Make your own valve spring compressor for $15

[cbatters]

Same 11 mm socket but I use a 1" wide piece of 1/8" steel stock bent into a "C" shape (1" x 4" x 1") to tap the socket from on top of the cam shaft.


Clint

[Mel16m]

Originally Posted by OthercarisaFiat

You ordered new keepers? What about the one you dropped down the oil drain tube? It is in your crankcase now--don't you want to get it out of there? Drain your oil and it should come out. If not, you need to drop the oil pan.

I am "assuming" it is in the oil pan, but I did drain my oil and it didnt come out, I even poured more oil in there and it didnt come out, I put a magnet inside the oil pan and it didnt come out, I am more than certain it wouldnt fit through the stock oil pump pickup screen... so I am not worried about it, I know I shouldnt be saying that, but I dont wanna drop the pan and i've heard of a lot of people dropping stuff there since I made that thread and have had no problems... with my luck, i'll be the one that isnt so lucky .

[cbatters]

Originally Posted by Mel16m

I am "assuming" it is in the oil pan, but I did drain my oil and it didnt come out, I even poured more oil in there and it didnt come out, I put a magnet inside the oil pan and it didnt come out, I am more than certain it wouldnt fit through the stock oil pump pickup screen... so I am not worried about it, I know I shouldnt be saying that, but I dont wanna drop the pan and i've heard of a lot of people dropping stuff there since I made that thread and have had no problems... with my luck, i'll be the one that isnt so lucky .

Not the first time that a keeper got "lost" in an engine. (Lesson to all is to plug all oil passages and use a strong magnet to grab the keepers.)

One question: Are you 100% sure the keep er did not get into the cylinder?

Not clear if the keper would actually make it's way all the way to the oil pan. Pretty much impossibly for it to get past the oil screen so the only risk is that it got lodged in a location that interferes with normal oil flow (which is very unlikely)




Clint

[Mel16m]

Yeah, I am 100% sure it dropped in the oil drain, I watched it fall.... I cringed, and closed my eyes and put my head down... I didnt worry about them when I did them, and I only had one hand to work with, the other was holding the valve spring compressed... when my buddy held the keepers, I was like, make sure you dont drop them, the oil drain is right there. He dropped it and then goes, "where'd it go?" I was like, IDK, somewhere in the bottom half of my engine!!! oh well, he's a good friend, not too bright, but he's a good friend. So far making that thread I have heard of 2 other incidents that have happened with no problems... 1. The screw for the oil cap fell there. and 2. The bit for the cylinder head bolts fell down there, and both people have had their cars running again with no related problems, once I turn on my a/c for my garage, i'll get back out there and start working on it again, just to get the front bank done, I already bought a ticket for the racetrack for the 31st, so I am gonna go with 12 new vss and 12 old vss to the track... oh well, I guess it'll only smoke half as bad when I get up to the line lol

[Mel16m]

Ok, after my nap today (I work nights) I went back to work on the car and put it all back together, I dont have time to do the rear vss yet, but I will soon. I am done with the front bank, and now that it took me about 2 complete days to get them all done, i'm more than 100% sure I can get the front bank done in a few hours with another person. The old seals along with the valve cover gaskets were very brittle and hard so I know they couldnt have sealed that good if at all. I will let everyone know how the smoke show goes when I get back from the track.

[OthercarisaFiat]

Originally Posted by cbatters

Not the first time that a keeper got "lost" in an engine. (Lesson to all is to plug all oil passages and use a strong magnet to grab the keepers.)

One question: Are you 100% sure the keep er did not get into the cylinder?

Not clear if the keper would actually make it's way all the way to the oil pan. Pretty much impossibly for it to get past the oil screen so the only risk is that it got lodged in a location that interferes with normal oil flow (which is very unlikely)




Clint

When I did mine, I had the oil pan off at the time to change the oil pump. I dropped 5 or 6 keepers down those oil tubes, and found 'em all on the floor under the engine. So it won't get stuck, it's definitely in the pan.

[Mel16m]

Originally Posted by OthercarisaFiat

When I did mine, I had the oil pan off at the time to change the oil pump. I dropped 5 or 6 keepers down those oil tubes, and found 'em all on the floor under the engine. So it won't get stuck, it's definitely in the pan.

awesome, thanks for the info, it makes me feel a bit better, especially to know that my car isnt the only one that has dropped keepers....

[Mel16m]

I am now working on the rear bank, I am not exactly a small person, so getting to some of them is being a pain, but I will have some pics of an idea that is working good so far for me.... I will be back on later tonight with pics and a more detailed post... I might just edit this one b/c I dont wanna clutter the thread

Ok, sorry about that, I havent touched the car in over a week due to some break in's in my store.... 3 to be exact, anyways,

those things are always getting in the way of the rear bank, still do, but can help with the center valve spring compression


and


all other pics of the tool stuff can be seen here http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u...s%20installed/

[Mel16m]

Ok, that bar that I put on there that went across the braces for the rear of the plenum does not help that much, it does help, but I took it off b/c it was easier with me to take it off, I must say, the front is a piece of cake compared to the rear.... I am still doing them right now, but damn lol. I also must say, no matter what, you need 2 people, I tried for about an hour or so to get the two in the back right (drivers side) corner done, and I couldn't, I got them apart, but could not get them back together without another person here to help me. And I have now resorted to using a magnetic screwdriver to place the keepers on there, along with another non-magnetic screwdriver to hold them in place once I put them where I want them, and every once in a while I have to use needle-nose pliers

edit: I also pulled off that small heat shield you see in the pic in my previous post b/c it gives just a tad bit more room and it was only 2 bolts... I removed the one for the rear of the rear turbo, but I will be re-installing this one just b/c it is so close to the valve cover, if I should leave it off, someone tell me lol

[cbatters]

Bearing grease on a screwdriver is a good way to insert the keys/keepers into the valve retainer.


Clint