Removing valve springs.......

[youngy]

.................without a valve spring compressor.

Easy or not?

Am I better off scrounging/buying a valve spring compressor?

[slow codger]

Get a compressor, easier than crawling around the floor looking for split collets, and anything else that can bounce of 4 walls and the ceiling before becoming invisible!!
They arent that expensive, and anyway I may need to borrow it in the future
Dave E

[youngy]

lol...well it seems that I may have scrounged a compressor....so we'll see how all this goes. Motor is all back in one piece apart from the head now.

[HansJ]

.................without a valve spring compressor.

Easy or not?

Am I better off scrounging/buying a valve spring compressor?

I spent something like 3-4 hours removing the springs. I don't even want to think of the time I would have spent putting them back, trying to get them locking bits in the right place... Get a compressor!

Re the valves, I dont think U can see it on the valves. I have either the engine nr or frame nr at home, thatZs supposed to be the magical valve change. I'll check it later tonite, when I am home again.

[phuk72]

Nah, it's easy.

All you need is a length of copper pipe and a vice

[youngy]

Thanks Hans - appreciate that.

Pete - how?

[phuk72]

I'm joking - although a method involving a copper pipe was once recommended to me as a metod of compressing the springs

[youngy]

ya bassad....i was just about to start cutting the pipe off the living room radiator!!

[Quan-Time]

i made my own spring compressor.. Not hard. ill post a pic later.

doesnt have to be special, just needs to work.

[Greg]

I struggled to get those out with my compressor as it's an automotive double ender ... the reach was fine but the seat that depresses the retainer was a snatch too big and fouled the head casting - I ended up cutting a slot out of an old box-spanner (remember those?) and tack-welded it to the original seat... I suspect it would be a bitch to use in reverse though ...

G

[burty]

I had the same problem as greg, I have a number of automotive compressors and they were all too big.

I'm joking - although a method involving a copper pipe was once recommended to me as a metod of compressing the springs

Probably me. It is what I did.

I cut a slot out of the top of a 3" length of copper pipe then put a stubby screwdriver in the end and pushed down on the top of the valve spring, So long as something is supporting the valve then it doesn't move and collets can be removed through the hole. One of those magnetic wand things helps here - which means it's even more handy that the 'Burty Patented Universal Valve Compressor' is made of copper. It really is a piece of piss. It's basically all you do with a compressor anyway. The valve springs are not hard to compress by hand which is the only argument for using something using a screw.

If you want I'll sell you one what's a valve spring compressor worth? £30? I reckon that's still cheap. If you want the complete compressor I'll also sell you the bit of wood to put under the head to stop the valve from moving (sorry that's not shown in the picture below)

Here you go:



BTW, putting the collets back is simple too, they just drop in.

[youngy]

Thanks Burty. Much appreciated.