Hi guys,

I'm following Slim's spring/rocker arm install guide on this page:

http://www.streetillusionsracing.com/RR/rr.htm

Okay, it says to find TDC, rotate the crank to the 12:00 position (arrow straight up) until both valves are fully closed... I did this, and I successfully swapped springs on Cylinder #1, and then I rotated 90 degrees to the "3:00" position and changed #8 (which was hard due to position under the cowl and problems with my spring compressor tool)...

THEN, it gets bad. I rotated to the "6:00" position and went to the next cylinder in the firing order, which according to Slim's page is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2, so I moved to Cylinder #4.... I removed the forward-most spring first (not sure if that's exhaust or intake), and pulled off the valve seal, and THE VALVE SLID DOWN FURTHER IN THAN I CAN GRAB!!!

What do I do??? The obvious thing is put a magnet on the end of it and pull it up. NO go.... I have a very strong little magnet used for retrieving tools and it conveniently fits in the valve guide, but it WILL NOT pull it up.

Question is, WHAT DID I DO WRONG?

Do I need to rotate the engine slightly to get it to bump the valve back out?!

Is there ANYTHING I can do without removing the head?

This cam install is turning into a nightmare.

Thanks for all help. I'm on the virge of tears... its been a busy week at work and I though I'd have a leisurely hour in the garage to do a few of the valve springs and then this happens.

Help me, please...

 

Try rotating the engine to push the valve back up. You using an air compressor? Worst case scenerio is removing the heads which isnt that hard if your doing a cam install (I have never changed the springs with the heads on so I dunno what I am talking about but I'm just thinking logically.

 

I wouldn't try rotating the engine very far if at all 'cause you might bend the valve.

Would hooking up some compressed air to the sparkplug hole do anything?

Or how about fishing some stiff wire like coathanger down the hole and trying to hook on the valve and pull it up.

Is the valve stem completely out of the guide? If it is then unfortunately you are probably going to have to pull the head.

For future reference, you might try filling the cylinder through the spark plug hole with small diameter rope and then turning the engine so that it holds the valves up for you.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

But which way would I rotate it? Back slightly towards 5:45 or more slightly past 6:15?....

Obviously either my directions are wrong or my crank arrow is not accurate ....

*confused*

-Michael

 

It's only about 2 or 3mm down past the top of the valve guide, I can touch it, but I have nothing to grip onto to pull it back upward.

I heard about the rope trick, but I was under the impression that with the rotating method this was unnecessary....

Obviously my impression was wrong.

If I have to pull the head, how much more work are we talking?.... I'm getting discouraged.

-Michael

 

Try using the wire trick in combination with the magnet to line things up.

 

Where do I stick the wire, through the spark plug hole?

Thanks,

Michael

 

Yeah, put a bend on the end about a 1/4 inch long or so and see if you can fish around a bit. It's gonna be tough though if it works at all. Pretend you locked your keys in your car and you are using a slim jim.

 

Well I would carefully rotate the engine one way and have some one watch it and see if it moves up at all.....if it didnt move up I would then rotate it the other way(rotate it as little as possible)

 

this is kindo getto but try a small stick or dal rod skinny pencil and put some good super glue on it and try to glue your stick to the valve and pull it out

hope you get it let us know

 

I like the glue trick. Maybe if things aren't too oily that would work. How about hot glue?

 

Don't know what could have happened if your first two cylinders went normally. If your valve seal is still on, it might be keeping your valve from coming up with the magnet.

An alternate thing you could try would be spraying a little brake clean or something on top of the valve stem and then using some double sided, sticky foam tape to stick to the top of the valve to pull it up.

Don't rotate the engine unless someone is watching the valve. The other day, someone else did just this and got his valve back up. He was lucky.

 

Can you get your lips on it....try suckn it out .....seriously if you can get some suction on it that might work.

 

if you can squirt hot glou in hoke that work
if its to oily pure a little rubbing alcohol or something that eill loose the oil from the valve alcohol evaperates fast or paint thinner or everclear whatever works

 

Don't put the glue in the hole, put it on the end of the stick, then stick the stick in the hole.