Valve retainers???
 

Hi, this is my first post on this forum. I know a person in west Texas who owns an orig cobra sc with the csx so I know it's real. He tells me that he doesn't want to risk starting it up because one of the valve spring retainers appears to be cracked, he showed it to me and I think it is too. Where can he find new ones, if they are available, and about how much do they cost, I would love to help him get his car up and running again, thanks for any help.

They are nothing special.May have to order it because of year,but most auto parts stores or engine shops should be able to take care of that.Hardly ever hear of cracked retainers!

Best thing is to go to a machine shop first
 

terakilla The retainers come in 2 pieces, you guys may just see the open end. A picture would really help with this. How much knowledge do you guys have with motors? Do you have basic tools and a torque wrench? An air compressor is also needed to do this repair. You will need to pressurize the cylinder to keep the valve up. Some guys use rope to do the samw thing with filling the hole with nylon rope and rotating the crank until it is squeezed and holds the valve up. Just have to take your time. You will need a valve spring compressor. I like the KD one for easy to use and cost about $45.00. You might be able to rent one at a pepboys or Autozone store.
Here is the thing, there are 3 different degree locks and about 5-6 height on the lock in the keeper. If the heads are on the motor, you have a couple of ways to go as to not loose the valve into the motor and have to remove the heads.
To remove this valve keeper, get a smooth hammer head and tap on the springer retainer to loosen it from the valve keeper. You will see it seperate. Get your air hooked up or your rope in the hole and get pressure on the valve. Install the valve spring compressor and tighten until you can remove the retainers off the valve stem. Use a small magnet to grap both the keeper halfs. VERYIMPORTANT, BECAREFULL WITH THE VALVE SPRING, IT'S UNDER ALOT OF PRESSURE IN THE TOOL. WRAP A SHOP TOWEL AROUND IT AND LOOSEN THE TENSION ON THE SPRING UNTIL LOOSE. Take the keepers to a machine shop and have them check for correct size and depth of lock. It is a 3/8" valve stem, the question is the depth of the keeper lock. The sell new keepers with 6,8, and 10 degree keeper locks. Get a known one like Comp Cams. Reinstall is the reverse of what is above. AGAIN BE CAREFUL WITH THE VALVE SPRING WHEN TIGHTENING IT TO REINSTALL. After you have the keepers back in the retainer, again wack the spring retainer a couple of time to seat the keepers. Put rag over retainer in case keeper is not seated.
It's not hard to do, just takes time. You will need valve cover gaskets and do an oil change too after the repair. Put rags around where you are working to keep from loosing the keepers and have them fall into the motor.:eek:%/ This does happen and pulling the oil pan and looking for the keeper sucks
I don't know how much mileage is on the motor but you might want to replace the oil stem seals also at this time. If 1 keeper is cracked of broken, replaced them all, You all ready have half the motor apart to work on. If you want to talk about this, call me I'm in NJ 732-254-3536 and leave a message I will call back.:) Rick L. Good luck, Happy Holidays.:D

Keeper-Eeze
 

terakiller -- I've never removed the valve springs with the heads on the block, although I am familiar with the "compressed air" technique. I never heard of the nylon rope trick, but ol' Rick has forgotten more tricks than I'll ever learn (on cars, that is;)). I did see a demonstration of a cool tool called "Keeper-Eeze" that supposedly can be used while the head is still on the block. If anyone is really, really bored here on the day after Christmas, they can watch a PowerPoint presentation on the tool, which is really an all-in-one spring/retainer/keeper remover and installer. It would be nice if someone out there actually had one and liked it though.
http://www.goodson.com/technical_sup...eeperEeze2.pps
BTW, don't be a "one-post-wonder." Give us an update -- I'm sure there are a few fellas here that are a bit skeptical of an original car sitting somewhere not running because of a $5 part that takes 10 minutes to change out.:rolleyes:

"Retainers" are not the same as "keepers".

Might wanna look at the "Keeper-Eeze" Powerpoint before attempting to use it (even with the head OFF the engine).
Honda motorcycle engines are not the same as Ford V8s.

Right, he's got to take the keepers (or locks) off to get to the retainers. Their web site says they work on Ford, btw. http://www.ketool.com/index.php Did I misunderstand your post?%/

We have seen broken valve train parts and there is always a reason.

Usually - it is in a scenario where you are dealing with longtime storage (assuming ) you may want to be careful as sticky old oil can really screw things up.

Are we dealing with a long time storage motor >?

Steve

patrickt,

You're right their web site says the tool will work on "most makes".
I guess I'll believe it if I see it. I just find it hard to believe that hand pressure alone is enough to dismantle and assemble a head with significant valve spring pressure. I've done motorcycle heads with two thumbs. But a performance V8?...

Back in the day we used to dismantle heads by holding a deep socket on the spring retainer and whacking it sharply with a good-size hammer. The keepers would pop off the valve stem and the spring and retainer could be removed. Sometimes it took 2 or 3 whacks.

Re-assembly, however, required a C-clamp or other type of spring compressor that exerted much more pressure than could have been done by hand.

Maybe for $700 there is an easier way. I'd love to try it.

Jeez it is $700 -- I never noticed that.:o You're right, for that kind of money it ought to work miracles.

Might this be an orange car # CSX3050?

We had a thread on that one a couple of years ago. http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/all-cobra-talk/79694-heres-my-dads-65-427s-c.html