perfomance section for download.
Last edited by John Shiels; 03-16-2011 at 09:25 PM.
03-16-2011, 09:56 PM
#3
Safety Car
03-16-2011, 10:44 PM
#5
Drifting
I could never find a good one for a C5. LS1 forum had a pretty good one for a Camaro. Here is my condensed version.
1. Buy a Crane tool and spark plug air hose. You can always sell it afterwards if you want to recoup some of your $.
2. Remove red coil covers. They just snap on.
3. Use big breaker bar or similar to take tension off serpentine belt and remove. Disconnect ground terminal on battery, then hot terminal on alternator and then the plug. Remove two bolts and alternator.
4. Remove all plugs. the hard part is releasing the boots from the coils and plugs. I used pliers to twist boot. Don't pull on wires.
5. Remove coils on the frame and then the valve covers. There is a big vacuum line on the drivers side that is in the way as well.
6. Undo the rocker arms and remove the bar underneath. Take pictures if you think you might not figure out how things go.
7. Jack up rear of car and put trans in 6th gear. You can turn the engine over easily this way. Use a soda straw with the flex end to determine when a piston is at top dead center. This is for the chicken hearted among us.
8. Set the parking brake, and put 60 to 100 psi to the cylinder to keep the valves closed. They can't drop to far with the piston at TDC if things go poorly. Use the tool to compress two springs on that cylinder and remove the keepers. I used a strong magnet to make sure that I didn't drop them. Sometime you need to whack the end of the valve stem with a mallet to pop keepers loose. One quick decisive blow and they come loose. Most of the time you need not do this.
9. Old springs out, new in. Make sure keepers are seated when you back off the tool. Roll the engine over again and do another cylinder. I think you can do two cylinders with one crankshaft position and just rotate the crank 4 times to get everything.
10. Reverse assembly.
My engine had 24,000 miles on it so the valve cover gaskets got wiped off and put back. No leaks at 30,000 mi. Same with plugs. They looked fine, so I saw no need to spend money on something that wasn't broke.
Paranoia was my reason for changing springs. A handful of 2002 Z06's had broken springs with mixed results. A set of stock springs was $60 from Gene Culley. The Stock springs are made by a German company that starts with M (can't remember the rest), are shot peened, beehive and use elliptical wire. You probably can't buy elliptical wire in small volume, so I don't know that aftermarket springs are really anymore high tech.
Finally when I started the car the first time, it made such an awful noise that I shut it down after about 5 seconds. I think the lifters leaked down or something. I was told that this was normal. Restart and valves calmed down a little and after about 5 minutes of idling, it was quiet again.
[
1. Buy a Crane tool and spark plug air hose. You can always sell it afterwards if you want to recoup some of your $.
2. Remove red coil covers. They just snap on.
3. Use big breaker bar or similar to take tension off serpentine belt and remove. Disconnect ground terminal on battery, then hot terminal on alternator and then the plug. Remove two bolts and alternator.
4. Remove all plugs. the hard part is releasing the boots from the coils and plugs. I used pliers to twist boot. Don't pull on wires.
5. Remove coils on the frame and then the valve covers. There is a big vacuum line on the drivers side that is in the way as well.
6. Undo the rocker arms and remove the bar underneath. Take pictures if you think you might not figure out how things go.
7. Jack up rear of car and put trans in 6th gear. You can turn the engine over easily this way. Use a soda straw with the flex end to determine when a piston is at top dead center. This is for the chicken hearted among us.
8. Set the parking brake, and put 60 to 100 psi to the cylinder to keep the valves closed. They can't drop to far with the piston at TDC if things go poorly. Use the tool to compress two springs on that cylinder and remove the keepers. I used a strong magnet to make sure that I didn't drop them. Sometime you need to whack the end of the valve stem with a mallet to pop keepers loose. One quick decisive blow and they come loose. Most of the time you need not do this.
9. Old springs out, new in. Make sure keepers are seated when you back off the tool. Roll the engine over again and do another cylinder. I think you can do two cylinders with one crankshaft position and just rotate the crank 4 times to get everything.
10. Reverse assembly.
My engine had 24,000 miles on it so the valve cover gaskets got wiped off and put back. No leaks at 30,000 mi. Same with plugs. They looked fine, so I saw no need to spend money on something that wasn't broke.
Paranoia was my reason for changing springs. A handful of 2002 Z06's had broken springs with mixed results. A set of stock springs was $60 from Gene Culley. The Stock springs are made by a German company that starts with M (can't remember the rest), are shot peened, beehive and use elliptical wire. You probably can't buy elliptical wire in small volume, so I don't know that aftermarket springs are really anymore high tech.
Finally when I started the car the first time, it made such an awful noise that I shut it down after about 5 seconds. I think the lifters leaked down or something. I was told that this was normal. Restart and valves calmed down a little and after about 5 minutes of idling, it was quiet again.
[
03-17-2011, 12:17 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
I could never find a good one for a C5. LS1 forum had a pretty good one for a Camaro. Here is my condensed version.
1. Buy a Crane tool and spark plug air hose. You can always sell it afterwards if you want to recoup some of your $.
2. Remove red coil covers. They just snap on.
3. Use big breaker bar or similar to take tension off serpentine belt and remove. Disconnect ground terminal on battery, then hot terminal on alternator and then the plug. Remove two bolts and alternator.
4. Remove all plugs. the hard part is releasing the boots from the coils and plugs. I used pliers to twist boot. Don't pull on wires.
5. Remove coils on the frame and then the valve covers. There is a big vacuum line on the drivers side that is in the way as well.
6. Undo the rocker arms and remove the bar underneath. Take pictures if you think you might not figure out how things go.
7. Jack up rear of car and put trans in 6th gear. You can turn the engine over easily this way. Use a soda straw with the flex end to determine when a piston is at top dead center. This is for the chicken hearted among us.
8. Set the parking brake, and put 60 to 100 psi to the cylinder to keep the valves closed. They can't drop to far with the piston at TDC if things go poorly. Use the tool to compress two springs on that cylinder and remove the keepers. I used a strong magnet to make sure that I didn't drop them. Sometime you need to whack the end of the valve stem with a mallet to pop keepers loose. One quick decisive blow and they come loose. Most of the time you need not do this.
9. Old springs out, new in. Make sure keepers are seated when you back off the tool. Roll the engine over again and do another cylinder. I think you can do two cylinders with one crankshaft position and just rotate the crank 4 times to get everything.
10. Reverse assembly.
My engine had 24,000 miles on it so the valve cover gaskets got wiped off and put back. No leaks at 30,000 mi. Same with plugs. They looked fine, so I saw no need to spend money on something that wasn't broke.
Paranoia was my reason for changing springs. A handful of 2002 Z06's had broken springs with mixed results. A set of stock springs was $60 from Gene Culley. The Stock springs are made by a German company that starts with M (can't remember the rest), are shot peened, beehive and use elliptical wire. You probably can't buy elliptical wire in small volume, so I don't know that aftermarket springs are really anymore high tech.
Finally when I started the car the first time, it made such an awful noise that I shut it down after about 5 seconds. I think the lifters leaked down or something. I was told that this was normal. Restart and valves calmed down a little and after about 5 minutes of idling, it was quiet again.
[
1. Buy a Crane tool and spark plug air hose. You can always sell it afterwards if you want to recoup some of your $.
2. Remove red coil covers. They just snap on.
3. Use big breaker bar or similar to take tension off serpentine belt and remove. Disconnect ground terminal on battery, then hot terminal on alternator and then the plug. Remove two bolts and alternator.
4. Remove all plugs. the hard part is releasing the boots from the coils and plugs. I used pliers to twist boot. Don't pull on wires.
5. Remove coils on the frame and then the valve covers. There is a big vacuum line on the drivers side that is in the way as well.
6. Undo the rocker arms and remove the bar underneath. Take pictures if you think you might not figure out how things go.
7. Jack up rear of car and put trans in 6th gear. You can turn the engine over easily this way. Use a soda straw with the flex end to determine when a piston is at top dead center. This is for the chicken hearted among us.
8. Set the parking brake, and put 60 to 100 psi to the cylinder to keep the valves closed. They can't drop to far with the piston at TDC if things go poorly. Use the tool to compress two springs on that cylinder and remove the keepers. I used a strong magnet to make sure that I didn't drop them. Sometime you need to whack the end of the valve stem with a mallet to pop keepers loose. One quick decisive blow and they come loose. Most of the time you need not do this.
9. Old springs out, new in. Make sure keepers are seated when you back off the tool. Roll the engine over again and do another cylinder. I think you can do two cylinders with one crankshaft position and just rotate the crank 4 times to get everything.
10. Reverse assembly.
My engine had 24,000 miles on it so the valve cover gaskets got wiped off and put back. No leaks at 30,000 mi. Same with plugs. They looked fine, so I saw no need to spend money on something that wasn't broke.
Paranoia was my reason for changing springs. A handful of 2002 Z06's had broken springs with mixed results. A set of stock springs was $60 from Gene Culley. The Stock springs are made by a German company that starts with M (can't remember the rest), are shot peened, beehive and use elliptical wire. You probably can't buy elliptical wire in small volume, so I don't know that aftermarket springs are really anymore high tech.
Finally when I started the car the first time, it made such an awful noise that I shut it down after about 5 seconds. I think the lifters leaked down or something. I was told that this was normal. Restart and valves calmed down a little and after about 5 minutes of idling, it was quiet again.
[
