Valve Spring Tutorial

[Eugene]

With all the talk on valve springs latley, and given I just finished a set tonight, whilst still fresh in my head, I thought I would post up a short tutorial on how to do it.

you need a pretty decent tool kit to start with, I am an X snap-on dealer, so its snap-on all the way, about 20Ks worth last count.

an air compressor, sparkplug hole adaptor to hook the compressor to, and a valve srping depressing tool, I use the Atomic, it is basic and works.

you also need a big heart, a strong back and alot of beer.(for the end).

The following is a step by step on doing valve springs in your T, it isn’t a definitive be all and end all, but a bit of a heads up to those who, like me, felt the need to add some gray hair, get a nice ache in the lower back, and install some springs.

It is also based on using the Atomic valve spring removal/install tool. I have not used any others so don’t ask.

I will try and include all tooling you will need, but I am using my memory so don’t cry if I get it wrong.

1: try and do it on a cold or cool car, so much easier than leaning over a hot engine for 4 hours. Disconnect battery, Negative only.

2:remove cross over, air box lid, intercooler pipe from alloy under battery to cross over and air intake to turbo, this gives you a lot more room to move and only take about 2 mins to do,

Required tools: Long blade screwdriver, 10mm spanner or socket and ratchet.

3: remove throttle body/butterfly, you need a 5mm 3/8 drive Allen key, uni joint, 6” ext and ratchet, remove the large electrical plug only, it comes off easiest and allows the throttle body to hang out of the way.

4: remove the black plastic bit from the rocker cover, (5 mm Allen key, rear bolt is a b**ch)

Remove the 6 coil packs, a little twist and lift will do the trick, now unplug the cam shaft phasers harness, and set aside over the intake manifold.

5: remove the 4 bolts, 7 mm head, which hold in the oil seals for the cam phasers, the seals slid out, but are a bit tight, go easy and you wont destroy them, make sure the thin brass ring is removed too and put back on the seals before you reinstall them.

6: remove the 8 rocker cover bolt, you need a torx key, I cant remember the size, for the front two, one all the bolts are out, slide the rocker cover backwards about 30mm, you will have to remove the vacuum hose to the brake booster first to get room, then lift the front first, then back and remove the cover, set aside and cover with glad wrap to keep the dirt and dust out.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN (in a Juan Antonio Samaranch voice), what your now looking at is a marvel of modern wonder, 24 valves, two cams, roller followers, variable cam timing phasers, and a whole world of hurt if you Phuck this up.

7: loosen all of the spark plugs but leave them sitting in the hole, it help keep the crap out, and makes winding the engine over a lot easier.

Now wind the engine over until the harmonic balance timing mark is aligned with the timing mark on the front of the cam chain/timing housing cover, if your luck, you will also see two dots on the cam sprockets pointing up, aligned with the large alloy block on the cam phaser, if you don’t wind the engine over another 360 deg, then cams will go 180 deg, and now the marks should all line up.

8: mark the links directly above the dots on the cam phaser/sprockets. There should be 8 links including the ones marked, now mark the ones that half way align with the top of the cylinder head on each side, I think it was also 8 links, then mark the crank and timing case, this gives you three reference points to time the engine when it is all going back together.

9: hold the front of the cam phasers or buy the ford tool which locks the cams together, undo the two female torx head bolt holding the sprockets/phasers on to the cams, don’t remove the sprockets at this point, just shove as much CLEAN rag in big bits, around the cam chain and sprockets as you can, this will help hold the chain tight on the crank and retain the correct timing for you.

10: begin to remove the 48 10 mm headed bolts that hold the cam tunnel / retainer top half on, they must be done in sequence or you will bend a cam/ break a cage, the bolts follow a pretty basic number sequence, exh side front is one, next to it is two, next pair back is 3 and 4 and so on until you reach the intake and it starts again at 25.

Undo each bolt on 2 turn max at a time, in order, until there is no tension on them from the cams.

There will be cam lobes pushing on follows, that’s where the load comes from, take your time. The cams are different, mark them exh and intake, also mark the cradles,

I used a 1-2-3-4 method, 1 being drivers front, 2 drivers rear, three passenger front 4 passenger rear, also note front to rear on the back two, I think they can be installed ass about.

11: now, remove the cams, one at a time from the sprockets, lay them in the tappet cover, and cover them with Glad wrap too, remove the cam followers, they slide straight up, and then need to be turned 90 degree away from the lower cam tunnel to be remover, keep them in order, I use a box with 24 holes and use the same number pattern, exhaust side front ands 1 back to intake side No 6 as 24.

12: now you should be looking at your valve springs, reinstall all but number 1 spark plug, remove number one and install your airline filling which matches the spark plug thread, slide the Atomic tool over the air hose, bolt it down with the 4 bolts supplied, turn on air gently, DON’T EXCEED 800 KPA or engine will turn over.

That should take about 40 mins.

13: follow the directions on the valve spring tool as supplied and change all 24 without dropping one into the cylinder, or dropping a collets down the oil return gallery (plug them with clean rag, they are on the intake side on the head, there are 7 of them I think).

Now reinstall all that you just pulled off, take care installing the cams, there are 5 holes on the sprocket, one is bigger than the others, this is the one the roll pin on the front of the cam goes in, you will also have to release the tension from the cam chain tensioner before you can reinstall the sprockets, see ford Service manual, around page 460-465 for tool part number and use instructions.

Tension the cam cradles down in the same order as you removed them bolts, two turn at a time, be careful the thrust area of the cam doesn’t damage the alloy carrier.

The rest is pretty straight forward, check the timing marks all line up, 8 links between dots etc, and crank still on TDC no 1.

Now sit back, have a beer, and marvel that is the joy of doing valve springs in an XR6 turbo.

Makes the guy who does it for $400. Seem cheap doesn’t it.

Feel free to PM or post questions, I will try and answer them as best I can.

[saleen]

Good Info Big Chris. Well Done.

[Eugene]

Good Info Big Chris. Well Done.

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You didnt read all that you liar, go back, read all 21 paragraphs then post another reply, gees, some guys.

look at the time, no way you read it all.

[SAMSXR6T]

well done eugene and muzza, job well done..

[saleen]

Good Info Big Chris. Well Done.

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You didnt read all that you liar, go back, read all 21 paragraphs then post another reply, gees, some guys.

look at the time, no way you read it all.

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you're right. I've had too many bourbons. But I did read some. I've got the bonnet up, now what do I do again?

[SAMSXR6T]

Hi Eugene it might sound like an echo but did you have to get the car re-tuned... And you and Muzza must have been satisfied once you have completed the job...

[twr7cx]

nice thread.

camera broken but? ;-)

[loopism]

C'mon ... need those pics

[SAMSXR6T]

The poor bloke has just replaced the valve springs in his car and put all back together again and now you want him to reverse the process so he can post a couple of pictures.. that's got to hurt.

[Adam]

Here's a few pics of what it all looks like under there...