I have done valvetrain work about a dozen different times at this point and I have not needed to remove the heads. Here is how I do it. You can actually buy a tool like this on ebay for around $100 bucks and it looks pretty fancy but me being a broke-ass, I made my own KL-specific tool.
These are the parts to the tool I made. It will make sense later.
The raw materials consisted of a short length of square steel tubing (about a foot), 2 L-brackets, one thick steel rod, a fender washer, a 1/2 inch drive deep well socket, and a short 1/2 inch extension.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0268.jpg
I took the socket and cut the large "windows" out of the sides while leaving a ring on the bottom un-touched. Next I took a 2" long piece of the steel rod and welded a washer in the middle and I inserted it into the back of the modified socket.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0269.jpg
Next I drilled a hole through one side of the square tubing about 3 inches from one end for the rod to go into. At the further end of the tubing, I drilled completely through for the 12" or so of rod to pass through.
For the "L" brackets, I drilled two 8mm holes in the bases that are the same distance apart as the bolts in the cam caps. On the sides of the "L" brackets, I drilled multiple holes in the sides for the steel rod to pass through but I only use the top 2. Lastly, I took the short 1/2" extension and shoved it into the end of the square tubing so that I can insert varying sizes of extensions for more leverage.
Here is the tool assembled.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0270.jpg
And with a long extension for leverage.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0272.jpg
Basically, you bolt the "L" brackets to the head once the cam are removed, using the cam caps as spacers to keep from marring the head with the brackets. Then assemble the tool as you can see in the last two pics. Remove a spark plug from the cylinder you are doing the valve work to and rotate the motor to drop the piston to BDC. Use a clean length of thin diameter nylon rope (nylon is best because it wont shred) and push as much as you can into the cylinder. I usually get about 3 feet of the 3/8" rope I use. Rotate the motor until it locks in place. The piston smooshing the rope against the head will hold the valves in place. Next, remove the valve spring bucket and use the tool to compress the valve spring and use a magnet to grab the keepers (valve locks) once they come free of the retainer. Do your thing with whatever replacement springs/ retainers/ keepers and install in the reverse of removal.
Oh yeah, having a friend hold the lever down while dealing with the keepers is a very good idea, especially since it would suck really bad to accidentally drop one down an oil drain hole to the bottom of the motor. I have come close but it hasn't happened to me yet.
Hope this helps some people out. I will take some measurements of the tool tomorrow and bolt it to a spare head to show it in action for a little more clarity tomorrow.
*UPDATE*
So here are more pics and more explanation.
The tool assembled and on the head.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0332.jpg
You can also use it this way to get to the valves at the ends of the head.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0335.jpg
As you can see here, the locating pins for the cam caps keep the L-bracket from actually touching the head, and the cam caps are used as spacers so you can use the cam cap bolts. The bolts only need to be hand tight. DONT torque them down because you could could mushroom the locating pins.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0337.jpg
If, after the rope is inserted and crank is rotated to lock the valves in place, the locks don't release from the valve, hold the lever down and rap on the top of the lever like this.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0334.jpg
If you look close here, you can see the spring compressed and the locks released. This is the point where you grab them with a magnet.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0339.jpg
And now the springs and retainers are ready for the picking.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0341.jpg
When you re-install, have a friend compress the spring with the tool and dab some grease on each lock so that it sticks to the valve.
Here are the measurements for all the parts.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0344.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0346.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0347.jpg
Oh yeah, the socket is a 13/16. You prolly cant go any bigger because it wont fit.
And the reason ZEs drop valves. This entire bank had broken retainers.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0203.jpg
These are the parts to the tool I made. It will make sense later.
The raw materials consisted of a short length of square steel tubing (about a foot), 2 L-brackets, one thick steel rod, a fender washer, a 1/2 inch drive deep well socket, and a short 1/2 inch extension.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0268.jpg
I took the socket and cut the large "windows" out of the sides while leaving a ring on the bottom un-touched. Next I took a 2" long piece of the steel rod and welded a washer in the middle and I inserted it into the back of the modified socket.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0269.jpg
Next I drilled a hole through one side of the square tubing about 3 inches from one end for the rod to go into. At the further end of the tubing, I drilled completely through for the 12" or so of rod to pass through.
For the "L" brackets, I drilled two 8mm holes in the bases that are the same distance apart as the bolts in the cam caps. On the sides of the "L" brackets, I drilled multiple holes in the sides for the steel rod to pass through but I only use the top 2. Lastly, I took the short 1/2" extension and shoved it into the end of the square tubing so that I can insert varying sizes of extensions for more leverage.
Here is the tool assembled.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0270.jpg
And with a long extension for leverage.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0272.jpg
Basically, you bolt the "L" brackets to the head once the cam are removed, using the cam caps as spacers to keep from marring the head with the brackets. Then assemble the tool as you can see in the last two pics. Remove a spark plug from the cylinder you are doing the valve work to and rotate the motor to drop the piston to BDC. Use a clean length of thin diameter nylon rope (nylon is best because it wont shred) and push as much as you can into the cylinder. I usually get about 3 feet of the 3/8" rope I use. Rotate the motor until it locks in place. The piston smooshing the rope against the head will hold the valves in place. Next, remove the valve spring bucket and use the tool to compress the valve spring and use a magnet to grab the keepers (valve locks) once they come free of the retainer. Do your thing with whatever replacement springs/ retainers/ keepers and install in the reverse of removal.
Oh yeah, having a friend hold the lever down while dealing with the keepers is a very good idea, especially since it would suck really bad to accidentally drop one down an oil drain hole to the bottom of the motor. I have come close but it hasn't happened to me yet.
Hope this helps some people out. I will take some measurements of the tool tomorrow and bolt it to a spare head to show it in action for a little more clarity tomorrow.
*UPDATE*
So here are more pics and more explanation.
The tool assembled and on the head.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0332.jpg
You can also use it this way to get to the valves at the ends of the head.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0335.jpg
As you can see here, the locating pins for the cam caps keep the L-bracket from actually touching the head, and the cam caps are used as spacers so you can use the cam cap bolts. The bolts only need to be hand tight. DONT torque them down because you could could mushroom the locating pins.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0337.jpg
If, after the rope is inserted and crank is rotated to lock the valves in place, the locks don't release from the valve, hold the lever down and rap on the top of the lever like this.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0334.jpg
If you look close here, you can see the spring compressed and the locks released. This is the point where you grab them with a magnet.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0339.jpg
And now the springs and retainers are ready for the picking.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0341.jpg
When you re-install, have a friend compress the spring with the tool and dab some grease on each lock so that it sticks to the valve.
Here are the measurements for all the parts.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0344.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0346.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d/SSPX0347.jpg
Oh yeah, the socket is a 13/16. You prolly cant go any bigger because it wont fit.
And the reason ZEs drop valves. This entire bank had broken retainers.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t/SSPX0203.jpg
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