hye i have a998 head or 850 i think, how do you remove the valves, when there in the head with the springs still attached to them,
currently stripping the head for it to go to the machine shop

is there a special tool that alows me to remove them without the spring going through the roof of my garage ?

if so does anyone know where i can get one or is someone selling ?
cheers steve

U need a valve spring compressor. Mine's a `Meco'. Good ones are ~$50 or so. Cheapo ones are cheaper.
Try Repco, Supercrap, AutoPro, etc.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Doc...if you are sending a head to be machined (say) and you are not going to reseat the valves (lets just say they are fine)....

how important is it to put the valves back in the same place

Common sense would say put them back in the positions that they came from...but is it that critical

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"Show me the Mini!"

It's easy to get em back into the right spot anyways.

Get a block of wood, drill 8 holes, number each hole from 1 to 8, put the first piston in the number 1 hole and so on. Easy as that!

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I would at least wire brush the crud off, and lap them back in with some coarse paste..
As said, a block of wood with 8 numbered holes in is fine. Or number the valve heads with a marker pen.
If you are getting the valves and seats refaced, it really doesn't matter how they go back- but I always give them a quick lap with paste, just to ensure the machinist didn't f*** 'em up.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

vavle spring compressor eh ?
ok then thanks

oh b4 i forget is your "meco" one good ?

Yeah it's about 25 years old and still working...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

DR. yours is like this yes ?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... %3AIT&rd=1

That's it.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

The supercrap ones are good enough for your needs - i bought one 10 years ago and is still not bent. But the Meco looks the good(and the price is right too...lol)

Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

Every time I have played with valves....I have always kept track of where they went...even back in 1965 on my first Mini where I used a cardboard box with holes in it for the valve numbers.

OK ...didn't make myself clear....you have yourself a reasonable new multi angled valve seat set-up that has been done by an engine reconditioner say a year or two ago....

apart from carefully removing any carbon build up....I would have thought you use a very fine paste if anything so that you didn't stuff up all the nice machining work on the valves and seats....

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"Show me the Mini!"

ok ive heard this a couple of times... what do you mean when you refer to seating ? if possible add some pics cos i dont know what part your talking about
is it when you bring the piston closer to the head ? or is that something else/ me talking rubbish
lol
cheers steve

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Hmmmmm..... Jennifer Garner

Nah...just talking about the head of the valves and how they seat into the head...these days they grind about three angles on the seat and the valve to really control the heat and gas flow....precise stuff....so if you come along with your grinding paste and suction stick and start twirling away (IMHO) you may be destroying all the good work done by the machinists.

Just google on valve seats and angle say..plenty of stuff to read....

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"Show me the Mini!"