C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Need HELP,

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 20, 2012 | 11:52 PM
  #21  
daanbc's Avatar
daanbc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 10
From: Palm Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '12
Default

Originally Posted by drwet
Woohoo! I finally won something!

Glad you solved your problem!

If you'll teach me how to post photos, I'll show you the setup I use for changing valvesprings on the car.
Sent ya a pm.......
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2012 | 08:02 PM
  #22  
cardo0's Avatar
cardo0
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,098
Likes: 378
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
Default

Originally Posted by daanbc
Well I DID IT!!!!!!! Took me 2 hours and busted knuckles, but I got it out! I used a long screw to screw thru the knot, then used a long handle needle nose pliers to pull the screw out. Each time it ripped the knot some more. I would then use a tiny pair of needle nose to go into the hole and pull. I was getting threads with each pull. But I never gave up. I then used my big ol garage vacuum, and pluged it into the spark plug hole to suck up anything that was left in there. Nothing came out. Its clean. Here are some pic's.
Glad to read u solved then problem. Man, that was a difficult one but at least u didn't drop a valve. Most everyone that tries the rope trick say they hate it - now we know why. But u are fast becoming a top end expert - which is something everyone should do before tearing into the short block - while the majority of the time its not even needed for thier performance level.

Thx for posting and let us know how the new vlv springs work out,
cardo0
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2012 | 08:21 PM
  #23  
scottyp99's Avatar
scottyp99
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Default

I did valve seals once, and used the rope trick. Only I didn't use rope. I used a piece of speaker wire. Didn't have any knots to deal with, it went pretty smoothly.


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2012 | 11:38 PM
  #24  
daanbc's Avatar
daanbc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 10
From: Palm Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '12
Default

I finished # 6 and # 5 cylinders tonight. Tomorrow I'll do # 2 and 8 and be done. I think im going to buy some new valve stud nuts. One was worn, and I'd rather replace all then take a chance. Here are some pics of my progress. LOL.
I placed each seal in the cap of oil to lube them before each install:



I then used a sharpie as a "condom" to slide them down the valve guides:



Used the tool to compress the old spring all the way to remove the clips:



Then just installed all new hardware:

Reply
Old Apr 22, 2012 | 12:12 AM
  #25  
63mako's Avatar
63mako
Race Director
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Default

Originally Posted by daanbc

Hey! those look just like my knuckles usually do except the oil is usually caked into the big holes.
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2012 | 09:17 AM
  #26  
daanbc's Avatar
daanbc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 10
From: Palm Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '12
Default

Originally Posted by 63mako
Hey! those look just like my knuckles usually do except the oil is usually caked into the big holes.
Yeah, hurt like hell to clean off all the grim n dirt. I even did my nails..LOL.
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2012 | 11:01 AM
  #27  
drwet's Avatar
drwet
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,223
Likes: 652
From: Thunder Bay
Default



Here's the setup I use for doing valvesprings. One end screws into the spark plug hole, the other connects to the quick connect on my compressor. 30-35 lbs. of air pressure is plenty to hold the valves in place while I'm working on the valve springs. The spark plug end of the tool is from one of the tool manufacturers (KD I think), but before I bought this one, I had one I made from an old spark plug. I busted it up and brazed a piece of tubing to the metal part of the plug. Ugly but it worked for me for years and cost pretty much nothing.
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2012 | 02:33 PM
  #28  
cardo0's Avatar
cardo0
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,098
Likes: 378
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
Default

Originally Posted by scottyp99
I did valve seals once, and used the rope trick. Only I didn't use rope. I used a piece of speaker wire. Didn't have any knots to deal with, it went pretty smoothly.
Keep the shiny side up!
Scott
I was thinking use hemp rode instead of nylon - might be less prone to knotting up.

Originally Posted by daanbc
I finished # 6 and # 5 cylinders tonight. Tomorrow I'll do # 2 and 8 and be done. I think im going to buy some new valve stud nuts. One was worn, and I'd rather replace all then take a chance. Here are some pics of my progress. LOL.
I placed each seal in the cap of oil to lube them before each install:
Used the tool to compress the old spring all the way to remove the clips:
Very ingenious/resourceful using a donor sharpie and good detail lubricating before installing.

Thx again for sharing,
cardo0
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-5

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
story-8

2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Apr 22, 2012 | 10:46 PM
  #29  
scottyp99's Avatar
scottyp99
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Default

Originally Posted by drwet


Here's the setup I use for doing valvesprings. One end screws into the spark plug hole, the other connects to the quick connect on my compressor. 30-35 lbs. of air pressure is plenty to hold the valves in place while I'm working on the valve springs. The spark plug end of the tool is from one of the tool manufacturers (KD I think), but before I bought this one, I had one I made from an old spark plug. I busted it up and brazed a piece of tubing to the metal part of the plug. Ugly but it worked for me for years and cost pretty much nothing.
Not all of us have an air compressor. In fact, I'd bet that most of us don't. Ya gotta do the best ya can with what ya got, right?


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 01:15 AM
  #30  
daanbc's Avatar
daanbc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 10
From: Palm Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '12
Default

Originally Posted by scottyp99
Not all of us have an air compressor. In fact, I'd bet that most of us don't. Ya gotta do the best ya can with what ya got, right?


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott
I have an air comp. But I don't believe the air pressure alone would be enough to hold the valves when I had to use a hammer and socket to break the seals. A couple of them I really had to make a couple of hard blows to! If I was to use just air, and the valve gave just a little, that would have allowed the pressure in the cylinder to fall, thus valve falling. The rope gave the vqalve a cushion from the blows and kept them in place.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 06:10 AM
  #31  
Indiancreek's Avatar
Indiancreek
Drifting
Supporting Member
15 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 15
From: Oxford Ohio
Default

The air pressure will hold it. If your compressor is running at 125 PSI I'd figure the surface of the valve head at over 1 square inch so your hammer blow would have had to have been substantial to overcome that. The pain is listening to the air leak around the rings while it's under pressure.
Keep in mind that the air pressure will push the piston to the bottom of the stroke when the pressure hits, so be clear of the fan blade.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 08:29 AM
  #32  
drwet's Avatar
drwet
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,223
Likes: 652
From: Thunder Bay
Default

Originally Posted by Indiancreek
The air pressure will hold it. If your compressor is running at 125 PSI I'd figure the surface of the valve head at over 1 square inch so your hammer blow would have had to have been substantial to overcome that. The pain is listening to the air leak around the rings while it's under pressure.
Keep in mind that the air pressure will push the piston to the bottom of the stroke when the pressure hits, so be clear of the fan blade.
I have to admit I had the same reservations the first time I tried it, but I've done it many times, and it works. Do the math. Your exhaust valve is 1.60" in diameter. That is just over 2 square inches. At 35 psi that's 70 lbs. pressure on the valve. The intake will have even more. You can hit the valve pretty much as hard as you want, and its not going anywhere. If you still don't believe me, just use more pressure.

This is the way it is done by the pros. Its fast and effective and doesn't risk introducing dirt into the cylinder. Try it. You won't go back to the rope trick.

The other advantage is it supports the valve evenly. I would be concerned about hitting the spring retainer with a hammer to release the retainer with the valve supported by a rope. You run the risk of bending the valve.

Last edited by drwet; Apr 23, 2012 at 08:33 AM.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 08:31 AM
  #33  
daanbc's Avatar
daanbc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 10
From: Palm Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '12
Default

Originally Posted by Indiancreek
The air pressure will hold it. If your compressor is running at 125 PSI I'd figure the surface of the valve head at over 1 square inch so your hammer blow would have had to have been substantial to overcome that. The pain is listening to the air leak around the rings while it's under pressure.
Keep in mind that the air pressure will push the piston to the bottom of the stroke when the pressure hits, so be clear of the fan blade.
A couple of my blows were BIG. I had to put my reg. hammer down and take out my Big one. LOL About half of them required several blows.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 08:37 AM
  #34  
drwet's Avatar
drwet
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,223
Likes: 652
From: Thunder Bay
Default

Originally Posted by daanbc
A couple of my blows were BIG. I had to put my reg. hammer down and take out my Big one. LOL About half of them required several blows.
That's because the valves weren't well supported. If you used air pressure to retain the valves, you wouldn't have to hit the spring retainer as hard.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 09:23 AM
  #35  
Indiancreek's Avatar
Indiancreek
Drifting
Supporting Member
15 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 15
From: Oxford Ohio
Default

Originally Posted by daanbc
A couple of my blows were BIG. I had to put my reg. hammer down and take out my Big one. LOL About half of them required several blows.
If you will hit the retainer instead of the valve stem, you'll have better results. Use an impact socket. Otherwise you distort the valve stem tip, and that's where your rocker has to mate. Roller or OEM.
Some times the socket method will kick out the keepers when you hit it. SO watch where they go. I can tell you where to look for them if they come out.
Look as far under anything in your shop they look like they can't get under. Or just beyond the reach of your magnet stick will reach taped to the next longest thing in your shop. If that fails look in your living room or whatever room you remove your shoes in.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 09:58 AM
  #36  
daanbc's Avatar
daanbc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 10
From: Palm Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '12
Default

Originally Posted by drwet
That's because the valves weren't well supported. If you used air pressure to retain the valves, you wouldn't have to hit the spring retainer as hard.
Ahhh, I see say the blind man. That makes sense. I was hitting the retainers. I know better then to hit the stems. But I guess the cushion of the rope was making the blows softer. Ok, I will admit, you guys are right about this one. I was just very leary about loosing pressure and watching a valve drop.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 11:04 AM
  #37  
BKbroiler's Avatar
BKbroiler
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,084
Likes: 786
From: Lebanon Township New Jersey
Default

So when is the car going to be running? I'm anxious to hear about it.
Reply
Old Apr 23, 2012 | 12:59 PM
  #38  
daanbc's Avatar
daanbc
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,487
Likes: 10
From: Palm Beach Florida
St. Jude Donor '12
Default

Originally Posted by BKbroiler
So when is the car going to be running? I'm anxious to hear about it.
BK read my thread in the general forum under "You guys are not going to believe this:"
Reply




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:46 PM.

story-0
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE