Air compresser when doing valve springs?
#2
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Fowlerville, MI
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I think you're looking for the adapter that screws into the spark plug hole, then you attach the air hose to ?
www.jegs.com has them. It's called an airhold adapter, p/n 892-8870 (14mm) or 892-8871 (18mm). $10.69 each. Hope this helps.
www.jegs.com has them. It's called an airhold adapter, p/n 892-8870 (14mm) or 892-8871 (18mm). $10.69 each. Hope this helps.
#3
11 Second Club
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You're going to screw the fitting into the spark plug hole and attach the fitting to the air compressor hose to hold up the valves while the springs are off.
If you're admittedly "clueless" on this, you may want to research cam/spring installs on sites like InstallUniversity.com. I'm no gearhead, but I completed a cam install, timing chain replacement, and all the associated tasks just by researching it on the Internet and asking the folks around here. Good luck.
If you're admittedly "clueless" on this, you may want to research cam/spring installs on sites like InstallUniversity.com. I'm no gearhead, but I completed a cam install, timing chain replacement, and all the associated tasks just by researching it on the Internet and asking the folks around here. Good luck.
#4
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Ive researched it plenty. But when I was researching I came across this. This was the first time I saw somone doing something like this.
I thought if you just rotated the cam several times and just pull out the old and put the new one in it would be fine.
Casey
I thought if you just rotated the cam several times and just pull out the old and put the new one in it would be fine.
Casey
#5
11 Second Club
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Whoa there partner!!
I think you're confusing the lifters being held up by the retainers with the valves being held up by the air fitting and compressor.
When you remove the valve springs, there's nothing to hold that valve up but the intake/exhast valve stem seals, and for safety's sake, I wouldn't count on them doing that job very effectively. You insert the air fitting in the spark plug hole, connect the compressor, and voila!! The valves stay up when you compress the springs, remove the retainer keys (have a magnetic parts retriever handy) and pull the retainer off. The air pressure holds up the valve at that point.
Now, the lifters are a completely different story. They can be held up in the bore by friction for a short time after rotating them out of the way using the cam. Rotate the cam a few times in each direction, then lube up the new cam and swap them out quickly. Gravity is your enemy at the time you remove the cam. And do is gingerly - you don't want to nick a cam bearing.
To test if your lifters will stay up, leave the pushrods in and rotate the cam. If all 16 lifters bump up and stay up, you're in no danger of losing a lifter. At that point, remove the pushrods, spin the cam some more to be sure, and then swap cams.
I used the telescoping magnet trick. It was a $25 insurance policy guaranteeing that I wouldn't be fishing a lifter out of the pan or pulling heads to put it back. Four of my lifters were questionable, and I didn't want to take the chance.
Now, somebody posted that you could magnetize the lifter and have it retain small but damaging metal particles. This magnetic property would be quickly lost through the immense heat cycling the lifters endure in the motor, so it's not an issue.
Based on what you've posted, I strongly advise you to read more on the subject and/or get a shop manual to help you, it sounds like you don't quite have the subject clear in your head.
I think you're confusing the lifters being held up by the retainers with the valves being held up by the air fitting and compressor.
When you remove the valve springs, there's nothing to hold that valve up but the intake/exhast valve stem seals, and for safety's sake, I wouldn't count on them doing that job very effectively. You insert the air fitting in the spark plug hole, connect the compressor, and voila!! The valves stay up when you compress the springs, remove the retainer keys (have a magnetic parts retriever handy) and pull the retainer off. The air pressure holds up the valve at that point.
Now, the lifters are a completely different story. They can be held up in the bore by friction for a short time after rotating them out of the way using the cam. Rotate the cam a few times in each direction, then lube up the new cam and swap them out quickly. Gravity is your enemy at the time you remove the cam. And do is gingerly - you don't want to nick a cam bearing.
To test if your lifters will stay up, leave the pushrods in and rotate the cam. If all 16 lifters bump up and stay up, you're in no danger of losing a lifter. At that point, remove the pushrods, spin the cam some more to be sure, and then swap cams.
I used the telescoping magnet trick. It was a $25 insurance policy guaranteeing that I wouldn't be fishing a lifter out of the pan or pulling heads to put it back. Four of my lifters were questionable, and I didn't want to take the chance.
Now, somebody posted that you could magnetize the lifter and have it retain small but damaging metal particles. This magnetic property would be quickly lost through the immense heat cycling the lifters endure in the motor, so it's not an issue.
Based on what you've posted, I strongly advise you to read more on the subject and/or get a shop manual to help you, it sounds like you don't quite have the subject clear in your head.
#6
TECH Enthusiast
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And.. for the number 8 plug I had to use
1/4 inch nylon rope because I could not get
the AIR fitting to screw in there. Made sure
piston was down. then fed as much rope as I could
into the plug hole. Ran the cyclinder to top
to have the coiled up rope hold the valves while
I changed the springs..
Dont forget to tie the dog up.. someone posted
that the dog ran though the cord and unplugged
compressor.. while doing this ..
1/4 inch nylon rope because I could not get
the AIR fitting to screw in there. Made sure
piston was down. then fed as much rope as I could
into the plug hole. Ran the cyclinder to top
to have the coiled up rope hold the valves while
I changed the springs..
Dont forget to tie the dog up.. someone posted
that the dog ran though the cord and unplugged
compressor.. while doing this ..
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#8
11 Second Club
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[quote]Originally posted by turbo:
<strong>I thought that if you do the springs first, leave the rods out.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You're not making sense. <img src="images/icons/confused.gif" border="0"> The rods (I'm assuming you mean pushrods) have nothing to do with the springs. Except that you'd want them out of the way when you're doing the springs since room is so tight.
[quote]<strong>Then do the cam. Everything would be fine. I think I just got confused because the ones I saw the guy was just doing the springs.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Huh? Do you mean... install the springs before installing the cam? I don't see why not. And who was "just doing the springs"? Guys change springs around here like I change underwear.
The spring-install is time-independent of when you install the cam. You must upgrade to appropriate springs when you upgrade from the stock cam, but when actually installing, it doesn't matter if you install springs then the cam or vice-versa. Just make sure that before you turn the motor over, you've upgraded your springs if you've upgraded your cam.
<strong>I thought that if you do the springs first, leave the rods out.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You're not making sense. <img src="images/icons/confused.gif" border="0"> The rods (I'm assuming you mean pushrods) have nothing to do with the springs. Except that you'd want them out of the way when you're doing the springs since room is so tight.
[quote]<strong>Then do the cam. Everything would be fine. I think I just got confused because the ones I saw the guy was just doing the springs.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Huh? Do you mean... install the springs before installing the cam? I don't see why not. And who was "just doing the springs"? Guys change springs around here like I change underwear.
The spring-install is time-independent of when you install the cam. You must upgrade to appropriate springs when you upgrade from the stock cam, but when actually installing, it doesn't matter if you install springs then the cam or vice-versa. Just make sure that before you turn the motor over, you've upgraded your springs if you've upgraded your cam.
#11
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ahh man u got it easy, the whole fight of the valve springs is the cowl, hard to get to the back pass. side springs.... <img src="images/icons/cool.gif" border="0">