Flathead Valve Removal Tool

I thought I'd share this idea a fellow has come up with for removing flathead valves. This is designed to compress the springs in a way that will free your hands instead of using the old prybar method.

FLATHEAD VALVE SPRING COMPRESSING TOOL


Anyone who has disassembled the valve train of a flathead engine knows the valves don't come out like they tell you in the shop manual. You pretty much always need to get the keepers off the valve while its still in the engine. Then you can work the valve out. With the valve out you can pound on the valve guide working it down to remove the clip. Then you pull the valve guide out usually with a slide hammer.


Compressing the valve springs with a pry bar tool leaves only one hand free to remove the valve keepers. Serious damage can be done to the fingers when the pry bar tool slips. After doing serious damage a couple of times I started thinking about a better tool. I found a couple cheap 5/8 inch wrenches and needle nosed visegrip pliers and well, you see what I did. I ground the wrenches to make them thin and contoured to fit the valve springs. I ground the lower one a little wider so the keepers would easily pass through. Using a tack and trial procedure I welded the wrenches to the visegrip at just the right angle to fit the springs. The forged Cr-Vd tool steel welded a bit "funny" but I managed with my mig welder and CO2-Ar shielding gas. Stick welding with the right rod might be a better way to go but my shop doesn't have a stick welder.

This tool worked out great. Once I had the keepers off I could work the valve through the guide. With the valve out of the way I used a piece of copper pipe to punch down the guide and remove the retainer clip. I rigged my slide hammer with a piece of threaded rod and attached it to the valve guides with brass washers and nuts to pull them out. In most cases I had to alternate between the copper pipe and slide hammer to work the guide loose enough to remove. Penetrating oil and patience were helpful. I had to replace my exhaust valve guides since the bores were worn. All other parts I found in good enough condition to reuse. When it came time to reassemble the valves I used my compact spring compressing tool again.

 

well, here's another flathead tool. bttt.