SPRING INSTALL HELP ASAP!!!!!!!
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,255
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From: nor cal (ripon)
SPRING INSTALL HELP ASAP!!!!!!! ok im using an air compressor...its at 60psi...but when i start to compress the spring its like it leaks out there..i can hear air getting out when i compress the springs....ANY HELP?
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 233
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From: St. Louis, MO
Re: SPRING INSTALL HELP ASAP!!!!!!! At least you know that your locks are doing their job! First of all, raise your air pressure to 80-100 psi. Then do as Dave said and tap the retainer with a soft hammer or something that won't damage it. This will help the retainer let loose of the locks. Now use your spring compressor to push the retainer down.
TECH Junkie
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,242
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From: Lakeland, FL
Re: SPRING INSTALL HELP ASAP!!!!!!! When I did my cam swap I had to tap it after I compressed. I don't think it will make a difference if you tap them before hand. If you are really concerned you could try the no air method where the piston is at the top of its stroke so the valve wont fall. Do a search on that one though if you decide to go that route cause you for sure don't want to drop a valve and there are some good posts about how to tell where the piston is in the stroke.
Re: SPRING INSTALL HELP ASAP!!!!!!! It's not that big a deal to spin the crank so that the piston is at TDC on the cylinder that your swapping the springs on. So what if you have to spin the crank 8 times. Your not on the clock or an assembly line anyway. Besides if your using the compressed air method you can do both valves on that cylinder at the same time. You can save even more time if you have 2 spring compressors and a spare retainer. With the piston at TDC the valve can't fall that far if the compressed air doesn't hold the valves up, which it should. Do you hear the air escaping only AFTER you compress the spring or do you also hear it before you compress it? If you hear it before you need to do a compression test. I agree with Mike K that tapping on the retainer before you compress the spring will NOT release the locks because of the spring pressure. That is what the sping is supposed to prevent. If you could break your retainers loose with a gentle tap with a rubber mallet when the spings are NOT compressed you'd probably spit the locks out at high RPMs. The compessed air should be sufficient to hold that valve up even when the spring is compressed regardless of whether the retainer gets stuck or not. The spring compresor should compress the spring not push the valve down allowing the compressed air to escape.
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