Ok, I have all the supplies toghther. Any tips? One person told me to make sure as I work on a cylinder that its piston is in the up position just in case the compressed air does not hold the valve up. Is that likely? The car only has around 43K on it and seems to have good compression. This also seems like a good time to install new plugs and refinish my valve covers. Great 4th of July project! :flag

 

I like to use the rope trick. I pick up a small roll of closeline rope and feed 5 or 6 feet into the spark plug hole. Then I roll the motor slowly with a ratchet until the piston pushes the rope tight to the head You can the pull the retainers and springs with zero chance of dropping the valve. Sounds mickey mouse but works great.My compressor is small so I like this trick.

 

I used a cut off spark plug wire, seemed easier than air.

 

To using rope
Thats the way I did it and never had a problem.
In each kit is a plastic sleeve to put over valve stem to protect seals from damage on install. Take one of those sleeves and trim it so the end of it sits just above the bottom groove on valve. Use the trimmed one for installing "O" rings after cap is on. It makes it alot easier to get those "O" ring in place







[Modified by AGENT 86, 6:34 AM 7/3/2004]

 

Since you are going to change plugs, just leave em out while installing new valve seals so you can more easily turn the crank. It will be even easier to turn the crank shaft if you loosen all the rocker arms.

I too used the rope trick with a piece of nylon rope. I inserted a screw driver blade into the spark plug hole as a piston stop and manually turned the crank till to near TDC. Then I removed it and fed in the rope and turnded the crank till it was tight.

If using compressed air I suggest you at least crank the piston to near TDC as a safety measure.

A magnetic wand realy helps get the keepers out of the retainer after you crack em loose.

Are you also installing new keepers to avoid a dropped valve later?

I used MAM valve cover paint to referb my covers the first time they were off and it worked well. I sanded them down and then hit em with several medium coats of paint, wet sanding with 220 grit between coats. This seemed to fill in the pores in the Mg valve covers without undue sanding of the bare covers.

Good luck with the project; it will be really nice to see fresh valve covers on top of your engine (mine were brownish when I started on them).


[Modified by 65Z01, 12:05 PM 7/3/2004]

 

??? I used "The rope trick", too, but *I* had a problem.

RACE ON!!!

 

CFI-EFI, what problem did you have with the rope trick???

 

I used a compression test hose fitted with an "air fitting" The compression test hose was about a foot long and easily threaded in the spark plug hole. Then you just apply compressed air to the hose, takes a couple of minutes at best on each hole. The valves don't go anywhere. BTW, I also agree with the magnetic wand The valve keepers jump on the magnetic wand and you won't have to worry about losing one down the head. I bought mine fore $1.50 at a black and decker outlet store. Good luck either method you choose

 

I didn't use anything at all!

Just get the piston at Top Dead Center and the valves will only fall .25 inch if any. The most difficult portion is finding TDC...then you simply turn the engine over 90 degrees 3 more times...as when one piston is TDC on compression another is also on TDC, but on the exhaust...so you can complete two pistons with each 90 degree turn of the engine.

I've done this twice now after the idea was suggested by GS #007...I had used the rope trick prior.

 

This is the crazyest thing I have encountered in a loooog time. After changing the seals in the second cylinder, I backed up the crank to relieve the pressure on the rope, and I started pulling the rope out. All of a sudden, the rope stopped coming out of the spark plug hole. A millon possibilities ran through my head as to the cause. Most of them, not rational. As you would expect. the explaination was that the rope tied itself into a knot, going in. And it was a BIG knot! I had a hell of a time with it, but I DID avoid pulling the head. The knot was too big to come through the intake valve, even with the spring fully compressed. If this should happen to anyone else (not likely), contact me BEFORE you pull very hard on the rope. I can save you a lot of trouble.

RACE ON!!!

 

Holy chit!! I did not even think of this terrible possibility. i will remember this post every time I use the rope trick!

 

I use the 90* method. Find TDC on #1 cylinder, change the valve seals. Then turn the crank 90*, change #8 seals. Then continue following the firing order and turning the crankshaft 90* each time, change the other seals. No need for rope or compressed air.


[Modified by STL94LT1, 5:20 PM 7/3/2004]

 

Neither had I.

It turned a relatively simple operation into a, days consuming project. A lot of the time was spent in researching on how to dissolve nylon rope. The short answer, is that anything that will dissolve the rope will dissolve pistons, rings, and cylinder walls, too. I considered burning the rope. But you know the stick, gummy, residue nylon leaves. I thought, maybe I could live with a little. As it turns out, there was over 57" of rope left inside of the cylinder. THAT would have locked up my high mileage engine, solid.

RACE ON!!!

 

CFI-EFI So, how did you get the rope out?

 

CFI-EFI, thanks for the info; I too hadn't thought of that possible problem.

However, since I cranked the piston up the the screw driver stop, I could only feed in a rather short section of rope to "fill" the cylinder before I cranked it a little to get it tight. Apparently that wasn't enough to form a knot.

 

It was. Just like normal people, it didn't. After hours of fruitless attempts, I removed a valve spring and rolled the "O" ring up to the keeper groove. I dropped the valve as far into the cylinder as that would allow. I fished through an intake port with one of those flexible push button grabber tools. After many attempts, I was able to snag the rope. The knot was so big, it barely came past the valve, even that far open. As I tugged it past the valve, I was afraid the resistance coming past the valve would break my grip on the rope. Finally!

RACE ON!!!