Topic: Home Made Valve Spring Compressor

[rusty_tank]

I'll preface this with 3 things,
1. I have no idea if people are doing this already. Just wanted to share something I thought was cool.
2. If this is in the wrong section let me know.
3. Unless I'm wrong I think you can buy a valve spring compressor for under $100 so...this is sort of a 'if ya have it around' sort of deal. But, just for the heck of it, these clamps are $40 bucks and PVC piping is cheap.

A good friend of mine taught me this trick and I've been using his set up ever since. He already had this Irwin parallel 2ft clamp and the contact point from the manual screw fit the valve head just right. He then took some PVC pipe, cut it accordingly - see pics to know what I mean, and voila! A home made valve spring compressor! This is a 78 CB550 head. The PVC pipe that I used is about about 7/8 inch in diameter, about 2 1/4 inches long and has a rectangular cut on one side that's about 7/8 inch long and 1/2 inch wide for access to the keepers.

[70CB750]

Clever!

Done something similar with C-clamp.

Also spring compressors can be rented from Autozone and other places.

[Powderman]

Clever!

Done something similar with C-clamp.

Also spring compressors can be rented from Autozone and other places.

Actually they are not rented, but loaned. I never liked the way the describe their"loaner tool" program. They usually say " a small deposit is required". When in fact what they do is sell you the needed tool for full retail and just refund it when you return the tool. So you can get the tool use for free ultimately, you just have to tie up money in the process.

[Dunk]

I used a large C clamp and an O2 sensor socket... Just what I had on hand that works.

[flybox1]

Yuup!   
This one was about $10 for the c-clamp and pvc reducer.
I'd suggest the reducer so it wont slip off the c-clamp.

[70CB750]

On Dorothy's head I used my knee mill, that beats it all - thanks to Frank for sharing that idea.

[Phinn]

I did something similar, but added a small block of wood as a spacer between the clamp's contact point and the face of the valve. I don't have a photo, but it was about 1 inch square and half an inch thick.

The jaw of the clamp was hard enough to mar the surface of the head, if you had metal-on-metal contact in an unexpected way, especially under high pressure.

I like the reducer on the PVC piece. I wish I'd used that.

[flybox1]

I did something similar, but added a small block of wood as a spacer between the clamp's contact point and the face of the valve. I don't have a photo, but it was about 1 inch square and half an inch thick.

The jaw of the clamp was hard enough to mar the surface of the head, if you had metal-on-metal contact in an unexpected way, especially under high pressure.

+1
I stuck 8mm of furniture felt on the contact face for the same reason.

[strynboen]

i use a 13"key