This is my first time disassembling a set of heads. I'm gonna take everything apart to clean it all up, and then replace the 18 year old valve seals. I got to work last night on the heads, put the compressor over the first spring, tapped it gently with the back of a screwdriver when the spring was compressed, and the valve locks came out without any problems. I move on to the next valve, and I can't get the keepers off at all. I tried three more valves after that one, and I can't the keepers to separate from the retainer so I can get them out. I've tried spraying them with wd40 hoping that might help a bit, but still nothing. I read that you can actually hear when the keepers separate from the retainer by the sound it makes when you tap on them with something. I noticed the difference on the ones I've tried to remove, but they still won't come off. Is there anything I am overlooking?

 

Yes. BEFORE you put on the compressor, place a block of wood under the valves to hold them in the seats (combustion chamber side), then tap the retainer with a light hammer. Don't tap the valve stem. Tap the retainer.

I guess it may take a little more than a "tap", but you get the idea.

 

Take a large socket and place it over the retainer and give it a good whack or two, they should fall right out then. Just be careful not to miss the socket and hit your fingers, it just smashing a couple fingers against a stud with a big hammer.

 

I'm a stud with a big hammer.

But I'm not into that finger smashing stuff.

Sorry.

 

Very funny AJ.... I about broke a finger doing that, but looking back it was pretty stupid, not to mention it was probably funny seeing me jump up and down yelling explicitives...

 

i have a "special tool" for head tear downs, piece of 3/4" pipe about 6" long with a pipe cap on it. place it on the retainer and hit it with a BFH and everything comes apart. takes only a few minutes to get a set of heads striped to the casting.

 

That's a good idea ede, I'll have to make one of those for the next time I tear down a set of heads.

 

wouldn't the spring go flying into your face if you just hit it with a hammer? or is there not enough tension on it?

 

what happens if you just tap on the valve stem?

 

Tapping the valve stem won't loosen the locks, you can loosen the locks by hitting the retainer with a soft hammer and then using a compressor, but I do the same thing ede does, my tool is something I made out of a piece of 6" long 1 1/2" cold roll steel, I just drilled counter bore in the end of it. Place it over the retainer and hit it with a big dead blow hammer and it all comes right apart, works best on stock heads with light duty springs. For heavy racing springs I use a spring compressor.

 

No, especially not stock springs, they hardly jump up at all. Besides the tool/socket is sititng over it so it doesn't have anywhere to go really.