Valve keeper removal tool with head on engine

[ddlaz]

Hey all. Just got done changing the valve stem seals on my GS650e. The engine would smoke at startup and burn a bit of oil from everyday riding.
Compression numbers were good and consistent, no increase with oil poured in. The symptoms led me to believe it was the valve stem seals.

I didn't want to disturb more than I had to so I just partially followed some information online about valvetrain servicing with the engine in the car or cylinder head on the block. The most difficult part about this job was getting the valve keepers out and back in. I bought a lisle 36050 tool to remove/install the valve keepers but it was too big to fit on cylinders 2 and 3 while on the frame. It worked great on cylinders 1 and 4. Had to make a tool for the inner cylinders. Attached is a picture of the tool.

Picture is a bit dark but use your imagination here.
On the left side of the pic, you'll see I welded some short pieces of tubing to the top of 6mm bolts. These go into the valve cover mounting holes on both ends of the cylinder head.
I used a 5/16 sst bar I had laying around to be the hinge. The bar has a 3/8" nut welded to it, about 1/3 the length of rod -- this makes it so you can screw in the mounting bolts individually then slip in the bar.
For the piece that pushes down on the valve retainer, I used a scrap piece of 1" square tubing with a window cut out.
A 3/8"x4" bolt is screwed into the nut on the 5/16" bar. In order to push the square tubing whilst being able to keep the tubing from spinning, I sandwiched a washer between two nuts.

Once you have all the parts in place, you simply tighten the 3/8"x4" bolt and it'll push the valve springs down enough to get at the keepers.

You'll have to experiment with mounting bolt depths to get the right angle.



Hope this sparks ideas on doing this job without removing the cylinder head.

 

[Guest]

cool stuff. The rope worked fine to keep the valves in place?

 

[ddlaz]

cool stuff. The rope worked fine to keep the valves in place?

Yes. Took a bit of practice and trial and error to get it right. Some ropes were too compressible so I'd have to squeeze it to almost TDC before I got all the slack out, some ropes didn't coil enough to block both valves. I ended up with a boat docking rope... The kind that floats.

 

[RGM]

Nice. My GS1000L is smoking on startup too. How many hours did it take to do the job.

 

[joe79]

interesting tool. Thanks. That's set my brain thinking

 

[ddlaz]

Nice. My GS1000L is smoking on startup too. How many hours did it take to do the job.

Being my first time with a bike engine valve train, probably 10 hours total including parts removal and making of 4 different tools.
If anyone wants to borrow the tool, just pay shipping both ways and it's yours.
Once I got the right tool made, it'd probably take 2 hours to get the valve stem seals replaced.

 

[BigD_83]

If anyone wants to borrow the tool, just pay shipping both ways and it's yours.

How much would you charge to build the tool for someone? What is your location?

 

[ddlaz]

How much would you charge to build the tool for someone? What is your location?

I'm not really looking to make any money, and I don't want to make any for sale either lol. I wouldn't mind making a few with the leftover scraps I have. Probably charge a few bucks for the time and material. But it wouldn't be quick by any means.
And I'm in Minneapolis MN.
I can draw up the tool with more specifics if anyone would like.

 

[tkent02]

I can draw up the tool with more specifics if anyone would like.

That would be helpful.

 

[Agemax]

here is the tool i made for replacing valve guide seals with head in place. takes 2 hours to do the lot.....

 

[tkent02]

Care to make a video of how to do it?

 

[BigD_83]

Machining would be preferable to welding for me, as I don't have easy access to a welder, but specs and drawings from both would be fantastic, if you are willing to share

 

[ddlaz]

here is the tool i made for replacing valve guide seals with head in place. takes 2 hours to do the lot.....
View attachment 41267

Looks nice. I don't have bars of aluminum sitting around. Where was your post when I was looking for solutions?

 

[ddlaz]

Machining would be preferable to welding for me, as I don't have easy access to a welder, but specs and drawings from both would be fantastic, if you are willing to share

If you can find them, eye bolts with a 6mm thread would not require welding. Then a flat bar with a threaded hole for the "pushing" bolt would work.

 

[Agemax]

Care to make a video of how to do it?

not really, considering i have recently done them. i dont plan on doing them again for a long time yet!

 

[Agemax]

another pic from a different angle. i didnt take to many pics while i was doing it as i was in a rush. it makes it very easy. made the spring compressor adaptor from delrin.

 

[Guest]

Ok this all too cool, I've definately got to remember this thread this winter.

 

[BigD_83]

apologies to the OP as the thread has moved away from the original topic.

So Adrian, your aluminum block is secured by only the two bolts where the cam towers would normally mount, or are there a couple more on the other side?

What's the single big cap bolt on the sloped surface doing?

Do you have the bar slotted to allow for some adjustability?

 

[Agemax]

The block is held down by 4 bolts, it fits in place of the camshaft "tower". the big cap head bolt is the spring compressor. the bar is not slotted, it is drilled and tapped to line up exactly with the valve. BigD-83 i can PM you some more detailed pics and dimension drawings if you are that interested.

 

[joe79]

The block is held down by 4 bolts, it fits in place of the camshaft "tower". the big cap head bolt is the spring compressor. the bar is not slotted, it is drilled and tapped to line up exactly with the valve. BigD-83 i can PM you some more detailed pics and dimension drawings if you are that interested.

Can you include me in that pm?