April 17, 2025
Description
This is something I created out of necessity. I needed to change the valve stem seals on my 2007 Ford Edge with a 3.5l Cyclone V-6 engine. This assembly allowed me to remove the valve springs with the cylinder head still bolted to the motor. I connected compressed air to the sparkplug threaded hole to hold the valves in the closed position, install this tool, compress the valve springs, remove the valve keepers, take the spring compressor assembly out, remove the valve springs and the old valve seals, install new valve seals, reinstall the valve springs and the spring compressor, reinsert keepers and relieve pressure from the valve spring compressor. This has to be repeated 12 times and you will have all the valve seals replaced.
This was printed with 100% infill, and the threads for the compressing bolts are cut directly into the PLA. I installed / removed this with my power rachet and I did not have any issues with threads stripping. The bolts are just standard 8mm metric bolts, getting ones that are fully threaded like in the pictures is a must. The little metal cups are just 5/16 axle caps from lowes or home depot. Here is the exact one I used:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-5-16-in-Zinc-Plated-Axle-Cap-Nuts/3037030?store=1520&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-hdw-_-ggl-_-PMAX_HDW_000_Priority_Item-_-3037030-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqv2_BhC0ARIsAFb5Ac-tkbnHsKWDJ3nxr8t9lChTDPId81MlyxF9xp7BmuNVvt59MAoM4BoaArdoEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
These cups act like a bearing surface for the bolts to spin against and apply pressure. It was also helpful when removing the keepers from the valve stem to put a small neodymium magnet on the end of a pick or a TIG fill rod, this made removing the valve keepers much easier. But please, be very careful with them, if you drop one down into the open cylinder head, its likely gone as it can fall all the way down to the oil pan. I used several rags around the area that I was working in to prevent a dropped keeper from falling into the motor. Insert standard legal disclaimer here stating that I am not responsible for any mistakes you make with this tool on your vehicle, you should have some basic knowledge / experience in automotive repairs before tackling a complicated repair like this. If anything is unclear, feel free to leave a question or ask for clarification, I am trying to get a bunch of these older projects published on here in case they are useful to someone else and I may have missed some details. Thanks
Tools Required:
-8mm metric tap for threading the holes.
-Air Compressor (I used a regulator to apply about 70 psi when first getting the keepers to release then adjusted down to 45 psi to make it easier for my little compressor to keep up).
-Engine Compression Tester (you only need the flexible hose part, you then hook it up to an air regulator using available fittings).
-Thin tool with a magnet to remove the valve keepers (I used a mild steel TIG fill rod with a magnet shrink tubed onto the end).
-A pair of needle nose pliers for removing the old seals.
License:
Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike