Changing valve seals, what not to do....

[Turbodave]

Here's a summary of my afternoon:

1. Drive to parts store and buy valve spring compressor because my old one got all bent up trying to compress springs on a TIII head.
2. Pull valve cover off 87 GLHS in the garage and remove cam and followers
3. Discover that new valve spring comressor interferes with the cam bosses on the head and won't work
4. Drive to different parts store and buy a different valve spring compressor (Sears)
5. Get home, find my compression tester and remove the hose, screw hose into spark plug hole and attach to hose off compressor.
6. Compress intake valve spring on #1 cylinder, remove keepers and pull spring off.
7. Grab a pick from the toolbox and pull off the old valve seal
8. watch valve go PLUNK!! down into the cylinder
9. realize that hose from the compression gauge has a schrader valve in it preventing the cylinder from getting pressurized
10. Open beer and drink, try to use mental powers to put the valve back in the guide, not succesful.
11. Try to magnetize a long nail that could be used to fish the valve back up into the guide, not succesful
12. run to the store again and buy the skinniest magnetic pickup tool they've got and a magnetier thing
13. pickup tool just barely fits through the valve guide.
14. try unsucessfully about 20 times to pull the valve stem back up into the valve guide, give up and open another beer.
15. go shovel the slushy icy mess off the driveway
16. come back and try it one more time before pulling the cylinder head.
17. stand back in amazement when it actually works, put everything back together and thank Gus that you didn't have to pull the head off the car.
18. remove the shrader valve from the hose and finish the job.

Just a good reminder, always put the cylinder at TDC when doing this, and always make sure that the valves are help up properly with air or rope or whatever you choose to use. I feel like just about the luckiest dumbass out there at the moment...

[mcsvt]

Can't believe you were able to pull the valve back up. I was reading and keep saying he's gonna have to pull the head. Wow your lucky good job

[turbovanman²]

Wow, time to buy a lottery ticket,

Thanks for the laugh,

[Dave]

lol you're one lucky SOB.

[cordes]

Good show!

[Dave_J]

Welcome to the club of "The Luckiest Dumbass Alive". My piston was up enough that the valve stem didn't leave the guide and I used a short peice of .023 Mig wire to lift it enough to get a magnet on the tip. It took about 3 hours. DaveJ

[lametec]

Lucky indeed!

FYI, though, if the piston is at TDC, the valve won't drop in. It'll slide in a little bit, then hit the top of the piston and stop.

[mo' parts]

FYI, though, if the piston is at TDC, the valve won't drop in. It'll slide in a little bit, then hit the top of the piston and stop.

thus the reason for the air/rope, so nothing gets nicked or sctatched

Dave, i see you still have the car, no?

[R/T]

Rope is your friend.......

[WickedShelby88]

Dave that honestly sounds like something that would happen to me. The car gods were smiling on you that day

[Turbodave]

Lucky indeed!

FYI, though, if the piston is at TDC, the valve won't drop in. It'll slide in a little bit, then hit the top of the piston and stop.

Yeah, but I was using a bungee cord to keep tension on the cam gear/timing belt so I wouldn't have to mess with the timing (this was supposed to be a quick job after all). It's hard to rotate the engine so each cylinder is at TDC without having the timing get messed up.

On the other hand setting the cam timing is 3478.2% easier than fishing for a valve with a magnet.

[Turbodave]

Dave, i see you still have the car, no?

Which car? the 87 GLHS that I did valve seals in belongs to a friend. If it was my car it would probably still be sitting in the garage...

[mo' parts]

Which car?

161, lol
spring is pretty much here its been a few months since i talked to you last.
sorry for getting off topic