Lash caps stuck

Posted By: emarine01

Lash caps stuck - 02/14/09 11:47 PM

Hey all, got 3 lash caps that dont want to come off, the others pulled off with my fingers , cant pull last 3 even with vise gripps, I have the keepers with the groove in them for the caps so cant get under them to pry, anybody got any good ideas? head is W5 with single groove 10 degree locks & still on engine , thanks

Posted By: blownzoom440

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 12:29 AM

what about heating them up?

Posted By: S/ST 3040

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 12:32 AM

You'll have to take the springs off.

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 12:42 AM

I think the caps are hardend so dont know if heat will mess them up, I need to get the caps off to get to the springs? or did you mean compress the springs and try to split the keepers from the sides?

Posted By: S/ST 3040

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 12:54 AM

Yes, the keepers.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:06 AM

I assume you had the vise grips on the lash cap, put
them on the valve stem(not tight) and use a hammer
hitting up on the vise grips
EDIT
Or you could get fancy and make a slid hammer set up
with a U shape.... of course this is if you can compress
the spring enough

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:10 AM

Quote:

Yes, the keepers.

Got ya, I allways find it kinda hairy doing this with heads on but weve been there before , thanks

Posted By: blownzoom440

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:19 AM

maybe this is a last resort but use a whiz wheel grinding so the dabris goes to the outside to the exhaust and placing wrags around area to help keep it all clean.

grind the cap down to the stem almost and it should give.

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:20 AM

One more quik question , how are you guys locking up the engine wile filling the cylinder with air , my engine wants to roll sometimes if you arent perfect on tdc.

Posted By: blownzoom440

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:31 AM

if you dont mind me saying put a extension on the wratchet and bring it to rest on the frame[driver side.]or a braker bar.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:33 AM

Quote:

One more quik question , how are you guys locking up the engine wile filling the cylinder with air , my engine wants to roll sometimes if you arent perfect on tdc.

I let it go to the bottom with the air

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:44 AM

Dont have lots of room between crank and rad , Ive been puting a wedge in the power steering belt @ the pully , it has worked in the past but I dont think its fool proof & the way this has been going so far, I havent caught a break on simple things messing up

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:50 AM

Quote:

Quote:

One more quik question , how are you guys locking up the engine wile filling the cylinder with air , my engine wants to roll sometimes if you arent perfect on tdc.

I let it go to the bottom with the air

I did that once 20 years ago ,droped a intake in a cyl on a V12 650kw genset, and thats the kinda karma Ive had with these valve seals so far , I should just pull the head and cut it to the chase,

Posted By: blownzoom440

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 01:56 AM

Quote:

Dont have lots of room between crank and rad , Ive been puting a wedge in the power steering belt @ the pully , it has worked in the past but I dont think its fool proof & the way this has been going so far, I havent caught a break on simple things messing up

i had to put w wood wedge in the starter gear to trans case to tighten the crank bolt.

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 02:07 AM

That sounds doable , I might have to bribe one of my kids to help

Posted By: S/ST 3040

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 02:09 AM

Maybe it's just me but, I never use air.

Piston @ TDC and bump the top of the piston to jar the keepers loose.
Valve seal keeps the valve seated to remove the springs.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 02:21 AM

I hit the keeper with a mallet to break the keepers
and locks free then it the air to it then proceed to
take it apart... never had a valve drop in

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 02:25 AM

Hey good thought, Thats something Ive not tryed ,Might compress the spring a lot but cant lose a valve

Posted By: Bigbeep

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 05:33 AM

A buddy showed me this. With rockers and spark plugs pulled. Get a small diameter rope a few feet long. Tie a knot in one end. Insert other end into the plug hole and keep feeding rope into hole. Rotate piston as far up into the cylinder as possible. Pop spring off and rope will keep valve up in head. This works good at the track if you have no air. Beep

Posted By: SealockRacing

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 06:07 AM

Quote:

A buddy showed me this. With rockers and spark plugs pulled. Get a small diameter rope a few feet long. Tie a knot in one end. Insert other end into the plug hole and keep feeding rope into hole. Rotate piston as far up into the cylinder as possible. Pop spring off and rope will keep valve up in head. This works good at the track if you have no air. Beep

used to do this with my little goped scooters, kept the piston from moving so i could take the flywheel nuts off!

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 04:11 PM

I use to do the string thing but as I wanted to hurry
things up I quit using it and never ran into a issue

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 04:30 PM

Hey all , thanks for all the input , we got the caps off, with some major heat , I think when we were messing with cam lash we went too much on the intake clearance +.015 too see how the engine changed with different cam timing, made 2 passes and must have beat the caps in, something to think about for the next time , will order new caps & locks and have at it again, THANKS!!

Posted By: blownzoom440

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 04:46 PM

i bet it smoke pritty bad.what did you use to het it with?

Posted By: S/ST 3040

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 04:49 PM

Quote:

we got the caps off, with some major heat

I would have pulled the heads off before I put torch? near my valves
and springs.......but, I've been accused of overcomplicating things. If you
used a torch, I'd be concerned about ruining the valve springs in particular.

Posted By: emarine01

Re: Lash caps stuck - 02/15/09 05:03 PM

I used map gas with a pin point tip , I put vise grips on the retainer for a heat sink but I needed a lot of heat to get it apart , I have questions about the springs too , I still am sitting on the fence for a cam change so when I finaly come up with a cam I will change out all the springs too , I have a test & tune next weekend , I was hoping to test out rear end set up but now I am not sure if I want to run , its a murfs law thing , I put a lot of heat on it?