Source for valve spring compressor?

[kirkwilson]

I bought my '80 Std this past June and had problems with #1 plug fouling in like 20 miles to the point where it was missing real bad. Compresssion is good. The plug was really sooty. I replaced the carb body and got a hugh improvement but still have an issue with that cylinder- instead of fouling sooty now the plug is turning shiny black and I am using some oil plus I'm getting some exhaust smoke so thanks to advise from y'all ( hey, I'm in Tennessee) it seems like I have either a stuck oil ring on the piston or a bad valve seal. I'm going to go after the valve seals- I've seen several posts about using rope, air, etc to keep the valves in place when you remove the keepers and springs. Does anybody know a source for a spring compressor that will work on a GL1100 head when it's still on the engine? While I have the cam off is there anything besides the seals I should do as a 'while it's apart might as well thing'? Timing belts are new or I'd do them as well. Thanks.

 

[joedrum]

kirk the only thing i know about is it is possible to take the rockers shafts out switch them end for end put on the other side and get to where all the rockers are on fresh metal.....these shafts wear on the underneath side......you have to make sure that oil holes are in the same place as before.....

ive never done this yet but i will on the builds im doing now when i get to it ......thats the only trick i know about ..... :mrgreen:

somewhere in my junk i have a hand spring compresser .......i dont know where one would get one today mines probably 60-70 yrs old......

it could be a valve glide thats the problem on your cylinder ......when you do get the springs off check valve and glide fit ......i think my 82 1100 has this problem it makes noise some of the time but not all the time .....on my bike i think it comes from somone changing a valve from one head to another .......

good luck kirk

 

[dan filipi]

Try Harbor Freight and the local auto parts chains. Some will loan for free.
Otherwise you can make your own with a wrench and a piece of steel channel.
Let's see, I have a picture around here somewhere...........

Found it.

(Of course put the rope in the correct plug hole when setting up a picture)

When I did this I used rope, which worked great but time consuming. Don't ask why I didn't use air because I don't know. I have air, I have the fitting, :swoon:

If you use air make sure the pistons are down at least a few degrees off TDC because when laying on the pressure at the valve spring if the valve were to open, the valve head could bump the piston and bend the valve.

 

[AApple]

I have a couple of these...they work really well. I also use air in the cylinder to hold the valve(s). btw...once you squirt the air in the hole, the piston will automatically find bottom dead center. :good:
You can usually find compressors like this one at just about any decent parts house.

:builder:

 

[kirkwilson]

Should I trust the Harbor Freight version or go the Craftsman (Snap-on, etc) one?

Thanks, Joe, for the rocker tip-

Way back in the day I was on my way to Ocean City NJ from Pittsburgh where I'm from with a buddy of mine and my '69 Camaro started knocking like you wouldn't believe- we pulled into a SERVICE STATION yes they still had them not GAS station- and the mechanic said ' You thru a pooshrod- we said 'What?' he looked at us like we were deaf and said again ' You thru a pooshrod!' We pulled the valve cover off the side that was making noise and the pushrod had worn itself all the way thru the rocker arm- we went to the Chevy dealer, bought a rocker for I think $2, unbolted the bad one, bolted on the new one, and we were on our way to the beach again!

Got there, I got food poisoning at the hot dog stand, throwing up and cr*ping at the same time, then went and opened the roll-away bed (cause I wasn't going to sleep in the bed with Lloyd who was already crashed) and my hand got caught in the bed when it unfolded and I had to scream at Lloyd until he woke up and rescued me. Didn't even get laid on that trip but the Camaro made it home.

Hope my valve seal replacement goes a little bit better....

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

You are probably right on target but I'm going to put this bug in your head. Easy for me to do because you will be the one wrenching while I am sitting here at the computer so take it with a grain of salt...
I know you said the compression is "good" but if the bike is still together, with it's history of running rich and using oil I'd be inclined to run a wet /dry compression test. Check the compression as normal once more, then squirt a small amount of oil in the cylinder and try it again. If the PSI picks up sigificantly that indicates possible ring issues. Here is my concern, if the faulty carb washed the oil off the cyl wall for a fair amount of time, you may have deeper issues.
Call it overkill (paranoid) but depending on the compression test outcome, if you are down that far, I would think about pulling the head. Unbolting the intake runners and the coolant elbow from the head is all thats left. Parts wise, that's the head gasket and 3 o-rings more. That way you could get a look see at what is inside.
Of course with my luck any of those 6 bolts would be the one to snap off... and then find out everything was peachy keen inside and alot of extra work for nothing

Oh and Dan... That is one awesome spring compressor, never thought of one that simple!!!

 

[kirkwilson]

Hoosierdaddy- we think along the same lines-Carb was running real rich- Exhaust pipes was turning blue- (HOT chrome!) what if there was so much gas in the cyl it washed all the oil off the rings? But when i did the dry compression test #2 was highest at 175, #1 (the problem cyl) was second at 170, and #3&4 came in last at 160-165.
So if the compression in the problem cyl is 170 dry, it seems the problem is something else besides the main rings. The two ideas from the the forum (from owners with a lot more experience than me) is either oil ring or valve seals- neither of which problems would show up on a compression test (or so I've been told on the forum).
I can do the valve seals with the heads on the bike- I'm going to try that and if it doesn't work then I guess the engine has to come out- this bike is too nice to go to the scrapyard or be parted out- I'll be looking for a replacement engine.