Valve spring install w/ pics and video.

[panama]

Figured I would post a mini diy of installing a new valve spring. First thing, clean your engine off above the cam covers. I really wish that I had taken that step first as I have little bits of crap all over my cams etc.
I used taco bills writeup on how to remove the cam covers.
After removing the followers with the freedom tool, it is time to do the springs.
**important** make sure that you put whatever cylinder you are working on at tdc. Before putting air to your cylinder, put your car in 5th. You can use another gear, but 1st has enough torque to run over your foot for a second when you hook up 80psi of air. If your cylinder is at tdc, you cannot lose a valve. There will be a time that you will lose air pressure. My hose came off during the middle of one of mine.

Use the next steps in reverse to remove the old valve. The removal is the easy part and the most nerve racking as you figure out suddenly how difficult this really can be.

So here is a bare valve stem after you remove the old spring and seal.

New valve stem seals from Livernois. Much much tighter than the oem. Couldn't get to two exhaust ones though......Use a socket to push it down over the valve. If they make a special tool to remove these, buy it. I used multiple types of needle nose pliers. FML

Valve spring

Retainer

Setting up the tool and compressing to expose grooves in the valve. You will want to lock the tool into place with the allen wrench. You could not do this with locking it down.

One keeper on.....these little guys are tough. Tiny and small. Buy extra. I lost one on the k member somewhere and one shot off under the intake. If they are not aligned correctly or you release the tool to quick, they become airborne.

Both Keepers on and pressed together. Put a dab of grease and use a magnetic tipped screwdriver to put them on. Some of the valves won't compress far enough. You'll spend two to twenty minutes on these alone. Keep a bottle of patience and od on it.

You can see an already done and the one that is about to be finished next to each other. The exhaust are truly the hard ones. Gravity is not your friend. The upside is the set screw on the tool is exposed which is awesome.

 

[panama]

http://youtu.be/OgIqvx9yKZ8
http://youtu.be/_CzyUpuNEhg

This is a video of removal and then of installation. G/F use her ipad. The video kinda sucks but you could always make a better one when you do your own spring install.

I hope this helps someone out in the future make a decision if they want to do this or not. It's not crazy hard, but not easy either. Make sure you have a second car handy, yours will be down for a few days if everything goes right. Take your time. Have patience. Valve springs really are a one person show, but a helper can come in handy when your drop things. You will drop things. A lot. At the wrong time. And it always lands on the K member just out of sight and reach in a shadow.

 

[panama]

A note on the air and the lack of fittings for the new 12mm plugs. If you find one that works, please post it up. A compression testor will not work unless you grind it down a lot. The threads are not long enough to screw in the head because of the large shoulder. I ghetto rigged one to work. I used a long brass pipe brazed onto an air fitting and used fuel hose forced onto the end and screwed that into the head. I don't recomend that method at all, but it worked for the most part. It shot out once and could cause some damage if you were close to it. Which you will be. It also knocked over my beer. Wear safety glasses. Wear safety glasses.