11 replies to this topic

[Fire shell]

Hi,
I have purchased a Halfords valve spring compressor today, I have double valve springs and to be honest it is quite tough. I have removed one but this took a lot more effort than that shown on youtube videos.

I have tapped the top of the spring to loosen prior to removal, then placed the compressor on the face of the valve and adjusted the top to suit the collet size. I then pushed the lever to close the compressor on to the valve and screwed the shaft to close the spring down sufficiently to remove the keepers with a magnet.


Am I doing this correctly as I don't want to bend any valves.

Many thanks Steve

[Cooperman]

You won't bend the valves. More likely to bend the compressor if it is not man enough to cope with double springs.

It sounds as though your method is correct. Just heavy springs.

[Fire shell]

Thanks Cooperman ,I just need to man up a bit then I think. Oh the joys of cutting my teeth mechanically.

[gazza82]

I think the cirrect way is to take up the slack with the screw then push the arm diwn to compress the springs.

but personally I don't think the arm/lever is long enough and double springs may be too much for them

[Gr4h4m]

Stick a bar on the arm

[Fire shell]

Just to update,

I found that the halfords compressor just wasn't up to the job.

As luck turns out , my neighbour over the road said he used to work for mini for 30 years, two minutes later he walks over with a Pickavant classic valve compressor. What a beautiful bit of kit. No joke, within 10 mins I had every valve out, bagged and tagged with out an ounce of effort having never done it before.

Now to just find one for my tool box

[Icey]

I have a Halfords compressor and even without double springs it was tough to use on the Mini head (worked perfectly on Vauxhall heads). What helped was running a weld down the fixed part (that goes over the spring) as that allowed quite a lot of effort-sapping movement in the mechanism.

[Abbot]

I have been really struggling today with a spring compressor that simply deforms as I try to leave the arm over.  I think it is possible a cheap copy of a more robust product.  Very frustrating.

[jaydee]

Use a sykes pickavant compressor, there not even pricey 

[Abbot]

Just removed the valves from my head and was coming to the conclusion that my Halfords spring compressor was not man enough for the job.

 

I had NOT done the trick of tapping the top of the spring to loosen the grip on the collets.  It made life a lot easier after that!

 

Note to self, RTFM before doing a job you last did over 30 years ago.

[MrBounce]

I had the same problem with a Clarke VSC. It did the job with a bit of manliness and a hollow bar, but a Sickes Pickavent will be ordered for next time.

[AlexMozza]

A guy i used to work with had a converted G clamp, which worked really well!