Changing valve seals with head on?

Anyone on here tried rope or compressed air for holding valves closed? Among other things, I was once an aircraft mechanic. We'd change valve springs, etc. with the cylinder pressurized by compressed air. My valve seals are 30 years old. I'm thinking about changing them this winter, but don't want to pull the head just yet.

If the seals are 30 years old, so are the guides. If it is smoking, etc. don't just change the seals, do the guides too and have a fresh head.

Jay

kzzone.com

Post edited by: APE Jay, at: 2005/12/02 23:53

Post edited by: APE Jay, at: 2005/12/02 23:53

But the valve guides don't harden and crack with age

The only problem with replacing the valve seals using compressed air to hold the valves shut, is compressing the spring to remove the keepers. If you make a tool that will allow you to compress the springs from the top, then it will work, or you could just stuff the cylinder full of rope by feeding it through the spark plug hole

dont think you are going to have enough room to get a spring compressor into the bucket, it will have to have feet on it to grab the last coil in order to compress the spring,you can use a hammer and a socket to get them off dont know how to get them back on

If the seals are 30 years old, so are the guides. If it is smoking, etc. don't just change the seals, do the guides too and have a fresh head.


Thanks for the reply, Jay. The only time I've seen it smoke was on the dyno decellerating from 9000 rpm. That was about 5 years ago. I'm doing some minor stuff to it this winter, and figured for the $10, it might be worth changing the 30 year old seals. I'm sure they're like stone in there. As my signature says, I'm collecting parts for the 1200 motor as cash allows. I'm figuring on getting at least one more season out of the stock 903cc engine.

Post edited by: B200Driver, at: 2005/12/03 11:16

Want to contamiate cyclinder bores wiht rope or not?

In my early years,when we was making do with what we had,we put alittle chunck of two x four under valves,got impact shocket-banged on it-knocked keepers out. As long as u have valae spring compressor, u can fashion anything to reinstall. nice having extra one laying around...

Quicker and easier to just take the head off. I've done head removal in less than an hour;)