How To: In-Car Valve Spring and Retainer Install

[marksae]

Originally Posted by Spec'd

Nice writeup ... Why not pull the head and install some ARP headstuds
at the same time ?

My take on upgrading head studs is to not touch them unless they need changing. I run stockish boost (WORKS P2) anyway, so I don't run high boost. My car sucks up enough gas running stockish boost at the track already. I'm gonna enjoy the power increase of my cams before deciding if I need to crank up the boost any more.

[hopper]

Originally Posted by Spec'd

Nice writeup ... Why not pull the head and install some ARP headstuds
at the same time ?

You can install head studs one at a time with the head on But thats another story

[hondafan]

on honda's before, i've used string instead of air to keep the valves in place. just put string into the cylinder through the spark plug hole till it covers the piston and crank the motor by hand till it presses the valves up, and leave enough string outside to pull it out when you're finished. then there's no need to pull the timing belt, but this method will work too, i just didn't always have access to a compressor.

[Spec'd]

Originally Posted by hopper

You can install head studs one at a time with the head on But thats another story

You can, but not on my car.

[marksae]

Originally Posted by hondafan

on honda's before, i've used string instead of air to keep the valves in place. just put string into the cylinder through the spark plug hole till it covers the piston and crank the motor by hand till it presses the valves up, and leave enough string outside to pull it out when you're finished. then there's no need to pull the timing belt, but this method will work too, i just didn't always have access to a compressor.

How can you rotate the engine to move the pistons if you leave the timing belt on? I've heard of using the rope method, but also knew someone who dropped his valve into the cylinder attempting that method as well. Then he had to pull his head.

[hondafan]

Originally Posted by marksae

How can you rotate the engine to move the pistons if you leave the timing belt on? .

true, my bad, you do have to slip the timing belt off to get the cams out. duh!

[Spec'd]

After taking a good look under the hood ... It seems like you would be able
to save a lot of work and time by more or less using marksae's method of changing valve springs and retainers.

It appears that removing the head would be alot of extra work.

The main thing I find difficult is removing the head from a perfectly
good running engine with 7600 miles on it.

[PPI]

Nice write up, at what amount of psi does the piston start to move to bdc? So the compressed air will def. move the piston?

[marksae]

Originally Posted by manOfaith

Nice write up, at what amount of psi does the piston start to move to bdc? So the compressed air will def. move the piston?

I guess it would depend on whether or not you have your timing belt on. If the timing belt is preventing the crank from spinning, it would obviously take more force to turn the crank. For me, since I had the timing belt off, it didn't take much pressure to move the crank. Even 30 psi moved it.

IMO, the risk of the piston moving on you while you're trying to change the springs and retainers is not worth it. If there was a sudden increase in volume, there could be enough of a pressure drop to cause your valves to fall into the combustion chamber.

[EVO8LTW]

Originally Posted by Spec'd

After taking a good look under the hood ... It seems like you would be able
to save a lot of work and time by more or less using marksae's method of changing valve springs and retainers.

It appears that removing the head would be alot of extra work.

Can someone briefly summarize what work you are saving by not pulling the head? There's the cost of a head gasket, but it seems like if you already have the timing belt off there wouldn't be that much more to pull apart? I guess the intake would come off with the head?

[hondafan]

lines, hoses, draining fluids, once the head is off you should really have it checked by a machine shop as well to make sure it's true.

[Kyle R]

Here is one tip that is not mentioned in the writeup. When re-installing the keepers I found it MUCH easier to spread some axle grease on the keeper and on a small screwdriver to hold the keeper on while re-installing. It makes it much easer to position the keepers on the valve when they stick to it and makes it harder to drop them.

[DsmAwdTurbo]

ive done this install a few times already on a few evos. I dont think it is necessairy to pull the head to do this, and i do infact think it is a waste of time, however if you are doing headstuds pull the head. I have a homemade valve spring compressor and i am pretty tired of it. Miller sells the specific tool for 240 but I think that the push pull type spring compressor is going to be my next purchase Nice write up. I thought about doing it a while back.

Anthony

[carmaevo8]

just so you all know the universal valve spring compresor that he has list has been dicontinued,

[InjectedPerformance]

This tool http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog will save you tons of time. Much easier to use than a spring compressor. Nice write-up.