valve spring question

[raleighstang65]

I'm in the process of installing a new camshaft (Performer Plus). I want to put new valve springs in while I'm at it. Do I need to put air pressure on the valves? Don't have an air compressor. Will I screw something up if I just remove the valve springs without air?

 

[danny clemens]

I've never changed valve springs with the heads on the car but I do know that they make a fitting to fit your spark plug hole so you can put air to the cylinder. That won't do you any good unless you have some type of air pressure. If you have an air tank that would probably work or maybe you could borrow a compressor.

You might be able to get the cylinder that you are changing springs on to top dead center and maybe the valve won't drop down too far for you to be able to get the new spring on. This is definately a maybe. Somebody who has tried it before may be able to give you more insight on wether this will work or not.

Putting pressure to the cylinder would be the best way I'm sure.

 

[D.Hearne]

Don't try it with the piston at TDC. Not without something else to hold the valves up. Best thing is to do it with air pressure. You can buy a cheap compressor at Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, just about anywhere for less than you'll spend renting one. Doesn't take a lot of volume to hold the valves in place. You WILL need the spark plug fitting though. In any case, run the new cam with the old springs till it's good and "broken in" before swapping the new ones on. Your cam will thank you for it..

 

[hhead]

I don't know bout running the springs you have now! What's the lift on the new vs old? The cam card should say what springs to run.
All you need is the old springs not enough pressure and bind....lose keeper....dropped valve.......

 

[raleighstang65]

I guess I need to suck it up and get a compressor. This is my first cam swap so bear with me... With the plug fitting for the air, I'm guessing I would pull one plug and replace the two springs at a time, then plug the next plug, put the air on that one, etc.

It's a Performer Plus cam and Edelbrock Sure Seat Valve Springs that are supposed to match the cam.

 

[D.Hearne]

You got the sequence right. The Performer plus cam isn't a big one, your stock springs will work fine with it for break in purposes. You don't want stiff springs for cam break in.

 

[raleighstang65]

Thanks D.Hearne! Any other tips you can offer?

 

[D.Hearne]

Don't use too much cam lube on the lobes, use none on the lifter's sides, a small amount on the bottoms. Once you have the cam in place and the lifters in the holes, pour all the rest of the oil all over the lifters in the valley. Prime the oiling system before starting the engine. Make sure the engine will fire up quickly (you'll need to get the timing close to right on beforehand) You know how to do this, right? Don't use synthetic oils. Good oil to use for break in is one of the diesel oils or a non detergent straight 30 weight. The trick here is not to get the cam lobes so slick that they don't get a grip on the lifter bottoms at startup. The lifters HAVE to spin to survive. You can run it a few minutes with the valve covers off to verify all the pushrods are spinning. If these are spinning, the lifters are as well. Once you have verified this, just place the covers back on while it's running to limit the mess. Ford Racings' valve cover stud & nut sets are great for this. Screw the studs in place, set the gaskets on the studs and after you've run it, set the covers in place on the studs. Run the engine at 1500-200 rpms for 30 minutes to break in the cam. If everything goes well, kill it and change the oil and filter. If you have a lifter not spining, that lifter and cam lobe are or will be toast in short order. I also liberally coat the distributor gear with Moly grease to help them break in together. Take your time in assembly and don't get in a hurry. If in doubt, ask questions. Good Luck.

 

[raleighstang65]

Thanks again! As soon as I can get the balancer off I think I'm good to go.

 

[Rusty67]

Use the ballancer puller tool for that.

If you want to change the valve springs without pulling the heads, take all the spark plugs out and get some nylon chord you can feed into the cylinder. Stuff a bunch of it in there and leave some hanging out so you can get it out later (that part is really important). Raise the piston on that cylinder to TCD. The valves now wont fell into the cylinder if you take the valve springs/mount hardware off.

 

[D.Hearne]

Only problem with stuffing rope down the hole to keep the valves in place, is wondering if you put enough to do the job. If it ain't enough, you're going to play hell getting the retainers and keepers back in place. There's no doubt in using air pressure.

 

[Rusty67]

Only problem with stuffing rope down the hole to keep the valves in place, is wondering if you put enough to do the job. If it ain't enough, you're going to play hell getting the retainers and keepers back in place. There's no doubt in using air pressure.

I was suguesting this because he doesn't have an air compressor. If the cylinder wont hold air then the air compressor method wont work. Then again if the cylinder wont hold air then he has bigger problems and provably has to pull the head anyways.

 

[D.Hearne]

I was suguesting this because he doesn't have an air compressor. If the cylinder wont hold air then the air compressor method wont work. Then again if the cylinder wont hold air then he has bigger problems and provably has to pull the head anyways.

Right. I just thought I'd let him know the hazzards of using the rope or string method. Get a large enough compressor, anything can be made to hold. You know , like one of those Ingersoll-Rand industrial types on a 4 wheeled buggy ? But what would the neighbors think ?

 

[Rusty67]

LOL. Ya, knowing the particulars of different methods is good. I wish I had a compressor like that.... I don't think the HOA would like me very much =-)