Replacing valves without pulling head?

[billfrank85]

The Haynes manual is very unclear about the valve replacement process...as far as guides, seals, rings it says these operations can be done with the head still in place...is it possible to replace the valves as well, without pulling the head? What all would be involved in doing so?

Thanks.

[Wldfire]

Hi, with a special tool you can replace the valve seals and springs. But to remove the valves the head has to come off as it goes from the inside facing the piston up into the head.

[iceracerdude]

...is it possible to replace the valves as well, without pulling the head? What all would be involved in doing so?

Thanks.

You know what you ought to do? Take a trip down to the LKQ just south of GR at the Moline exit. Go in there and pull a head off of a festiva, just to see how to do it, just to see how it looks. It'll cost you $2 to get in, and you won't need but a very few tools to do it. The "ford department" is at the front of this yard on the left as you go in. If you live farther west of GR, then just go to the LKQ in holland instead. (there's no need to discuss any of this with the counter man at the front by the way)
You can do this to either an Aspire or a festiva...cause after all, they're the same thing.
Or if you just walk around amongst the cars, eventually you'll see where someone has actually pulled a head off of a 4 cylinder car already, and then you can take a look inside that.
Think of it as going to a morgue, but here you get to work on anything you find...for $2!
Now if you want to take parts home with you...well there's a price list for that lol.

[BrianFestiva]

I love these places! Its where I learned most of the stuff about my Festiva (Aspire). I highly recomend do this!

[sketchman]

What is LKQ? A U-Pull-It type thing? I have to find one of those someday.

[NeptuneZeek]

I actually tried the whole remove valves without removing the head its not that hard really but i did it to a mazda protege. You have to take out the oil pan then the crank shaft from the bottom with the pistons and then you can see right up the bottom of the head from there you will need a compression tool to take the springs and all off. i mean its a bit out of the way but if you have taken your engine out and in as many times as i have and now all your having is head problems i would say this would be a fun alternative to taking the whole engine out.

[Festiva Time]

Auto Shops use compressed air constantly flowing into the cylinder [thru the spark plug hole] that they are replacing value seals. Frankly, changing a valve or doing the rings, by removing the oil pan, crankshaft, rods, & pistons while in the car is a lot of hard work. Pulling the motor is simpler and less chances of mistakes.

[mechanicaldj]

there is another way without using shop air

by using rope small enough in diameter to enter the spark plug hole and pushing enough of it in to fill up the cylinder at half stroke, then turn the crank shaft to top dead center and the valve will not drop when removing the spring and keepers