valve seals

[rocnrol]

Anyone here ever change their valve seals with the heads still on the engine? I would like to do the ones on my front cylinder, and just wondering if there is a tool for doing this, or if someone had a method. Bike is a 2010 VN2000

[Snake Ranch]

Anyone here ever change their valve seals with the heads still on the engine? I would like to do the ones on my front cylinder, and just wondering if there is a tool for doing this, or if someone had a method. Bike is a 2010 VN2000

There is way you might approach this. Pull the spark plug on the cylinder you want to do, and roll the engine around till you get the piston on top dead center and both valves closed. You can use a long screw driver to give you a quick indication when the piston is at the top of its travel, DON'T use the starter to do this. Things move to fast to react and you can damage THINGS. Move the piston up slowly. I don't know how much piston to valve clearance you will have but this should prevent the valves from dropping into the cylinder when you remove the valve keepers and springs.

Another try is to take an old spark plug and brake the ceramic out of the center, which is pretty tough, then braze a small air fitting on the end. Put it in the spark plug hole in the head. Get a small air regulator and put about 5 pounds of air pressure in the cylinder. Keep in mind that the engine may want to spin over when the air pressure is applied. So you need to prevent the engine from turning over, like putting the skoot in gear, but then you need to prevent the skoot from moving...... or you could have a really bad day when it lurches forward.

So be safe.

If all that fails. pull the heads. Good luck.:tup:

[Cueball]

We always pulled the plug use a really soft nylon rope fed into the cylider (make sure to keep some out) then turn the engine by hand until it comes up tight against the valves .

[ponch]

There is way you might approach this. Pull the spark plug on the cylinder you want to do, and roll the engine around till you get the piston on top dead center and both valves closed. You can use a long screw driver to give you a quick indication when the piston is at the top of its travel, DON'T use the starter to do this. Things move to fast to react and you can damage THINGS. Move the piston up slowly. I don't know how much piston to valve clearance you will have but this should prevent the valves from dropping into the cylinder when you remove the valve keepers and springs.

Another try is to take an old spark plug and brake the ceramic out of the center, which is pretty tough, then braze a small air fitting on the end. Put it in the spark plug hole in the head. Get a small air regulator and put about 5 pounds of air pressure in the cylinder. Keep in mind that the engine may want to spin over when the air pressure is applied. So you need to prevent the engine from turning over, like putting the skoot in gear, but then you need to prevent the skoot from moving...... or you could have a really bad day when it lurches forward.

So be safe.



If all that fails. pull the heads. Good luck.:tup:

Some compression testers have an air chuck on them so you can connect an air chuck from a compressor hose.