Projects SBC VALVE SPRING REMOVAL

No, but it's pretty tough to tap on the valve if it's pointed down against the table. Or maybe you could drill a hole in your bench to tap on the end of the valve?

 

Hell I just take a socket and a hammer, sit my purse on the chair, and smack the hell out of them! Then use the C clamp to put them back together

 

I have the same one jimmy 6 and others, works well. O/P it would work better if the lower “hooks”sat lower on the spring and compress the spring more, with that compressor you don’t need a rag under the head.

 

You're okay to use that compressor tool for your job. Make sure you're not catching on one of the keepers on the top, that will hinder them coming off. Picture looks it might be doing that.

 

Hit it with your grandmas purse that had a ww2 destroyer in it.

 

When I was young and poor back in the mid 70's I made my own spring compressor and it works on every head I've put it on. It does need the head to be free of the block.

 

Now I'm old and poor, and not as strong, and I can't operate your compressor anymore---@mixerman.

 

All tools & methods mention/ shown (on or off) will work with ease with spring presser 150 or less on sb & bbc & one of those Fee magnet screw drivers that tool man gives have it place when dealing with keepers & moving retainers around to remove or install keepers.
When installing springs 250ish plus on seat & Triple springs with 10 deg keeper can be challenging with head on or off block with MOROSO style spring compressor, shaft style , pedestal , double C clamp & ratchet style C clamp for Valve prings.

 

I use the C-Clamp kind on most heads off the engine or the flat 6’s I’ve had. I have a few like the OP has as well. Always smack an OHV on the retainer with a socket and hammer. As mentioned earlier, smack pretty hard and the keepers pop out, but I just do to break a bond. Always stuff a shop rag when I smack them, under the valves. Makes me feel better

 

OK, I was able to remove all the keepers on the left side head. The springs have another flat coil spring inside. Then I noticed that some of the holes where the valves come through the head have what looks like a collet around them. Some have this, some do not. It looks like some have cracked. You can see this in the second picture below. Some are not there at all. The little washer on the valve stems pretty much disintegrated. Pull the valves out and the is a nice pop sound, put them in and there is pressure.

 

The material cracked away is part of the original as-cast valve guide.
GM drills and reams the valve guide right into the parent casting material during the machining process.
The head has been rebuilt at least once, the original guides have been reamed to accept the common 1/2" diameter press-in replacement valve guide insert, leaving that very thin wall of the original guide, that has then cracked away due to how thin it is.
A better shop would have machined away this remnant of the original guide OD, so that it could not be there to crack away after the job was done.

The "washer" was the stock square cut rubber O-ring used to seal the valve spring retainer to the valve stem. The O-ring, along with the oil shield cup, deflect the oil away from the valve stem.

 

Should I not worry about it or should try to get the original valve guide remnants off or just leave them? I think I should take them off as I was finding and picking up some metal shards with a magnet. If I left them on and they continue to crack, they would just end up in the engine destroying other stuff right? I have seen caps that would fit over the valve guide. I think they were called umbrellas? Do I need those along with new orings for the valve stems?

Do I need both sets of springs (inner and outer)? Is the inner flatter one removable? How do I figure out how strong of a spring is needed?

Thank you for all the help!

 

I am used to the manual lever type that has been posted.

In your pic it looks like the tang of the compression tool is compressing on the edge of the retainer itself?

 

These heads need to be properly rebuilt, which would include removing all the remaining valve guides, and new guides pressed in. My personal preference for this is iron guides, as they last longer. I also have stainless valves and hardened seats put in any heads I have done. I only want to do them once, so I want them done as good as possible.

 

They should be machined off, to avoid the very situation you have now where it is cracking off and getting into the oil or other motor parts and causing further damage.

Once you have all the guides cut clean and/or replaced as needed, you will be able to use a much better, pressed on fit valve stem seal that will fit tight to the guide outside diameter. and have a flexible seal lip riding on the valvestem..

The flat wound inner spring is a dampener, used to help control the valvespring.....much like a finger placed on a vibrating guitar string. The spring is designed for it to be there.
Whether you need a stronger spring depends on cam profile, peak rpm desired, camshaft type....plus what the current spring spec is, it's age, and how worn out it is.
If this is just a stock rebuild with what is ***umed original stock springs they would likely be fine going back into a stone stock, low rpm cruiser.
If you intend to hotrod it a little, often better to at least replace the springs with new stock spec....then it depends on cam specs whether you need to have stronger springs..