Low compression

[Malcolm Towrie]

I finally got the last 2 exhaust valves out of the block. What a pain they were. The problem is the early style V8's have mushroom-tip valves. You can see this in the photo below. The two parts below the valve are the split guide. So the guide halves are fitted on the valve stem with the larger end next to the valve head, the spring is installed on the narrow end of the guide, and the smaller horseshoe shaped retainer fits over the mushroom part of the stem to retain the compressed spring.
The lifter/tappet, just to the right of the valve, is fitted into its block bore just above the camshaft.
The whole valve assembly is then fitted into the block from the top side. The guide is a snug fit in a bore just below the valve seat. The guide is then pulled down into the lifter valley against spring pressure and the larger horseshoe shaped retainer is fitted into the narrow groove in the guide. When released, the spring pushes the guide and the retainer back up into its bore. The second photo shows the installed valve assembly, upside down.

The problem is that the guide can seize into its bore after many years of service, or after many years of non-service for that matter. And you have to get the guide out to get the valve out because of that mushroom tip. Damn you, Henry Ford. I couldn't free up two of the guides despite making a c-clamp tool to press them out. I ended up removing the smaller retainer, which releases the spring, pulling the valve head out as far above the block as it would go, cutting the valve head off, driving the now-accessible guide halves down into its bore with a brass punch, cleaning off the rust/varnish build-up at the top of the guide bore, slathering on WD40, and finally getting the guides out of their bores.

So the 8 intake valves came out easily. Of the remaining 8 exhaust valves, 2 came out with the c-clamp tool, 4 came out with the c-clamp and some serious prying., and the last 2 needed the drastic treatment.

If your planning on rebuilding a Carrier engine, put a few hours by for this job.

Malcolm

PS torque on connecting rods is 35-40 ft-lb.

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