How to limp home on a broken valve spring?
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From: Simi Valley, CA
How to limp home on a broken valve spring? I'm picking up a car tomorrow that has a broken valve spring. If I pull the rocker arms/pushrods off that cylinder, unplug the fuel injector, take out the spark plug, and use a hose clamp to ensure the valve with the broken spring is held closed, can I safely limp it home?
the safest way to limp it home would be to buy the proper valve spring..and change it before driving it home...
Its not that hard...
just need an 8mm socket...a 10mm socket....maybe a short extension.. a torque wrench good for 22ft-lbs.... a valve spring tool.... and a little patience.... just be sure to get th ecylinder to tdc before removing the old valve spring...
then you can limp it home safely at a low rpm...where at home you can then tear into the motor and look for a bent valve or a screwed up piston....or other issues...
Its not that hard...
just need an 8mm socket...a 10mm socket....maybe a short extension.. a torque wrench good for 22ft-lbs.... a valve spring tool.... and a little patience.... just be sure to get th ecylinder to tdc before removing the old valve spring...
then you can limp it home safely at a low rpm...where at home you can then tear into the motor and look for a bent valve or a screwed up piston....or other issues...
I wouldnt risk it.... besides firing on 7 cylinders isnt good for the motor..... at all..... id just pay the tow bill and fix it in the drive way in 45 min if its a double spring...... if its a single then more then likley you screwed up a valve and a piston.... very bad...... its not wortht he risk of buying a new long block.
Kyle
Kyle
I've limped my car home 3 seperate times with broken valve springs. Each time the home trip being in the neighborhood of 30 miles.
The last time I limped it home it resulted in a bent valve. I'd get it towed back to the house someway.
The last time I limped it home it resulted in a bent valve. I'd get it towed back to the house someway.
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If you are that tight on the bucks, get a tow bar and flat tow it. Anything is better than try to crip home a wounded LS1. I wonder how great a hose clamp will grip an oily, hardened surface like a valve stem for two-three hours of engine vibration on the trip home. If it has a busted spring it may already have damage and further operation may change the fix from replacing one valve and a spring to the whole shortblock. I wouldn't.
Tow bar rental :$50.00
Tow truck [depends on total mileage] $75- $300.
LS1 replacement engine: $2000 +.
Tow bar rental :$50.00
Tow truck [depends on total mileage] $75- $300.
LS1 replacement engine: $2000 +.
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Originally Posted by SpeedDreaming
If you are that tight on the bucks, get a tow bar and flat tow it. Anything is better than try to crip home a wounded LS1. I wonder how great a hose clamp will grip an oily, hardened surface like a valve stem for two-three hours of engine vibration on the trip home. If it has a busted spring it may already have damage and further operation may change the fix from replacing one valve and a spring to the whole shortblock. I wouldn't.
Tow bar rental :$50.00
Tow truck [depends on total mileage] $75- $300.
LS1 replacement engine: $2000 +.
Tow bar rental :$50.00
Tow truck [depends on total mileage] $75- $300.
LS1 replacement engine: $2000 +.
If cash is the problem you have 2 options:1) rent a two-wheel dolly from U-Haul, cheap, safe, effective...just make sure you have a buddy that can tow it, and has the power hookups. or do it in the daytime, that should be ok as long as you can see the tow-vehicle's brake lights from around the car.
2) buy a cheap tow-strap, drop the sucker in neutral, and have a buddy (that you can trust) steer. only do this a short distance. very cheap, done it before. but you have to be VERY CAREFUL. choose the person who drives it well, and drive slowly. if they hit the brakes hard, the driver of the tow-vehicle will get a big surprise.
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Originally Posted by xaon
I've limped my car home 3 seperate times with broken valve springs. Each time the home trip being in the neighborhood of 30 miles.
The last time I limped it home it resulted in a bent valve. I'd get it towed back to the house someway.
The last time I limped it home it resulted in a bent valve. I'd get it towed back to the house someway.
I wouldn't even replace the spring since the valve may already be bent. If it was a double spring and only one of them broke then you're probably in good shape and can change it out, but other than that, tow it.
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Originally Posted by Terry Burger
How to limp home on a broken valve spring?
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From: LaConner WA
Roller lifters require that they follow the cam exactly to prevent damage. Removing the valve train is removing the parts necessary to provide a controlled movement.Do you want that lifter just bouncing off of the cam all the way home ? The lifter could even pop out of the hole making you lose oil pressure. If you want to drive it that way then go ahead. I can't feel it from my wallet 
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Hehe well I figured the lifter would pop up in it's retainer and stay there 
So no one has done this to limp home from the track or something? I thought I had read about it before. I just don't have an extra spring handy. It's either this or a 170 mile tow with a smelly driver.
So no one has done this to limp home from the track or something? I thought I had read about it before. I just don't have an extra spring handy. It's either this or a 170 mile tow with a smelly driver.
Originally Posted by Terry Burger
Hehe well I figured the lifter would pop up in it's retainer and stay there
So no one has done this to limp home from the track or something? I thought I had read about it before. I just don't have an extra spring handy. It's either this or a 170 mile tow with a smelly driver.
So no one has done this to limp home from the track or something? I thought I had read about it before. I just don't have an extra spring handy. It's either this or a 170 mile tow with a smelly driver.
I drove a thousand miles home on a bent exhaust valve, then drove another two months before swapping the valve 
My friend Frank who replaced it said I was a verrry lucky guy.
I broke the valvespring in BFE (Effingham, Illinois) in June of 2002 (or was it 2001?). At any rate, the dealer wanted $1000 just to pull the head and check the valves. I ordered a set of 918's and just had them replace all the springs.
I had autotap running the entire way back home to Orlando monitoring the misfires. Piston didn't need to be replaced or cleaned up, IIRC. I didn't feel comfortable with only changing one spring, then having another pop every couple of hundred miles
I would not have peace of mind without changing all the springs. I've ruined two motors due to broken valvesprings.
My friend Frank who replaced it said I was a verrry lucky guy.I broke the valvespring in BFE (Effingham, Illinois) in June of 2002 (or was it 2001?). At any rate, the dealer wanted $1000 just to pull the head and check the valves. I ordered a set of 918's and just had them replace all the springs.
I had autotap running the entire way back home to Orlando monitoring the misfires. Piston didn't need to be replaced or cleaned up, IIRC. I didn't feel comfortable with only changing one spring, then having another pop every couple of hundred miles
I would not have peace of mind without changing all the springs. I've ruined two motors due to broken valvesprings.
Originally Posted by soundengineer
the safest way to limp it home would be to buy the proper valve spring..and change it before driving it home...
Its not that hard...
just need an 8mm socket...a 10mm socket....maybe a short extension.. a torque wrench good for 22ft-lbs.... a valve spring tool.... and a little patience.... just be sure to get th ecylinder to tdc before removing the old valve spring...
then you can limp it home safely at a low rpm...where at home you can then tear into the motor and look for a bent valve or a screwed up piston....or other issues...
Its not that hard...
just need an 8mm socket...a 10mm socket....maybe a short extension.. a torque wrench good for 22ft-lbs.... a valve spring tool.... and a little patience.... just be sure to get th ecylinder to tdc before removing the old valve spring...
then you can limp it home safely at a low rpm...where at home you can then tear into the motor and look for a bent valve or a screwed up piston....or other issues...
Also a magnet is handy to help get the locks
Originally Posted by Terry Burger
I'm confused! Did you guys just drive on it with the bad spring? If I pull the rocker arms, injector, and plug, how could I do further damage?
TIA!
Terry
TIA!
Terry
Also having that much oil pressure on your lifter without load on it is a bad thing, I've heard of them coming apart before because of excess oil pressure without load (Little bearings everywhere!)
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I drove around for about a month in my old LT1 car with a broken 987 spring. I never knew it. I raced a Ferrari down the freeway to speeds way over 150 in it....ran fine. One day, I had the hood open and heard metal tapping. Pulled the cover, sure enough, broken spring and the rocker was off to the side of the valve tip. . It was still opening the valve...a little. The inner spring saved my ****! I sent the head to GTP, CC warrantied the spring, got a new rocker and off I was going.
I say drive it!!
I say drive it!!