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Help Changing Valve Springs

J

JHB

Member
I'm trying to get my TTA in tip top shape before cruising season, and I have decided it is time to change the valve springs (77,000 miles). I have a few questions about this process. What tool do you guys use? Where can I acquire one? Do you make one yourself? If so, where can I acquire another rocker arm to make said tool?

I have just changed the valve springs on my Grand National. So, I know how to do it. I just don't know how to do it with the different rocker arms on the TTA.

Thanks,
JHB
 
They're an individual stud and rocker arm, much like a SBC,so any over the parts counter rental tool should work.

You're gonna air up the cylinder and use the tool in place of the rocker arm.
Whereas the GN head has shaft mounted rockers.


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Changing the springs due to age and milage. Old spring are probably fatigued, so new spring will bring the valve pressure back to new specs. I will be running ZDDP in the oil.
 
Believe me, I don't want to do anything unnecessary, I have owned, raced and worked on turbo buicks and this TTA since they came out. From the information I have read on forums changing the valve springs is a good thing. I only mention ZDDP because EPA has taken most of the zinc out of our motor oils and the car has a flat tappet cam which will have increased spring pressure.
 
fast400 said:
JHB,
Your valve springs don't loose tons of tension. There is no reason to change them at 70,000 miles. The ZDDP is only good for the cam...no other benefit to your springs, or anything else. Unless you plan on sitting at super high RPM for extended periods, you'll have no benefit in changing the springs.
Is the car not running right?
Click to expand...

This might be the most incorrect post in the history of the forum.

I stand by it too.

:thumbup:
 
Even when new, the valve springs can lose 5-7% of thier spring rate and they don't all regress at the same rate. And this can happen within a handful of heat cycles or relatively low mileage.

His springs have been under tension since 1989 alledgedly AND have seen 70K miles.

If he's willing to change them then why not? They're cheap too!

ZDDP will also help any high scrub surface besides the cam lobes, like the foot of the lifter to cam lobe, pushrod to lifter plunger,rocker arm to pushrod. Areas that don't have an installed clearance where there is a hydrodynamic wedge of oil.

Outside of *maybe* shortening the life of a catalytic convertor to 100K miles, there is NO reason not to run ZDDP.


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If you would have thoroughly read my first post, then you would have seen that I just changed the springs on my Grand National. I know how to change valve springs without dropping the valve into the cylinder. It is offensive that you would automatically assume my ignorance or speculate to my incompetence. My questions were not about whether or not to change valve springs, but rather what is the proper tool to use because the rocker arms are not the same as a Grand National. My comment about ZDDP was to wave any concerns about increased spring pressure wiping a lobe on my cam, which is decreased when ZDDP is used. I am doing spring cleaning on the car, and I already have the valve covers off from where I had them powder coated. So, work was not the issue, but rather what is the proper tool, and where do I acquire it, which has already been answered.

Thanks,
JHB
 
Perhaps, offended was not the proper adjective. I was searching for an answer to that question, and thought I had laid enough foundation to ensure I would receive the answer and not more inquires. I find this forum very informative, and appreciate all the help I have received from its members. I look forward to establishing fruitful connections with everyone, and receiving answers to my inquiries from the vast foray of knowledge which the members of this forum have obtained.
 
This is what I dislike about internet forums,e-mails and texting....written word can be hard to interpret as you don't know what the reader or poster's current state of mind is.

Sure we can use smilies to deflect the wrong intention but there's nothing like a face to face conversation or phone call.

oh well....



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