Topic: Cheap Valve Spring Compressor - Too cheap?

[Pinhead]

I have the same craftsman compressor.

I had the same issue with the depressor being too wide to easily use on my CB650 Head.  I would chalk it up to differences between the 550/650 head and the 750.

Regards... Joe

Agreed. The Craftsman one wouldn't work on my '79 650 head either. The 650's innards must be a bit tighter than the 750's.

[CBJoe]

I got the craftsman unit to work the other day by cutting a notch out of a piece of copper tubing and placing it between the valve spring and the craftsman's depressor.

Pretty much the same thing that everyone else is doing with the large C-Clamps.  I gotta say that it worked like a charm.  Got two heads disassembled without issue.  At least now I dont have a worthless tool hanging on the wall.

Cheers...Joe

[HondaMan]

This Craftsman unit worked great for me, costs $20 and is in the 2009 catalog, get one locally, lifetime warranty, decent price.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947627000P      use the linkage at the right, enter your zip code and find one near you.

I just bought one of those to work on a 550 head porting job. I had to add a short (3/4" long) piece of tubing to make the base push down into the casting surrounding the springs, but it works fine for those little spaces.

[moham]

This Craftsman unit worked great for me, costs $20 and is in the 2009 catalog, get one locally, lifetime warranty, decent price.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947627000P      use the linkage at the right, enter your zip code and find one near you.

I just bought one of those to work on a 550 head porting job. I had to add a short (3/4" long) piece of tubing to make the base push down into the casting surrounding the springs, but it works fine for those little spaces.

Yes, perhaps yours is a simpler solution to my grinding, etc...

[Pinhead]

I can see how that would work to disassemble the head.. But how about putting it back together? How do you fit your fingers inside the 3/4" pipe to replace the valve keepers?

[Patrick]

FWIW, the valves on my XS11 are recessed in the head. To get them out I bent a piece of 1/2-inch aluminum strapping into a "U" shape and used it with a C Clamp. You could pull out the keepers through the gap in the "U."

[MotoMartin]

Hmmmm not sure these will work for us due to the small size of our valve springs and the fact some models have dual springs.  Any thoughts?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92900

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97975

The first one worked for me. Hard to beat the price.

Thanks Jerry for the post, I have the cheapo Harbor Frieght tool and I didn't think it would work for reassembly, your post inspired me to keep trying. A socket and a 6" D clamp is still the best way to get the valves off.

[crazypj]

http://www.sportingforless.com/Valve-spring-compressor-p/t08.htm

$ 34.95 plus shipping.


Tom

 I hate to recommend SFL, but that's the compressor you need for 350.
 price is actually pretty good too.
PJ

[moham]

 I hate to recommend SFL, but that's the compressor you need for 350.
 price is actually pretty good too.
PJ

Why do you say you hate to recommend SFL? Is there stuff no good?

[crazypj]

 I hate to recommend SFL, but that's the compressor you need for 350.
 price is actually pretty good too.
PJ

Why do you say you hate to recommend SFL? Is there stuff no good?

 Not the stuff, just the carb 'kits' that need total re-jetting to work properly (unless you have a two stroke)
They say they are 'correctly jetted for various bikes (CB350/360, Yamaha XS650, Triumph 650/750, etc, but come with 'stock' RM/YZ/KX 125/250 jets (all two stroke MX bikes)
 I contacted them about jetting and all they had to say was carbs were correctly jetted and it was 'proprietary'
 Need new emulsion tubes, needles, main and pilot jets and sometimes float level adjustment.
Basically, they are not honest about the carbs so I wouldn't support them
There are plenty of threads all over about them.
 some people rave over the carbs, but that's generally because they didn't have bike running so anything is an improvement. I've helped dozens of people out re-jetting them over the years.
 The problem may be from SUDCO (importers).
 Looking at various pictures there they show 'primary choke' (two stroke) discharge tube but SFL shouldn't 'blow smoke' over it

PJ

[mark]

Here's what I did:


dug around and found a piece of tubing - around 5/8" o.d..

ground holes in sides, cut to length, beat the 13mm head of an 8mm bolt into the end of the tube.

close drill press chuck on bolt shank. support valve with a socket.

compress spring. tighten quill clamp to hold chuck down.

pick out keepers with magnetized screwdriver.

snap a pic.

dratted valves are too small to fit the grinder. dam.