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Cheap Valve Spring Tool Source?

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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 01:41 PM
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Default Cheap Valve Spring Tool Source?

Gotta r&r two sets of 243 springs, the heads are on the ground... I could get the cheap Autozone $25 claw type (rat-trap explosion) or I could get the nice high dollar items for $99.

There's one I found that's just a piece of machined bar stock with some all-thread and washer/nut. On fleabay for $35 shipped.

That tool would be a great buy at $15, any ideas? I recall hearing some time back of a cheap source for those?

(and no I don't feel like fabbing/making my own this time)
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 02:01 PM
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 04:13 PM
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Default Crane Cams valve spring compressor

Joshua you have a pm.
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 04:21 PM
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^ Thanks, but the Crane compressor is the same as the $99 clone I already mentioned.

I'm looking for the simple, lever-type that is nothing more than cheap flat-stock with some machine work.
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 04:28 PM
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 04:28 PM
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Good luck. Went through this a couple months back. Bought the Crane for $115. Nice piece & makes changing all 16 pretty quick. TPIS had a nice one for $80, but it looks like you found something cheaper already.
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 04:50 PM
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Just don't buy one of the ones that grabs the spring itself with a couple of claws.
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by vettenuts
Just don't buy one of the ones that grabs the spring itself with a couple of claws.
the cheap Autozone $25 claw type (rat-trap explosion)

I almost lost an eye or tooth (whatever it would've hit) when a spring let loose a few years back.
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Old Sep 13, 2010 | 06:30 PM
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Yep, that's the one. It will damage aftermarket surface treated valve springs.
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Old Sep 14, 2010 | 01:55 PM
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Welp... someone here offered to loan said flatstock tool of the Gods... if I returned it in fine shape.....

Gentlemen, I have found the cheapest place to aquire tools for the Blessed LS1 engines... and it is CorvetteForum.

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Old Sep 14, 2010 | 04:45 PM
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I had one of those. 4 hours later with some flat stock and a welder it works great. I basicly added my own frame and mounting bracket,using the original thread and spring retainer pusher. In hindsight, it would have been much easier to fork up the money and spend a hundred bucks for somebody else's "quality" tool.
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Old Sep 14, 2010 | 09:35 PM
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I bought one from Lingenfelter for $80. It is billet aluminum piece that with a roller bearing trunion. Use with a 3/8 breaker bar to compress the spring.

http://www.lingenfelter.com/mm5/merc...egory_Code=C96
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Old Sep 15, 2010 | 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by DBS99MagRedCoupe
I bought one from Lingenfelter for $80. It is billet aluminum piece that with a roller bearing trunion. Use with a 3/8 breaker bar to compress the spring.

http://www.lingenfelter.com/mm5/merc...egory_Code=C96
Not bad, it's a copy of the More Performance (closed now for years) / Thunder Racing unit. The only bad part about being aluminum is sometimes the ratchet would wallow out the hole, but it was the best in the early days. (before Crane made theirs)

Lingenfelter


More Performance Tool

Last edited by ~Josh; Sep 15, 2010 at 09:38 AM.
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Old Sep 15, 2010 | 10:38 AM
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We sell both the More/Thunder/Lingenfelter/Scoggin Dickey tool and the remake of the crane compressor. I prefer the remake of the crane tool by far.
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Old Sep 15, 2010 | 10:52 AM
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I use the flat stock

....but should Raymond a call at scoggin for the crane copy
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Old Oct 25, 2010 | 10:49 PM
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i used the "rat-trap explosion" tool from harbor freight for $15 and r&r'd all 16 in about 1.5 hrs on cc918's....what is the result of damaged aftermarket surface treated valve springs? until reading that, i wouldn't have thought twice about it.
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 03:41 AM
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nobody use the 44 dollar lever compressor?
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To Cheap Valve Spring Tool Source?

Old Oct 26, 2010 | 05:32 AM
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Originally Posted by rustyguns
nobody use the 44 dollar lever compressor?
A forum member loaned me his lever/flat stock tool and it was effortless. I was surprised it was so effective. Miles ahead of the rat trap explosion (never again) and even at retail it's a much cheaper solution than all the others specialty versions.

The flat stock tool had all springs (from 2 sets of heads on the ground) off in about 15-20 minutes including time taken to remove the valves and place in numbered slots through cardboard. Awesome.
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted by ~Joshua
A forum member loaned me his lever/flat stock tool and it was effortless. I was surprised it was so effective. Miles ahead of the rat trap explosion (never again) and even at retail it's a much cheaper solution than all the others specialty versions.

The flat stock tool had all springs (from 2 sets of heads on the ground) off in about 15-20 minutes including time taken to remove the valves and place in numbered slots through cardboard. Awesome.
post a picture of it! I will need one soon too!
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Old Oct 26, 2010 | 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by rustyguns
post a picture of it! I will need one soon too!
Here's one spring off. The heads had the ports smoothed with sanding rolls (not altering the shape of the ports), and the exteriors fully polished.



So easy, even a housewife can do it.... she actually did all the work while I drank beer and took a couple pictures.

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