[cbatters]

Originally Posted by OthercarisaFiat

I think you will have a lot of trouble with Plan B, Step 3. The valves will not necessarily pop up when you apply air pressure to the cylinder. You will need to pull them up by hand, then they will stay in place once seated. Not a big deal for Step 2, but for Step 3, there will be springs in the way making it hard to reach the valve stem to pull it up. Maybe a strong magnet?

2-3 minutes/cylinder sounds optimistic.

This will be a great tool if it pans out. Are you actually planning to patent it? Just wondering.

I agree that it is complicated... which is why it is still my plan B. (I tied a string to the little o ring I was using as a clip and by threading it through the spring, I was able to use the string to pull the valve up before pressurizing.) Was actually very fast, just a bit complicated and there is the risk of dropping a balve if you forget a step.

I am still bending/filing the tool to remove/install the VSS with the spring in place. If this works it is obviously much simpler/safer.

PATENT
The tool is specialized enough that it may be possible to get a patent. (I already have a couple patents to my name but they are in network software methodology.) I was waiting to finish the prototype before searching the patent database to find that there are already 457 exising patents for valve stem replacement tools!!

We shall see..


Clint