1957 Ford Country Sedan mocha silver V8 4dr wagon

[rmk57]

  I bought one of these a couple years back and love this tool. I had the old style that has the wheel on top, looks much like a puller and found it hard to use with higher spring pressures.
Thread it on to the stud, pull the handle and it over centres and rest is easy. Bought it from Amazon for around $50.00

[hiball3985]

Minor technicality, Y blocks don't have studs like Windsors or Chevy.

I'm sure G will come up with a home made 

[mustang6984]

There is a trick I used when I did valve stem seals to keep valves in place. Take an 18 inch length of cotton rope, (3/8 in) and remove the spark plugs. With piston down low in the block, fed in the rope to the cylinder, until you have about 12-14 inches in or can't feed anymore. Slowly bring the piston up until it won't come up anymore, then procceed with the job. The valve isn't going anywhere.

[mustang6984]

Just another old shade tree suggestion but rather then using air in the cylinders you can bring the piston down and feed some rope into the cylinder through the plug hole then bring the piston up and it makes a good solid stop for the valves, be sure to do it on the compression stroke when both valves are closed. I wonder if a valve spring compressor similar to the one used for flatheads would work?

Gee Rich...guess I should have read all the comments before I posted mine! LOL!!! Wht's that they say about great minds and directions?   

[hiball3985]

Gee Rich...guess I should have read all the comments before I posted mine! LOL!!! Wht's that they say about great minds and directions?   

That was me not Rich 

[mustang6984]

That was me not Rich 

UGH! I seem to be coming apart at the seams today...sorry pisan. (so much for that "great" mind eh? LOL!!!

[hiball3985]

UGH! I seem to be coming apart at the seams today...sorry pisan. (so much for that "great" mind eh? LOL!!!

Maybe another cup of coffee 

[mustang6984]

There's my problem...I don't drink coffee.
Actually I am sitting here working on the last of stuff for my accountant for my taxes. This year is rough, taxes for 3 states...AZ WA and MO. YUCK! Next year will be just WA & MO, then the following just MO> Life IS going to get easier...LOL!!!
At the same time I am trying to get all the stuff together I need to get a re-fi done on an apartment building here in MO so that we can get a home purchased out here now, and get moved in late September. Mind? WHAT mind? hehehehehe   
Good news is...if we are able to swing the property we're looking at...I can have a '57 Ford party! With 5 acres...more than enough room to park cars and enjoy! River runs behind the property too! 
Just need to do the paper work...I HATE paper work!!!

[djfordmanjack]

I love this site ! great wealth of information here and I had never heard about the rope trick before. that new valve compressing tool is neat!
Jim, we don't have rocker studs in our Y blocks, but we have enough threaded holes for the rocker shaft bosses. Surely one could thread in a bolt or stud and use the tool. love the grip pliars makeshift tool ! lots to think about before I get going on the job.
I'll dig out one of my spare heads tomorrow and see if I can make up something.

Hugh, you either need to start drinking coffee or go to bed earlier...haha....

[mustang6984]

Probably not going to be going to bed any earlier. After 40 years of going to bed between 1 & 3 in the morning, just doesn't work. If I go to bed at 11:00 p.m. for instance, I wake up between 5 & 6. And being retired I have NO reason to be up that early. Besides, if I go to bed at my usual time, I get to watch what I want to on TV, or sit and read in peace and quiet while listening to some jazz on jazz24.org.
I do like coffee candies and ice cream...but have never been able to wrap my taste buds around coffee itself.
And...if I am up late at night...I get to see your posts on your car work right as you post them! BONUS!!!  That way I can see what you are doing and if I have the same thing on my list...then I am set for the day! LOL!!!

[djfordmanjack]

that I understand, Hugh. I am also a late night person and not too much of morning bird. especially in winter, when it's cold and dark outside. easy to get up at 6 in summer though.
there is nothing better than listening to some sweet music in the late hours and dreaming of the ride you want to build the next day.... I think it doesn't matter if someone prefers to get up early or late, as long as you manage to get your work and business done. I prefer to do all my thinking on car projects in the evening hours (8 to 10 pm). thinking out stuff the day before, gives me a good head start the next day.

[hiball3985]

I'm from the other side of the planet I guess, I go to bed at 10pm and get up at 4am, thank God for automatic coffee pots so it's ready and I don't have to wait
G, I made a tool many years ago for an emergency job with a broken valve spring. I took and old  rocker shaft and removed the rockers and just using the shaft and stands bolted it back on the head.
The tool hooked around the shaft. It actually looked worst than my drawing 

[djfordmanjack]

Perfectly understand your tool, Jim. good idea. if you are really stuck on the road, some length of heavy wire or even a few cable ties would do es well, together with a strong pry bar or car jack lever.
I came up with a good tool this afternoon, will post soon.

[hiball3985]

Perfectly understand your tool, Jim. good idea. if you are really stuck on the road, some length of heavy wire or even a few cable ties would do es well, together with a strong pry bar or car jack lever.
I came up with a good tool this afternoon, will post soon.

I'll look forward to seeing it. I still have the old shaft and stands, don't know what happened to the old tool but I'm sure I could make a new/better one today then the one I made in the 60's.

[djfordmanjack]

that was too easy and quick! at least with the donor head on the bench. used the pry bar I made for the German Inline 4, grabbed a 5/16 UNC bolt , a dished thick shock absorber washer and a few shims and the pry anchor would nicely bolt in the rocker shaft threads.
prying the spring down, slightly hitting the retainer with a pointed hammer and fish the keepers with the magnet on my little scribe.

the rope is vintage but hopefully will work. of course it will be a little more difficult to slip it in on the engine in car, as the heads are angled upwards of course, rather than lying flat on the bench.

Jim and Hugh, if that trick really works out, I'll owe you a rootbeer float  !

I will run into problems on the rearmost exhaust valves, since the heater blower and brake m/c will be in the way of my pry bar. hopefully I will get around that with a few shims between pry bar and valve spring.

let's see how that will work in the car, probably shortly after Easter weekend.