.... I am a bit cross/sad/disheartened. Harumph!
I thought that today would be a very good day to change the valve stem oil seals on the Mini, but It isn't. :(
Rocker pedestal off, plugs out, pick a cylinder at the bottom of its stroke, fill the cylinder with soft nylon rope, wind the piston back up to crush the rope against the valves and Top-down valve spring compressor deployed but NOPE. It don't fit it is far too big and the head casting gets in the way of the legs that are meant to be inserted into the lower coil(s) of the spring.
No matter what you do all you get is the spring pulled up and the top half of the spring compressed, and you cannot free the collets.
OK, try another tack spread the legs of the compressor across the 2 adjacent valves to the one you want to compress.
Progress? ...just about got the collets out, but the magnet wants to stick to the tool, the spring cap, but not the collets.
Managed to get them out and remove the spring.
Off with the old seal, on with the new one. :)
Try reassembly....... Just NO!
I cannot get the spring to compress enough to insert the collets because.... the valve drops by about 1/16th of an inch each time the spring is compressed and the collet grooves are now not all accessible. :mad:
Very frustrating, so I have come indoors for a cup of coffee and a sulk.
There must be another way to do this without taking the head off or losing your sanity. :eek:

I have just watched this bloke do exactly what I am trying to do, and he has had no real problems (maybe he did all his swearing off camera? ;)

I shall have another go when I have calmed down a bit. :D
 
Last edited:
They’ve got a special place for Freelanders here

IMG_0050.jpeg
 
6pot said:
Serious question, what do you mean by the way tastes are changing? Are people just getting less adventurous, or more adventurous, or being convinced of some nonsense by an "influencer" etc? I've read similar things about tea & coffee you wonder whats the matter with people.
Click to expand...
Yep, that sort of thing.
The vigneronne we talked to who has a daughter in ther 20s who she hoped would take the business on, even as a kid was sksing where her 5 a day were coming from. She don't drink alcohol at all.
Peeps are drinking less red wine as for many the tannins in it take a bit of getting used to. They want to drink easier to drink stuff so therefore sweeter stuff, or at least not so dry. So white wines, rosé wines. And poop with bubbles in it. Appreciating good wine takes time and effort. Which we feel is seriously worthwhile, but modern peeps want instant gratification.
So yep, peeps are less adventurous, more willing to listen to idiots who tell them what to drink and that decent alcoholic drinks are bad for them.
No young person ever listened to an older person.
"plus ca change" as the Frogs would say!!
 
DanClarke said:
.... I am a bit cross/sad/disheartened. Harumph!
I thought that today would be a very good day to change the valve stem oil seals on the Mini, but It isn't. :(
Rocker pedestal off, plugs out, pick a cylinder at the bottom of its stroke, fill the cylinder with soft nylon rope, wind the piston back up to crush the rope against the valves and Top-down valve spring compressor deployed but NOPE. It don't fit it is far too big and the head casting gets in the way of the legs that are meant to be inserted into the lower coil(s) of the spring.
No matter what you do all you get is the spring pulled up and the top half of the spring compressed, and you cannot free the collets.
OK, try another tack spread the legs of the compressor across the 2 adjacent valves to the one you want to compress.
Progress? ...just about got the collets out, but the magnet wants to stick to the tool, the spring cap, but not the collets.
Managed to get them out and remove the spring.
Off with the old seal, on with the new one. :)
Try reassembly....... Just NO!
I cannot get the spring to compress enough to insert the collets because.... the valve drops by about 1/16th of an inch each time the spring is compressed and the collet grooves are now not all accessible. :mad:
Very frustrating, so I have come indoors for a cup of coffee and a sulk.
There must be another way to do this without taking the head off or losing your sanity. :eek:

I have just watched this bloke do exactly what I am trying to do, and he has had no real problems (maybe he did all his swearing off camera? ;)

I shall have another go when I have calmed down a bit. :D
Click to expand...
Don't take the piston to the bottom of its stroke, no need, just take it up to nearly the top and ram the rope in, then turn it.
TBH I never used the rope just the tool, maybe mine is bettern yourn. Dunno. You need to give the end of the valve a smart tap with a hammer to free the collets. And once reassembled and the spring compressor removed again a smart tap to be sure the collets are properly setlled in their grooves. In both cases keep a bit of cloth around them to catch any collets that go flying.
I did warn you it is fiddly. Forget magnets, just flick them out then put em back in with a blob of grease on the end of a screwdriver.
I note your compressor has a lever. I have one like it for doing the job with a head in the way. The lever is nowhere near long enough so I always have to use an extension to get the springs to compress properly.
Hope you get to the end of this!;):)
 
Last edited:
Stanleysteamer said:
Don't take the piston to the bottom of its stroke, no need, just take it up to nearly the top and ram the rope in, then turn it.
TBH I never used the rope just the tool, maybe mine is bettern yourn. Dunno. You need to give the end of the valve a smart tap with a hammer to free the collets. And once reassembled and the spring compressor removed again a smart tap to be sure the collets are properly setlled in their grooves. In both cases keep a bit of cloth around them to catch any collets that go flying.
I did warn you it is fiddly. Forget magnets, just flick them out then put em back in with a blob of grease on the end of a screwdriver.
I note your compressor has a lever. I have one like it for doing the job with a head in the way. The lever is nowhere near long enough so I always have to use an extension to get the springs to compress properly.
Hope you get to the end of this!;):)
Click to expand...
Well, I finally prevailed. :)
The issue seems to be that the outside legs of the spring compressor need to be enough coils down the spring to compress a decent amount of the spring and then you lean on the whole thing to compress the remaining coils. This just does not work because the feet of the outside legs that the compressor pushes against then prevent the remaining spring coils from compressing as they jam in the coils and/or they hit the casting so the spring can compress no further down.
So I cheated and put the outside legs on the valve springs either side of the target valve and it all worked ok. I can repeat this for all valves except the outside two of course.

I made a bit of schoolboy-error (yeah, that's me all over) in that I failed to drain the coolant, and as some of the head-bolts are used to hold the rocker pedestal bits I seem to have shipped some coolant into the cylinders (my rope was wet when I pulled it out). :(
Whether this will be really detrimental or not I don't know, but I will spin it over for quite a while without ignition coil on. I doubt it is hydro-locked. :)
 
Stanleysteamer said:
Don't take the piston to the bottom of its stroke, no need, just take it up to nearly the top and ram the rope in, then turn it.
TBH I never used the rope just the tool, maybe mine is bettern yourn. Dunno. You need to give the end of the valve a smart tap with a hammer to free the collets. And once reassembled and the spring compressor removed again a smart tap to be sure the collets are properly setlled in their grooves. In both cases keep a bit of cloth around them to catch any collets that go flying.
I did warn you it is fiddly. Forget magnets, just flick them out then put em back in with a blob of grease on the end of a screwdriver.
I note your compressor has a lever. I have one like it for doing the job with a head in the way. The lever is nowhere near long enough so I always have to use an extension to get the springs to compress properly.
Hope you get to the end of this!;):)
Click to expand...

Ive never used a magnet either they are a pita, tiny bit of grease as you said.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Over heating issues.
Replies
0
Views
181
rob588cliff
R
Bife
Freelander 1 2001 (Td4) Tape player radio aux in
Replies
2
Views
314
Bife
Bife
V8Eddie
RR Vogue SE A 1990 3.9 Petrol. Do I sell or do I do her up?
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
Mark Piercy
Mark Piercy
2008Freelander
New member New Zealand 2008 Freelander next to my 1982 G-Wagon LWB
Replies
6
Views
671
2008Freelander
2008Freelander
H
Defender battery - what I fitted
Replies
8
Views
3K
johnlad
johnlad