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  1. #1
    Member Z28LS1's Avatar
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    1999 Camaro Z28 M6

    keeping the valves up in a spring swap

    When replacing valve springs, did most of you air compress the cylinders through the spark plug entrance? Was it really difficult to get to (or take the headers off)? Do you recommend the TDC method or any other? thanks.

  2. #2
    Member stephen02ws6's Avatar
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    red with black stripes
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    when i did mine i used the TDC method. i was going to use the air fiting, but couldnt get the hose in and tight in the spark plug hole.

  3. #3
    cutting and welding mark21742's Avatar
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    hugger orange
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    I used the hose off of my compression tester and just hooked it up to my shop air line. it worked great and easy!
    was a pain on one or two holes to get the threads started though

  4. #4
    LSX whore allbaugh_04's Avatar
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    I compeletely forget what they are called but i planned on using those long things that you stick through the front of the engine. Someone help me out with the name ha

  5. #5
    Veteran Hi-Po's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by allbaugh_04 View Post
    I compeletely forget what they are called but i planned on using those long things that you stick through the front of the engine. Someone help me out with the name ha
    Um, wooden dowels? I dont see how thats going to keep the valves up?


    Yes, use shop air. It works awesome. It can be a bitch to get the fitting in number 8, but it can be done.

  6. #6
    cutting and welding mark21742's Avatar
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    hugger orange
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hi-Po View Post
    Um, wooden dowels? I dont see how thats going to keep the valves up?


    Yes, use shop air. It works awesome. It can be a bitch to get the fitting in number 8, but it can be done.
    I wasn't thinking....again, and popped the shop hose off #8 with the springs off to use the cutoff really quick.......got lucky and the valve only dropped a 1/4"

  7. #7
    Veteran Hi-Po's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark21742 View Post
    I wasn't thinking....again, and popped the shop hose off #8 with the springs off to use the cutoff really quick.......got lucky and the valve only dropped a 1/4"
    Try blowing the breaker on the wall plug...... THAT YOUR USING for the air compressor! My heart stopped when that compressor shut off. I also got lucky though

  8. #8
    $ 25,000 panty dropper VENOMOUS's Avatar
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    Alot of times god valve guides will not let it fall far, but who wants to chance it? Worn out valve guides and the bitch drops and you feel like you've been

  9. #9
    Member Z28LS1's Avatar
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    all these warnings keep making me nervous lol, but i'll probably try using air compression and TDC method at the same time lol, be extra safe. You unbolted the headers to get to the plugs right? And the sticks you put in the front of the engine to keep the lifters up sounds pretty nice. Thunder has a set for $110. It seems like a lot, but is it worth it? Is the magnet method easy enough or any other?

  10. #10
    Member Z28LS1's Avatar
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    wait, in archive Hi-Po wrote

    "Go to home depot and buy to 5/16 wooden dowel rods and cut them to length you need. Some people are afraid to use a wood product inside thier engine. Your not forcing anything in there. Not like your going to pound these wooden dowels in with a 4 lb hammer. They slide in and slide out very easy and will cost you under 5 bucks. "

    This sound good??

  11. #11
    LSX whore allbaugh_04's Avatar
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    If you can't use an air compressor then do this...

    Top dead center method

    This method requires you to put the piston at the highest position in the bore, so that when you start to compress the spring, the valve can only drop until it hits the piston. When the piston is at top dead center, the valve can't move very far at all.

    There are several ways to accomplish this:
    A) You can place a small stick/rod/straw/something into the spark plug hole and have a buddy turn the crankshaft by putting the stock 24mm crank pulley bolt in and turning the bolt with a wrench. You should be able to feel when the piston comes up to the top.

    B) This method is a bit more elegant. Rotate your motor over by hand until your cam gear and crank gear are dot to dot like you set them up as earlier. At this position, piston 1 and 6 should be at top dead center. You can change the 4 springs on these 2 cylinders now using the instructions below. After you change those 4, then, rotate the crankshaft a full 90 degrees, and the cam gear dot will turn 45 degrees, as if it is pointing to 7:30 if it were a clock. Now piston 8 and 5 are at the top and can be changed. Rotate another 90 degrees on the crank and your cam gear dot will now be at 9 o'clock. Piston 7 and 4 can now have their springs changed. And FINALLY, rotate the crank another 90 degrees and the cam gear dot will be at 10:30. You can now change your remaining four springs on piston 3 and 2.

    Once again, that's 1 & 6, rotate 90, 8 & 5, rotate 90, 7 & 4, rotate 90, 3 & 2.

  12. #12
    Member Z28LS1's Avatar
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    ls1howto.com.. very nice. haha, that's what I am going to refer to when i do this cam sway. Its pretty detailed, should be relatively smooth install

  13. #13
    cutting and welding mark21742's Avatar
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    hugger orange
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    Quote Originally Posted by Z28LS1 View Post
    all these warnings keep making me nervous lol, but i'll probably try using air compression and TDC method at the same time lol, be extra safe. You unbolted the headers to get to the plugs right? And the sticks you put in the front of the engine to keep the lifters up sounds pretty nice. Thunder has a set for $110. It seems like a lot, but is it worth it? Is the magnet method easy enough or any other?
    if you use air it will immediately turn the motor over to bottom dead center.
    the wooden dowels hold the lifers up ( not needed, but great insurance)

  14. #14
    Veteran Hi-Po's Avatar
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    Yes, use the wooden dowels if replacing cam. Simple. Use shop air to hold valves up. There is a ebay dude that sells the hose and fitting for the spark plug for like 10 bucks shipped. Can probably make it yourself a tad cheaper, but thats what I bought.

    Im going to be changing a few valve seals here in the next week or two. Im going to try and make a decent write up for around here. Seems to be alot of questions on this topic.

  15. #15
    Junior Member krazykarl454's Avatar
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    whats the deal with the wood dowels? where do they go n how do they hold up the lifters. swappin cam soon. thanks

  16. #16
    Member stephen02ws6's Avatar
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    red with black stripes
    2002 Trans Am WS6

    Quote Originally Posted by krazykarl454 View Post
    whats the deal with the wood dowels? where do they go n how do they hold up the lifters. swappin cam soon. thanks
    when you get the timing chain off, spin the cam a couple times to knock the lifters up(rockers off of coarse). when you take the plate off that holds the cam in, you will see where the dowels go.

    http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103595
    Last edited by stephen02ws6; 07-21-2009 at 08:47 PM.

  17. #17
    Junior Member krazykarl454's Avatar
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    hmmm.......

  18. #18
    Veteran Hi-Po's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by krazykarl454 View Post
    hmmm.......
    Are you not understanding something? If your not, I gurantee seeing it first hand will answer all your questions. If you still have not grasped the dowel/metal rods concept, you will once you get it apart.

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