Valve spring removal

I'm looking to do a valve job on my 85 XJ700, and I was wondering if this tool will do the job for the removal of the valve springs?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=97975
Or if not, is there a reasonably priced substitute tool for the YM-04019 that is mentioned in the service manual that will do the job?
Thanks for any help.

 

I gotta look that one up when I get home, dunno if the XJ700 is similar enough to the XJ550 but from the looks of that tool I WANT ONE! Just on general principles, I'll find something it's gonna work on...

 

I don't think that Valve Spring Tool is going to work.

The Bike Head comes-of all together. Too wide for that Tool shown there.

They sure do have some Cheap Tools for sale!

 

this is the one I used and it fits/works great. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Moto...727|39:1|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

there are a bunch of these on ebay, try to find the best price.

 

Yeah, I was just looking at the manual and at my XJs and I tend to agree with Rick, I suspect that tool was designed more for automotive applications...DAMN cool though. Lou is right though, and those are available all sorts of places. Why, I'll bet our old buddy you-know-who carries 'em too...Chacal?

 

Youi do need one that will hold the Valve on one side while the Spring is being Compressed on the other.

Most of the Xj-Bikes have Dual Springs. One Outer and an Inner needing to be collapsed to break-down the Valve Assembly.

 

Hey Rick, Yer sure right about cheap, both in cost and alot of the time in quality. But if you buy the ones with the lifetime warranty, you can always get your money back when it breaks.
Bigfitz, I think that Chacal has the tool, I can't find it in his List-O-Parts, but I belive the price was around $80 or more. It seems to me that there was a caviot about it being a special one that worked for the XJ700 only, I might be mistaken, maybe it was for the X model. But if I could find the tool for half the cost, with more uses on other bikes, it would make this low frequency tool almost worth the cost. Better yet, I wish that I could rent the thing locally, at no cost, like the program they have at Auto Zone.

 

This is the style I am using for the motorcycle head:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Ac ... 06.c0.m245

I paid far far less at a swap meet - like $5 for a used one.

 

IMO the C-type spring compressor is the best. Craftsman makes a really nice one and it's not too pricey for such a quality tool.

 

When I completed the valve lap on the XS750, I borrowed one from Advance Auto.
Had to make a cage out of an old socket.

 

I've heard of making a cage out of a piece of PVC pipe. Does that have the stregnth to hold the tension, also what would be the optimum size to get?

 

There's NOT a whole lot of force involved so probably yes. Size-wise I don't know.

 

I also did the chopped socket. I used a grinder to hog out the socket, then filled it with jbweld and milled the surface some more. I haven't don an xj, but removed the valves from a honda cb650 and an old bmw airhead. Both bikes have heads that have outer casting height that prevents the use of general automotive valve spring compressors. The harbor freight type shown above, is typically to wide to fit over motorcycle valve springs. The typical c-clamp setup is usually too flat to compress the spring enough to get the keepers off.

The solution, is to fabricate an extension for the valve spring compressor out of an old socket, length of pipe or something similar. I probably would not try to use pvc. You're going to be putting quite a bit of pressure on that clamp, then putting your fingers in there to get the keepers out. You don't want to use something that could shatter.

 

My cage is a bit of pipe, close to the outside diameter of the spring caps. It is smooth and fits the bucket pocket with plenty of play. Big holes drilled for access and little holes for ty-wraps.
I used small ty-wraps to hold it in place.
On the valve side I have a layer of thick inner-tube to protect the aluminum.

 

Removing them is the easy bit, a socket and hammer will do that

Place the socket over the retainer and hit it with the hammer, the retainer moves far enough that the collets fall out you and you can remove the valve

You might still need the tool to put them back together though :lol:

 

Ill advised.
I'm being kind.

The Mission is to offer our BEST advice.
That trick should be left to the Breakers; alone.

One errant blow of the Hammer and you'll be out of business that quick.

 

You all do realize there's a homemade tool shown on the XJCD, yes?

3/4 x 4" pipe nipple. Flare one end slightly; that will sit on the spring. Cutouts as appropriate. Compress the spring with a bar clamp.

 

I wish that I would have heard about the home made tool 3 hours eariler. I Just got one on fleabay for about $35 shipped. It does have several collets for use on different size valve springs, so its not just a one trick pony. I've got a brother with another bike, and maybe he'll need to use it sometime in the future. Oh well, I'm sure that its money well spent, could have been cheaper, but I want to do a valve job in the next week or so. I'm sure I'll be posting more questions as I get deeper into my engine. I figure while the beast is down, I should take care of a piston ring problem that I've been aware of for some time. You guys are great, I can't say enough about the depth of knowledge that is represented in this forum. There are so many folks out there that are willing to give of their time to keep an old bike on the road. Thanks Guys for your help!!

 

$35 for a new special tool sounds like a bargain to me, especially if it comes in a neat plastic box. Rick is absolutely right, I wouldn't use the hammer trick ever. Totally off-topic, how did the clutch rebuild go?

 

The clutch all went back together well, though I'm still chipping away at a list of other deadline faults that are keeping me from riding, but time, hard work and a few more paychecks to Chacal will square that away. I'm afraid that its to late for any riding this season. The friction plate in question with the notch was the orignal on the bike that I replaced with another (without a notch) sent by Chacal. As far as I can tell, the notch was the only difference between them. Everything else seemed to mic out ok. About the new tool, I hope to get that project started this coming week, expect more questions! By the time my brother gets back from Iraq I should be able to lend him a better hand getting his bike back on its feet again. Thanks for the follow up question, makes me feel I'm not doing this by myself. When I get done with everything, I'll post some pictures of the old girl, so you guys can see her.

 

hammer trick is old school. But completely useless because you'll need the tool eventually.

 

we used a carved wooden stand for the VW aircooled heads. The drill press had a made up bit to press the spring for removing the keepers.
Our old drill press has a clamp to hold the spindle down, unlike all current drill presses.

I saw someone else trying to use a drill press setup on a 4cylinder Japanese motor head. But they had one cap that just wouldn't let loose of the keepers. He used the hammer trick for that one spring. Unfortunately for him, he didn't move back to the bench. The cast drill press table broke when he hammered it. He also did a nice bit of smashing a corner of the head, which ended up getting replaced. wooooops!

After that, I started using a 2X4 for extra support under my drillpress table just for the amount of pressure we were applying without hammering.

 

You have to be a right muppet to stuff that up and if you use a rawhide or cooper hammer there is very little chance of damagaing anything if you are so incompetent as to miss

 

I stand by my earlier position.
The Mission is to assist the Member in getting a job done without complications that could wind-up being very serious.

That being said ...

What do you tell the Member who is persuaded to used Hammer Blows to release the Valve Stem Keepers, is fortunate enough to not fracture the Cylinder Head at the Valve Guide, is lucky enough not to lose one of the Keepers ... successfully completes Lapping the Valves and installing a new Valve Seal ... only to look upon the WorkBench and find the Hammer he used to release the Valve Stem Keepers ... and, ... wonder, as do I ... just exactly HOW the Valve Springs are going to get compressed and held in the Compressed position long enough to gather the Valve Stem Keepers and get them back ... in place ... and then, slowly release the Compressed Valve Springs to lock the Valve Stem with the Valve Stem Keepers firmly in place?

How?
That hammer ain't going to do him any good now, ... right?
Well?
How are we going to tell the Member to Compress the Valve Springs and get the Valve Assembly back together and securely locked.

Oh, ... NOW we need a Valve Spring Compression Tool?

OK ... Next guy, please.
You have to do a Valve Job; too!

Take your pick.
Hammer or Valve Spring Tool?

 

I personally used the hammer trick to get mine out, it worked but it COULD have damaged something if i had missed on one of my hits. To put it all back together, I borrowed a spring compressor tool from autozone (free as long as you bring it back) and modified a 16mm socket and, TA-DA!

 

I'm just left wondering what part of
You might still need the tool to put them back together though in my original post you didn't understand?

Anyone who is so mechanicaly incompetent as to do any damage using the method I described to remove the valves is to incompetent to work on the bike anyway

I always use the hammer method for disassembly as it is considerably easier and quicker, for reassembly there is no other option (that i'm aware of) but to use the valve tool