Valve spring tool mod
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TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 653
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From: Mannheim, Germany
Valve spring tool mod I put my hotcam in this past weekend. I used one of those $15.00 autozone valve spring compressors. It is well known that the tool is less than desirable but it was all I had and I didn't want to spend more money I didn't have. When I went to use it, I immediately understood why others have broken bolts off in the head. I could try to describe the crappiness of the tool, but I'll just share how I modified it.
In a nutshell, you just have to cut 2/3 of it off, bash the crap out of it with a hammer, and use it upside down! A more detailed explanation follows.
The first thing is to cut the long straight handle off of the tool. If you cut too much off, it wont be long enough to rest on the head so leave the bend and just cut the straight part off.
Next, secure the remainder of the tool in a vise and, using a hammer, bend the insides of the tips (the areas that will contact the keeper). With the tool sitting flat on a table, looking straight at it like this:
____ ____
l..............l.......
bend the tips something like this:
___-- --___
l................l.........
now, if you flip the tool upside down from the way it would normally be used, you wont get a crappy angle that will stress the rocker bolt sideways AND you will be able to start the bolt WAY more turns than normally which will prevent you from stripping the heads.
You'll need a washer for the bolt and you'll prolly want to take some sort of measure to protect the head from scratches or else the tool smooth after you cut it.
If this doesn't make any sense, I can easily draw a few pictures if someone will host them.
I can give more tips if anyone actually uses this info just pm me and I'll post more info!
In a nutshell, you just have to cut 2/3 of it off, bash the crap out of it with a hammer, and use it upside down! A more detailed explanation follows.
The first thing is to cut the long straight handle off of the tool. If you cut too much off, it wont be long enough to rest on the head so leave the bend and just cut the straight part off.
Next, secure the remainder of the tool in a vise and, using a hammer, bend the insides of the tips (the areas that will contact the keeper). With the tool sitting flat on a table, looking straight at it like this:
____ ____
l..............l.......
bend the tips something like this:
___-- --___
l................l.........
now, if you flip the tool upside down from the way it would normally be used, you wont get a crappy angle that will stress the rocker bolt sideways AND you will be able to start the bolt WAY more turns than normally which will prevent you from stripping the heads.
You'll need a washer for the bolt and you'll prolly want to take some sort of measure to protect the head from scratches or else the tool smooth after you cut it.
If this doesn't make any sense, I can easily draw a few pictures if someone will host them.
I can give more tips if anyone actually uses this info just pm me and I'll post more info!
