Help! Keepers wont move - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Big69C20 Toy · 05-29-2002, 10:10 PM

Hey guys i put pressure in the cylindar 120psi to keep the valves sealed, but when i compress the spring the whole valve just decides to go down despite the pressure. The keepers look marred up and i'm guessing they just dont wanna let it come loose.
Suggestions please? Do i have to pull the heads off ? If that's the case i'm thinking new heads anyways. Stupid PAW gave me the wrong size pushrods. Mine are like .300" is that normal? PAW gave me 3/8" pushrods so they dont fit in the guides at all.

Any help would be great cuz i'm workin on this thing as we speak... Thanks fellas

RodC · 05-29-2002, 10:24 PM

Did you give the top of the spring a little tap sorta off center with a rubber/plastic hammer? There may be a bit of carbon build up.

Are your valves sealing good enough? Did the piston go back to the bottom when you aired it up? If so, put a breaker bar and socket on the front of the crank and strap it down. I have only done valves with the head off, but I have seen it done this way.

I have heard you can put the piston at TDC and then fill the cylender with rope to keep the valves from falling.

Good luck........

Big69C20 Toy · 05-29-2002, 10:45 PM

ill try the tap with hammer thingy and valves are sealing well

Big69C20 Toy · 05-29-2002, 11:11 PM

ill try the tap with hammer thingy and valves are sealing well

*Fast68Chevy* · 05-29-2002, 11:17 PM

you can put more than 120 in if the air compreesor wil alow it

Willy Prost · 05-29-2002, 11:21 PM

Instead of using air pressure, I stuffed as much old clothesline as I could into the cylinder with the piston at TDC.

Compressed spring, removed keepers, replaced worn o-ring valve seals with umbrella seals. Cut oil consumption by a huge amount.

71GMC_3/4T · 05-29-2002, 11:55 PM

Willy,
Wouldn't it be easier to pack the clothesline in with the piston toward BDC and then move it to TDC by turning the crank by hand? I jsut can't imagine trying to pack that rope in there with it at the top...
It does help to smack the top of the valve retainer to bust it loose.

O'l Buck · 05-30-2002, 01:52 AM

smack 'em with a hammer, works every time.

Big69C20 Toy · 05-30-2002, 02:11 AM

Hammer trick did it, put the wooden end of one on the cap and tapped it with another hammer, bingo no more sticking keepers.

got 2 cylindars done before 10pm. my ma and neighbors dont much care for our 5hp compressor buzzin away past taht time i dont think.

71BBK10 · 05-30-2002, 04:40 AM

a trick my auto mech. teacher showed us was take a large socket and hammer smack the spring on top of the retainer, the keepers should pop out, and you can't "love tap it" but then again this works best on a head that is off the motor, not cool to have keeper fall down a oil drain back hole.......

Big69C20 Toy · 05-30-2002, 05:49 AM

Thanks for all the tips fellas, i love those ones that involve a bfh or somethin...

Willy Prost · 05-30-2002, 08:21 AM

Using clothsline at TDC, I stuffed about a foot of line into the combustion chamber.

It's hard to tell how much actually went into the combustion chamber, I needed extra length coming out the spark plug hole to have something to pull the line out with hehehe.

I only needed enough line in the cylinder to keep the valves from dropping into the cylinder. Putting the piston at BDC would have taken ALOT more line.

71GMC_3/4T · 05-30-2002, 10:13 AM

I understand now, Willy. You were just wanting to keep it from falling down too far. I was thinking you had to put pressure on the face of the valve when you removed the springs...
I was helping a friend do valve springs once and we were using air. Well, as luck would have it, the valve fell and it was the one where the piston was at BDC. Luckily it didn't fall all the way through and we were able to sneak it back up with the piston. Lucked out on that one.

05-29-2002, 10:10 PM	#1
Big69C20 Toy Livin' it up. Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Richland, MI Posts: 2,212	Help! Keepers wont move Hey guys i put pressure in the cylindar 120psi to keep the valves sealed, but when i compress the spring the whole valve just decides to go down despite the pressure. The keepers look marred up and i'm guessing they just dont wanna let it come loose. Suggestions please? Do i have to pull the heads off ? If that's the case i'm thinking new heads anyways. Stupid PAW gave me the wrong size pushrods. Mine are like .300" is that normal? PAW gave me 3/8" pushrods so they dont fit in the guides at all. Any help would be great cuz i'm workin on this thing as we speak... Thanks fellas __________________ -Greg; Sold the 69 C20. It's off to a better home with more love! Now onto the 86 CUCV M1009; K5 blazer with 6.2L diesel, corp 10 bolt axles, Detroit locker in the rear, trutrac front, 3.73 gears, 35" tires.

05-29-2002, 10:24 PM	#2
RodC Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Fairmont WV Posts: 304	Did you give the top of the spring a little tap sorta off center with a rubber/plastic hammer? There may be a bit of carbon build up. Are your valves sealing good enough? Did the piston go back to the bottom when you aired it up? If so, put a breaker bar and socket on the front of the crank and strap it down. I have only done valves with the head off, but I have seen it done this way. I have heard you can put the piston at TDC and then fill the cylender with rope to keep the valves from falling. Good luck........ __________________ Rod Childers '71 C10 Stepside

05-29-2002, 10:45 PM	#3
Big69C20 Toy Livin' it up. Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Richland, MI Posts: 2,212	ill try the tap with hammer thingy and valves are sealing well __________________ -Greg; Sold the 69 C20. It's off to a better home with more love! Now onto the 86 CUCV M1009; K5 blazer with 6.2L diesel, corp 10 bolt axles, Detroit locker in the rear, trutrac front, 3.73 gears, 35" tires.

05-29-2002, 11:11 PM	#4
Big69C20 Toy Livin' it up. Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Richland, MI Posts: 2,212	ill try the tap with hammer thingy and valves are sealing well __________________ -Greg; Sold the 69 C20. It's off to a better home with more love! Now onto the 86 CUCV M1009; K5 blazer with 6.2L diesel, corp 10 bolt axles, Detroit locker in the rear, trutrac front, 3.73 gears, 35" tires.

05-29-2002, 11:55 PM	#7
71GMC_3/4T Weapons Of Construction Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 1,095	Willy, Wouldn't it be easier to pack the clothesline in with the piston toward BDC and then move it to TDC by turning the crank by hand? I jsut can't imagine trying to pack that rope in there with it at the top... It does help to smack the top of the valve retainer to bust it loose. __________________ 1971 GMC 2500, 402/TH400 4.10 Daily Driver Lafayette, CO

05-29-2002, 11:17 PM	#5
Fast68Chevy Account Suspended Join Date: May 2000 Location: IL Posts: 0	you can put more than 120 in if the air compreesor wil alow it

05-29-2002, 11:21 PM	#6
Willy Prost Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 398	Instead of using air pressure, I stuffed as much old clothesline as I could into the cylinder with the piston at TDC. Compressed spring, removed keepers, replaced worn o-ring valve seals with umbrella seals. Cut oil consumption by a huge amount.

05-30-2002, 01:52 AM	#8
O'l Buck Recovering Truck Driver Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Orleans, NE USA Posts: 1,883	smack 'em with a hammer, works every time. __________________ 67 K-20 350, SM465, Eaton rear, 4.56 no spin option 00 Dodge 2500 4x4, 24V cummins, 5 speed Chad South Central Nebraska

05-30-2002, 02:11 AM	#9
Big69C20 Toy Livin' it up. Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Richland, MI Posts: 2,212	Hammer trick did it, put the wooden end of one on the cap and tapped it with another hammer, bingo no more sticking keepers. got 2 cylindars done before 10pm. my ma and neighbors dont much care for our 5hp compressor buzzin away past taht time i dont think. __________________ -Greg; Sold the 69 C20. It's off to a better home with more love! Now onto the 86 CUCV M1009; K5 blazer with 6.2L diesel, corp 10 bolt axles, Detroit locker in the rear, trutrac front, 3.73 gears, 35" tires.

05-30-2002, 04:40 AM	#10
71BBK10 Teufelhunden Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Camp Pendelton Ca Posts: 572	a trick my auto mech. teacher showed us was take a large socket and hammer smack the spring on top of the retainer, the keepers should pop out, and you can't "love tap it" but then again this works best on a head that is off the motor, not cool to have keeper fall down a oil drain back hole....... __________________ 1971 K10 lwb fleetside 402 T350 205

05-30-2002, 05:49 AM	#11
Big69C20 Toy Livin' it up. Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Richland, MI Posts: 2,212	Thanks for all the tips fellas, i love those ones that involve a bfh or somethin... __________________ -Greg; Sold the 69 C20. It's off to a better home with more love! Now onto the 86 CUCV M1009; K5 blazer with 6.2L diesel, corp 10 bolt axles, Detroit locker in the rear, trutrac front, 3.73 gears, 35" tires.

05-30-2002, 08:21 AM	#12
Willy Prost Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 398	Using clothsline at TDC, I stuffed about a foot of line into the combustion chamber. It's hard to tell how much actually went into the combustion chamber, I needed extra length coming out the spark plug hole to have something to pull the line out with hehehe. I only needed enough line in the cylinder to keep the valves from dropping into the cylinder. Putting the piston at BDC would have taken ALOT more line.

05-30-2002, 10:13 AM	#13
71GMC_3/4T Weapons Of Construction Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 1,095	I understand now, Willy. You were just wanting to keep it from falling down too far. I was thinking you had to put pressure on the face of the valve when you removed the springs... I was helping a friend do valve springs once and we were using air. Well, as luck would have it, the valve fell and it was the one where the piston was at BDC. Luckily it didn't fall all the way through and we were able to sneak it back up with the piston. Lucked out on that one. __________________ 1971 GMC 2500, 402/TH400 4.10 Daily Driver Lafayette, CO



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