I have a broken valve spring on my 87 V6 Firebird and I need some advice on how to fix it. I was able to pop the push-rod out before removing the rocker arm and from there i was able to move the #5 exhuast valve up and down an inch or so. This is my plan, tell me if you see a problem.

I'm going to stuff 1/4 nylon rope through the spark plug hole, then turn the engine over by hand until i feel the cylinder squish the valve into place.

Then I'll use a mystery valve spring tool ( \never seen or used one) that I can only find at one store which happens to be closed for inventory today. It's supposed to allow me to do this with the head still attached. Is there maybe another way to do this, tonight?

What should I watch for, is there any way this can go horribly wrong? I kinda know what I'm doing, I rebuilt the engine (and every bushing and bolt on the car) but didn't do the machine work. I had the heads done which blew out the bottom end so i did that the next week. The car has been running deadly for 10,000 km.

I gotta do this, write two exams and be at work by 5pm tommorow. Any suggestions will be helpful.

Chris

 

If you have a air compressor they make a fitting that screws into the spark plug hole and you put air to it and it holds the valves closed. But I dont think I would put rope into the cylinder because it will put all of the pressure on top of the piston, and if you have MY luck the piston will give not the valve spring. Just my 2 cents

 

The rope trick through the sparkplug hole is a tried and true method for doing what you want. The valve spring compressor is just a metal lever with a cutout in one end to straddle the valve stem and locks and a hole to go on the rocker stud. Takes about 15 minutes to do the whole thing.

 

Thats what I want to hear. There is no hope for me to get compresed air going in my garage (unless i use the one that plugs into the cigarette lighter, so the rope is the way to go.

What do you think might have caused this to happen? I remember almost red lining it (and my girlfriend) when i found a dry patch of road after a week of looking dumb tring to drive a bird on ice. Drove two blocks more and parked it overnight, next day it snowed so I was nice to it for about 50km before the idle dropped, a top end tick, and an exhuast leak noise started.

I thought i just blew out my egr gasket again, but no dice, at least parts got here in less than a day.

I guess it can't be more complicated to do than the engine mounts. That took me 4hrs and three weeks for the parts to get here.

thanks