Valve dropped
01-04-2023, 10:31 PM
#1
Valve dropped
Hello my Corvette forum ppl hope everyone is having a better day than me lol. So today I was replacing my valve seals and springs was doing a good job one valve dropped. I couldn't use compressed air due to not having a compressor so I was using a wire hook so now Im looking for suggestions without having to pull the heads out. I was thinking of removing the headers and with a magnet fish it back up... Please help me out with solutions thank you
01-04-2023, 10:39 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Do you know which valve came out? Int/Exh? I'm not sure the exhaust port is big enough to get a valve out. You might be able to fish it out of the intake port if you remove the intake...piston is hopefully at the top of the bore. Good luck getting it back in the guide hole though...especially without removing the head. Bad news man...probably far faster to just pull the head.
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FastEddie28 (01-04-2023)
01-04-2023, 11:13 PM
#3
Do you know which valve came out? Int/Exh? I'm not sure the exhaust port is big enough to get a valve out. You might be able to fish it out of the intake port if you remove the intake...piston is hopefully at the top of the bore. Good luck getting it back in the guide hole though...especially without removing the head. Bad news man...probably far faster to just pull the head.
01-05-2023, 06:43 AM
#4
Safety Car
You will need to remove the head. Its really not that bad of a job. But make sure that you do it correctly.
You will need a new head gasket, head bolts. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend getting the ARP head bolt thread chaser/cleaner kit. It has 2 thread chasers for both the large and small head bolts.
And lastly, make sure that the head bolt holes are clean and completely free and dry of oil and coolant. When I have changed heads, I first very, very carefully scrap the head and block surfaces with a sharp untility knife blade held at a very shallow angle. I then vacuum away any dirt, residue. I then use cans of compressed air with the straw on the end pushed all the way down into the bolt holes to blow out debris and liquids (place a paper towel over the opening at the same time so it does not fly everywhere). I then use long cotton swabs in each hole to sop up any liquid. I use a new swab in the hole until it comes out dry (no oil or coolant). Then I run the ARP thread cleaners in each hole very carefully. Blow the holes out again thoroughly. I put long cotton swabs in the holes again mainly to verify that there is no liquids.
That may seem excessive but you want the bolt holes to be super clean. It will ensure proper torque on the bolts and make it easier to torque them. And making sure that there are no liquids in the holes will prevent you from cracking the block.
As for changing valve seals and preventing the valve from falling into the cylinder, I have always used the Top Dead Center method. You basically put the piston at TDC on each cylinder as you change the seals or springs. The piston prevents the valves from falling as the piston is all the way at the top.
Look up on LS1HOWTO.com in either a valve spring or cam change writeup for the TDC method.
You will need a new head gasket, head bolts. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend getting the ARP head bolt thread chaser/cleaner kit. It has 2 thread chasers for both the large and small head bolts.
And lastly, make sure that the head bolt holes are clean and completely free and dry of oil and coolant. When I have changed heads, I first very, very carefully scrap the head and block surfaces with a sharp untility knife blade held at a very shallow angle. I then vacuum away any dirt, residue. I then use cans of compressed air with the straw on the end pushed all the way down into the bolt holes to blow out debris and liquids (place a paper towel over the opening at the same time so it does not fly everywhere). I then use long cotton swabs in each hole to sop up any liquid. I use a new swab in the hole until it comes out dry (no oil or coolant). Then I run the ARP thread cleaners in each hole very carefully. Blow the holes out again thoroughly. I put long cotton swabs in the holes again mainly to verify that there is no liquids.
That may seem excessive but you want the bolt holes to be super clean. It will ensure proper torque on the bolts and make it easier to torque them. And making sure that there are no liquids in the holes will prevent you from cracking the block.
As for changing valve seals and preventing the valve from falling into the cylinder, I have always used the Top Dead Center method. You basically put the piston at TDC on each cylinder as you change the seals or springs. The piston prevents the valves from falling as the piston is all the way at the top.
Look up on LS1HOWTO.com in either a valve spring or cam change writeup for the TDC method.
01-05-2023, 10:28 AM
#5
Burning Brakes
When i didn't have compressed air i just vacuum tubing on thru the spark plug hole and turned the engine over til the engine won't turn anymore. No chance of the valve dropping ever. Dou do need to make sure you remove both rockers so that the tubing doesn't get caught between the valve and the valve seat.
01-05-2023, 11:07 AM
#6
Instructor
When i didn't have compressed air i just vacuum tubing on thru the spark plug hole and turned the engine over til the engine won't turn anymore. No chance of the valve dropping ever. Dou do need to make sure you remove both rockers so that the tubing doesn't get caught between the valve and the valve seat.
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01-05-2023, 11:28 PM
#7
Drifting
Member Since: Jul 2003
Location: West of Burlington, Ontario Canada
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Hello my Corvette forum ppl hope everyone is having a better day than me lol. So today I was replacing my valve seals and springs was doing a good job one valve dropped. I couldn't use compressed air due to not having a compressor so I was using a wire hook so now Im looking for suggestions without having to pull the heads out. I was thinking of removing the headers and with a magnet fish it back up... Please help me out with solutions thank you
With Ogre39I hope you can fish it out but in future if you don't have a compressor use a piece of sash cord (cotton rope) or nylon rope. Pull the plugs and feed the rope into the plug hole (a foot or so) then manually bar the motor over untill the rope is compressed. Never drop a valve this way. I have a compressor and still do it this way. Even with a compressor if you hit the valve while compressing the spring to reinstall the locks it will still drop a valve.
Last edited by GMJim; 01-05-2023 at 11:37 PM.
01-14-2023, 11:28 PM
#8
Racer
01-15-2023, 06:15 PM
#9
This has to be frustrating as hell.
Depending on where the piston is situated in the bore, its possible to remove the spark plug and pull the valve back up into the head. Here again if the piston was at TDC it should be fairly easy, but if the valve dropped completely out of the guide then you could try to fish it up thru the guide, but I think you need to have the hands of a surgeon. I thought of a magnet, but I think the valves are stainless steel. A previous poster suggested removing the intake which would give you a better shot at retrieving it. Good Luck and just take you time!
Depending on where the piston is situated in the bore, its possible to remove the spark plug and pull the valve back up into the head. Here again if the piston was at TDC it should be fairly easy, but if the valve dropped completely out of the guide then you could try to fish it up thru the guide, but I think you need to have the hands of a surgeon. I thought of a magnet, but I think the valves are stainless steel. A previous poster suggested removing the intake which would give you a better shot at retrieving it. Good Luck and just take you time!