Valve Spring Compressor - How does it work?

[Ken Christopherson]

A guy at work gave me this tool, said it was a valve spring compressor. I'm just trying to determine how it is supposed to work. When you turn the knob, it expands the jaws on the tool. Is this to be used on flathead motors? I just can't figure out how it would be used on a valve-in-head motor. Seems to me that it would spread the spring apart or put pressure on the keepers. Is it not a valve spring compressor at all?

Just thought I would post on here to try to figure it out.

 

[Mike M]

Yep for flat head engines.

I have one just like it.

 

[Russ from MN]

I can see how it would work on a flat head, with a little modification it should work on oh valves. If you turn the handle the other way don't the jaws come together?

 

[Massey farmer]

It is, but for small engines.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Yep, flathead valve spring compressor. Spent many frustrating hours with one of those!

Used to work at a marina back in the 70's-80's. Lot of flat head 6's in the old wood boats. Try using that tool laying face down with your head hanging in a dark, hot, stinky bilge. Get the keepers off and back on without dropping too many in the engine or anywhere else, never to be seen again!

Oh for the good ol' days! LOL

 

[Dick L]

This might give you a better idea of how you would use it.

 

[Southern Ray]

I made my own.
Had to reset the valves on my mower and did not have the tool.
A little clumsy but it worked.

 

[Billy Shafer]

That is for a flat head motor

 

[Steve@Advance]

No, they only work one way. Need a "C clamp" style for overhead valves.

 

[Michael Soldan]

That is a rare tool you have and it is for Chev/GMC flatheads. Ford had a long valve wrench that resembled a crow bar with flattened knotched ends to hold the valve tension off as you removed the keeepers. I came across one like yours years ago and had it in some stuff I was selling at an automotive flea market,a couple of guys grabbed it up quick and didn't argue about the price either..hard to find and you can't buy one in a store!

 

[T.R.K.]

I used one about like yours when working on the valves in my Farmall Cub a few weeks ago. The upper part (where the wire is on yours) went on the spring. There should also be a thumbscrew in that hole where the wire is to keep the upper jaws from spreading apart and allowing the valve spring to snap down between them. The wire probably was to make it work "somehow" after the thumb screw went missing.
The lower jaws rested on each side of the tappet on the bottom of the tappet galley in the block. Then you just crank the handle, the upper jaw raises and compresses the valve spring, giving access to the valve keepers.

 

[Ken Christopherson]

Thanks for clarifying everyone! That is what I initially thought and suggested to him, but then my mind started working too hard thinking about it, and it had been so long since I saw inside a flathead engine, that I began to second guess myself. He originally let me have it to remove the springs off of my JD A head, but after looking at it with him I told him that it was neat, but wasn't going to work for what I needed it for.

Thanks for the clarification, fellas!

 

[nebken]

It's for flat head engines. It's not a small engine compressor. Small engine compressors are much smaller.

I have one for large engines. And a small one for air cooled engines. You can also remove and install valve springs on air cooled engines with just a flat screwdriver. No tool required.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I have a cheapy version from JC Whitney. I will work (more or less) on any engine where you have room to get it in. Just wedge one fork into the coils of the spring. It doesn't compress the straight but gets it done.

 

[gab]

It's for a flat head engine, I had 2 of them that came in a box of auction junk. I never used one but I watched one go for over 100 bucks on E Bay a couple years ago. It was a blue point so I had to go find mine, only found one of them, Wilde K.C. Mo., didn't know they were worth anything.

 

[missouri massey man]

Just a little newer version of the same basic tool...Still it is 25 or 30 years old or so. IIRC this one is an OTC from NAPA...