VALVE SPRING COMPRESSOR ?

[MikeH]

Hi All, Have a broken valve in a MGB 18GH Head. I don't have a valve spring compressor and I'am wondering if there's any combination of other tools which will work to remove the valve springs so I can take out the valve. THanks, Mike

63 TR4 Surrey Top

 

[Dave Russell]

It depends on where the valve is broken. If there is still some of it in the port or in the combustion chamber, it should come out.

Support the chamber end of the valve on something solid such as a block of wood, head facing with valve springs up.

Get a suitable deep socket or something similar that is hollow & just a bit smaller than the outer perimeter of the spring retainer. Put the socket on top of the spring retainer & give it a couple of whacks with a hammer. The wood block will prevent the valve from moving down & the socket will drive the retainer down on the valve stem. The split keepers will fly off & release the valve. It may be that only on keeper will come loose on the first whack. A few more will get the second keeper loose. All you need is a wood block shaped to fit into the combustion chamber.

OR

With the same setup set the head in a drill press & use the drill chuck down feed to push the socket down. This works better if the socket like tool has cutouts in the sides so that you can grab the keepers & pull them out. You can even lock the down feed & have two hands available.

Using the drill press you can also compress the springs & install the keepers. In fact I've never owned a valve spring compressor.

An engine rebuilder showed me the hammer removal method 50 years ago. Been using it every since. Much quicker than a valve spring compressor.
D

 

[DrEntropy]

This is a tool I made thirty years back from a heavy wall aluminum tube for the purpose (penny for size comparison). It has been WELL used over the years:

 

[GregW]

Looks like you snuck into church and hack-sawed it off the organ. At least you could have left the penny in the collection box.

 

[Nunyas]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[tomshobby]

We used to use the hammer method and the pictured tool with a prybar to replace valve guide seals without removing the head. We just made an adapter for the sparkplug hole that fit an air hose. With both valves closed and 80 to 90 pounds of air pressure it worked great.