A12 - time to get busy

[b-body-bob]

I know now that you can't use a hand-held on engine valve compressor on double valve springs. That kind really sort of lifts the outer spring when compressing it. The compressor doesn't affect the inner spring so it holds the retainer in place no matter how much you compress the outers. No bueno.

I tried taking an exhaust and an intake valve out of the 915 heads and in both cases the valve would slide down to where the groove meets the top of the guide and stop dead. Probably could fix that by filing the valve but those heads are at least 2nd on the pecking order so I just set them aside for now. There was little to no suction when I pulled the valve through as far as it would go so I expect they're worn out anyway. Also, the guides have not been cut down for long-lift cams. I'm pretty confident that the 346 heads have had that done already, given the .509 cam and the dual springs.

So, I've either got to buy a tool or get a borrow-tool from a parts store to see if they've got something heavy enough to compress the dual springs or not.

 

[b-body-bob]

I stuck my head up on break and find that the riveted compressors aren't going to work and that is all the parts stores have.

Thinking about buying this Pardon Our Interruption


Can't say for sure if that's enough to do the trick. I really don't want to take them to the machine shop where they have pneumatic valve tools. Once that starts the road lead directly to spending a bunch of money because "well, since they're already there ...."

Of course there's a Summit branded version of the Proform tool, wonder if it's the same? Often there are differences.

Adding ... I've seen some posts of people with extreme valve pressures being unable to use that tool. I have no idea what pressure the springs on that head have, except to say it's a hydraulic flat tappet cam so the springs can't be over the top stiff - can they?

Adding more ... I reasoned that I've got 8 heads here that really need taken apart, evaluated, and disposed of one way or another, so I'd get plenty of use out of it. It might be here tomorrow, Summit and Jegs are both overnight shippers to me out of their Ohio warehouses.