MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Valve spring compressor tool

I have a friend with a TF that thinks the valve seals are bad or missing because of the smoke from the exhaust. The compression tests are fine. He doesn't want to remove the head. The job is not difficult with the proper spring compressor tool. What is the best way to remove the springs so he/we can get at the collets and then the seals. The usual tools don't have teeth long enough to reach the inner spring nor do they allow the springs to be removed from the tool to check height etc.

Mark
Mark Strang

I posted a pic and drawing of a compressor, it is in archive as "Fitting valve oil seals"

I have used it many times on friends cars.
When you lift the valve cover, any valve with no oil on the top has a damaged, missing or wrongly fitted seal.
The seals must be fitted as per WSM with the seal fitted AFTER the spring is compressed. It is then trapped in the collet groove by the collet.

There are another posts "valve oil seals", the last one has a tip for fitting the seals.

Ray TF2884
Ray Lee

Mark
That should be "valve stem oil seals"
Ray
Ray Lee

Ray,
I'll take a look.

Thanks,

Mark
Mark Strang

A couple of tricks may work.

The rope trick. Feed a soft rope into the spark plug hole with the piston on the up stroke but not at the top. With the rope in the piston. Raise the piston to the top. It will put pressure on the valves that will allow you to push the valve spring down to release the keepers.

The other is to use a hose from your compression tester. Screw it in and put an air hose to the other end. Apply enough air pressure to keep the valves up.
Bruce Cunha

Well, the problem is not the rope trick. It is how to grasp both springs, inner and outer, remove the spring assembly, and then to remove the springs from the compressor tool after removal from the valve. In other words, I might want to replace the springs and need to remove the springs not only from the head but also from the removal tool. The tools that are available locally only are capable of removing the outer spring.
Mark Strang

I replaced some seals on a Rover V-8 a while back that had double springs and I had no desire to remove the heads. The spring compressors available clearly wouldn't work so I made up something at home that would. I used the compressed air to hold the valves closed and it all worked quite well.




L E D LaVerne

On the Rover I removed the rocker shaft assembly and replaced the bolt with a stud and then used a piece of 3/8" plate I had laying around. I opened up a hole that was in the plate a bit to get better access to the collets and then when I would tighten down the piece to compress the springs I placed a small spacer on the opposite side to keep it flat. I was able to do both intake and exhaust on each position before moving to the next cylinder. The pictures here were on a spare I had and tested while on the bench before hand.

I suspect something could be made to do an XPAG head as well.





L E D LaVerne

This thread was discussed between 08/11/2022 and 09/11/2022

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now