Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Dear Abby,
Started out at 0700 to change my springs to 60#. At 1700 I gave up in dispair, nah, in utter depths of black dispair.
Bought one of Geno's Lisle valve compressors. Handles were too long so I made myself a stubby set which works much better.
Moving right along. Used the "crossover" method to locate TDC, i. e. #6 exh. closing and intake starting to open - work on #1.
I take the pedestal off and compress the spring. BUT the spring, valve, and collets (keepers) just move up and down on the seals. Doesn't bottom on the piston. Can't even get close to having the collets want to cooperate. Crank the spring up, move the compressor, spring, retainer, and collets up and down, wiggle back and forth - nothing. Poke and prod the collets - nothing.
Paranoid about dropping a valve down the tube - it's been the kind of day that it seems that beast is just lurking waiting for me to... . Doah!!!
Take a break at noon and search TDR for miracle cure. No new insights.
Consequently, I switch back and forth between the Dowel pin and the crossover method for locating TDC. Rotate engine over enough times to cause premature cylinder wear. Never can get the dowel to find it's little bitty hole. Equally paranoid about stuffing the puny little sucker and then shearing off the nubin as I blithely continue rotating the engine. What an ingenious design and location.
Bound and determined to use the crossover method.
Nagging questions:
*Am I TRUELY at TDC - if so why doesn't the valve bottom out? How much slack or play should there be? At what point is #6 at TDC - when the intake starts down?
*Is the compressor just not reaching far enough down on the spring to compress sufficiently so it will bottom out? I seem to get about a quater inch play. Changed from the cam handle to the bolt with no apparent gain or success.
*Is there a method to hold the end of the valve? Thinking about a piece of surgical tubing over the end. I'm not inclined to remove the injectors and huff air. Especially since I would have to fashion a puller first.
*The little devil sitting on my sholder telling me, "Look Ol'Dog if you can't even get the intakes on #1 or #2 to budge, just what do you REALLY think your chances are going to be on #5 and #6, aye? Better bunch it before you screw up so bad you'll be taking the head off"
The only thing that kept me going was reading just how plumb easy it has been for the rest of you liars. :-laf "Yep, took me a couple of hours. " "Watch out, cuz' the collets practically hop themselves off" My pride and confidence in my abilities is thoroughly trashed. Thinking about taking up cooking, vacuming, and maybe knitting, if I feel lucky - whimper, whine. :{
Sincerely,
Hang Dog in Moran
Started out at 0700 to change my springs to 60#. At 1700 I gave up in dispair, nah, in utter depths of black dispair.
Bought one of Geno's Lisle valve compressors. Handles were too long so I made myself a stubby set which works much better.
Moving right along. Used the "crossover" method to locate TDC, i. e. #6 exh. closing and intake starting to open - work on #1. I take the pedestal off and compress the spring. BUT the spring, valve, and collets (keepers) just move up and down on the seals. Doesn't bottom on the piston. Can't even get close to having the collets want to cooperate. Crank the spring up, move the compressor, spring, retainer, and collets up and down, wiggle back and forth - nothing. Poke and prod the collets - nothing.
Paranoid about dropping a valve down the tube - it's been the kind of day that it seems that beast is just lurking waiting for me to... . Doah!!!
Take a break at noon and search TDR for miracle cure. No new insights.
Consequently, I switch back and forth between the Dowel pin and the crossover method for locating TDC. Rotate engine over enough times to cause premature cylinder wear. Never can get the dowel to find it's little bitty hole. Equally paranoid about stuffing the puny little sucker and then shearing off the nubin as I blithely continue rotating the engine. What an ingenious design and location.
Bound and determined to use the crossover method. Nagging questions:
*Am I TRUELY at TDC - if so why doesn't the valve bottom out? How much slack or play should there be? At what point is #6 at TDC - when the intake starts down?
*Is the compressor just not reaching far enough down on the spring to compress sufficiently so it will bottom out? I seem to get about a quater inch play. Changed from the cam handle to the bolt with no apparent gain or success.
*Is there a method to hold the end of the valve? Thinking about a piece of surgical tubing over the end. I'm not inclined to remove the injectors and huff air. Especially since I would have to fashion a puller first.
*The little devil sitting on my sholder telling me, "Look Ol'Dog if you can't even get the intakes on #1 or #2 to budge, just what do you REALLY think your chances are going to be on #5 and #6, aye? Better bunch it before you screw up so bad you'll be taking the head off"
The only thing that kept me going was reading just how plumb easy it has been for the rest of you liars. :-laf "Yep, took me a couple of hours. " "Watch out, cuz' the collets practically hop themselves off" My pride and confidence in my abilities is thoroughly trashed. Thinking about taking up cooking, vacuming, and maybe knitting, if I feel lucky - whimper, whine. :{
Sincerely,
Hang Dog in Moran
)
The most important thing is have a magnet in your hand... ... . you DO NOT want to drop a keeper. As many other jobs touted as easy on this board they are not being totaly honest :-laf :-laf 
Rolled up the apron, put down the knitting needles, and put back on my coveralls. 
