D.I.Y valve spring compressor

[rustybronco]

Not my original idea as it was taken from another member who's name I don't recall**. (Steve??)

Take one $6.99 harbor freight 8" (200 mm) C-clamp and screw the movable portion down until it tightens against the non-movable side. Scribe a line around the move-able pad and open the clamp fully. Find the center of the circle you made and drill a pilot hole all the way through the non-movable pad. (My drill motor was small enough to drill from the inside) Increase the size of the hole with increasingly larger drill bits until the hole will accept a 5/16"-18 tap (size F-drill bit) and tap the hole. Insert a 5/16" NC allen head cap screw into a 5/8" spark plug socket and tighten securely. Take a cutoff wheel and use it to remove a rectangle from the spark plug socket. Deburr the opening with a file.

** Found the thread. http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...77&postcount=4

As always the requisite pictures...

[chuck hahn]

Now we need one that will work without taking the head off to refresh the valve stem seals.

[Flyboy]

There is a way already Chuck, use a nut just big enough to go through the spark plug hole tied to a piece of fishing like or such, so you can fish it out again, slowly rotate motor to clamp nut between valve head and piston crown to firmly hold valve closed against its seat.
Remove springs, replace valve stem seal as required.

[Steve]

Not my original idea as it was taken from another member who's name I don't recall**. (Steve??)

OK, I'll take partial credit for that. My original version used a section of PVC pipe coupling, then I used a 24mm deep socket, but somebody else had the idea of bolting the socket to the clamp.

Personally, I turn the clamp around and use the socket against the pad on the screw.

.

[Macmatic]

There is a way already Chuck, use a nut just big enough to go through the spark plug hole tied to a piece of fishing like or such, so you can fish it out again, slowly rotate motor to clamp nut between valve head and piston crown to firmly hold valve closed against its seat.
Remove springs, replace valve stem seal as required.

Whoa! A nut?! That may work out fine for you but I only do this trick with cotton rope so nothing gets scratched or bent. It works the same way, just make sure it's coming up on TDC with the valves closed and feed in some rope, instant engine shibari.To get the rope out you just rotate back a few degrees and pull it out.

A few years ago I made up a rig with a dowel handle, a few PVC plumbing fittings and a swivel that I used to do the stem seals with the head in the frame. As I remember the handle had some sort of padded hook I'd rest on the upper frame as a pivot and then dangling off the handle was another bit of dowel and a PVC fitting with a window cut in the side to compress the spring and fish out the retainers. It worked well enough on my 16v.

-Mac

[Eli69]

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=205362

[Steve]

Thanks, Eli, that thread gave me the source for the rest of the credit:

This is Brian's valve spring compressor.

.

[6pkrunner]

There is a way already Chuck, use a nut just big enough to go through the spark plug hole tied to a piece of fishing like or such, so you can fish it out again, slowly rotate motor to clamp nut between valve head and piston crown to firmly hold valve closed against its seat.
Remove springs, replace valve stem seal as required.

Just take a length of rope and start feeding it into the cylinder when its at BDC. Feed as much as you can in and then turn the piston toward TDC. The rope will form into the required shape and not hurt any parts, while holding the valve firmly in place. Remove keepers and spring, replace valve seal and then turn crank back to BDC and pull out rope.

[rustybronco]

Just in case you didn't already know, if you click on the link I provided and click on where it says Hillbilly valve spring compressor in the upper right hand corner, it will take you to the complete thread.

There is no one right way or wrong way to use a c-clamp as a valve spring compressor. I think as long as it doesn't damage the bucket's bore and isn't too fiddly to use, which I find is the case when using a separate piece, use what ever method you like. This just another variation on the theme, which hopefully, will work for me.

[AJ]

Absolutely use the rope trick for doing the stem seals with the head installed. Do not use anything hard like a metal nut.