Valve spring how to.. Help

[Gudgeon]

Hey all, anyone have any tricks to remove valve springs with heads still on. Dont have the valve tool but have the spark plug air adaptor. Engine is 304. Thanks

[acarmody]

Get some off those overhead spring removers. Like these, . Worked on my Ecotec

[Blown V6 Hatch]

Yep, you need the right tool. You can buy less expensive ones than the one posted above. The one i use is basically just a piece of bent steel that levers off the rocker bolt and pushes down on the retainer.

VALVE SPRING COMPRESSOR SUIT GM V8 | eBay

That's similar to the one i have.

[acarmody]

I bought mine for like ~$30, how much cheaper can you get?

[Blown V6 Hatch]

Half the price. Also i find the one i posted much easier to use. I've used both.

[acarmody]

Really, damn I got ripped off, oh well, still cheaper than the ridiculous rate some mechanics wanted to change them.

So how does that tool work? Do you have to slide it under the retainer or something? Just curious.

EDIT: Oh wait, do you leave the rocker stud in and push down, and the locks fit through the small hole?

[Blown V6 Hatch]

Really, damn I got ripped off, oh well, still cheaper than the ridiculous rate some mechanics wanted to change them.

So how does that tool work? Do you have to slide it under the retainer or something? Just curious.

EDIT: Oh wait, do you leave the rocker stud in and push down, and the locks fit through the small hole?

Yep, exactly. You put the rocker bolt in through the small hole, and the horse shoe part goes on the retainer. Pull on it and slip the collets out. Such a simple idea, but it works fantastic.

[acarmody]

Your right that is such a simple but workable tool. And we all love simple, why else would we love out commodore engine, 1950's engineering right there, LOL.

[ari666]

i hate the levers much prefer the twisty ones... although after undoing and doing up 16 valves, your hand tends to get pretty sore.

[DANNY8]

I prefer the twisty ones too, but yeah ya hands get a tad sore lol...I swapped springs over from one pair of heads to the other once, so 32 in total...hand was drillin after that! Keep them oiled up tho (the spring compressor, not ya hands) and they are a bit better, and keep swappin hands lol.

If ya didn't have the air tool, another way around it is putting string rope or sumfin similar in the bore thru the spark plug hole, feed a fair bit in there, then slowly turn the motor over by hand so the piston is at tdc....then the valve can't drop.

[ari666]

lol, i nearly lost a valve last time i did this. dunno what i was thinkin' but half way through twisting the tool on i was like: "fk this, ima use the air ratchet" unclipped the airline (off the spark plug-hole-thingie) to plug in the ratchet and saw out the corner of my eye the valve sloooowly falling into the camber!

lol, retard. luckily clipped that air line back in quick enough.

[304runner]

socket, extension and a hammer does the trick...lol

[acarmody]

lol, i nearly lost a valve last time i did this. dunno what i was thinkin' but half way through twisting the tool on i was like: "fk this, ima use the air ratchet" unclipped the airline (off the spark plug-hole-thingie) to plug in the ratchet and saw out the corner of my eye the valve sloooowly falling into the camber!

lol, retard. luckily clipped that air line back in quick enough.

Damn you were lucky to catch that!

I just used some cheap thin rope from Bunnings in the spark plug hole to keep the valve up. Just made sure it was a decent proper woven rope so as not to leave any crap in the bore. Can't imagine melted nylon would be good for the piston.