Monday, January 28, 2013

Engine head, valves, and springs

To remove the springs, you get a valve spring compressor tool from an automotive store. Make ABSOLUTELY SURE that you mark the valves and their components. Each valve should go back into its original position. So number 1 exhaust has the same valve. Number 2 etc. If you mix them around,  you will have a tough task in tightening the valves again.

Here we have the head and springs:



The cylinders look smooth.

I am not sure about the discolouration of this one:






The head gasket is not symmetrical since the barrels are not either. There are four different ways to mount the head gasket, but only one is correct. If you examine a new head gasket CLOSELY you will see a punch number 1 or the letter I by one of the cylinder holes. That stamped marking should be facing up and be by the last cylinder. 
If you can look at the punch mark on the gasket as a minus sign and it should be as close to the minus sign on the battery as possible. I.e. at the rear cylinder, facing up /(=to the left).

The valves:




I used a valve spring compressor to remove the springs. This is how they go back together. (top is on the right)


I numbered the valve stems so they can go back in the same place:







No comments:

Post a Comment