Head work tool recommendations please

[Fanum]

Planning ahead here, so some advise welcome.

I might be taking apart my 1150 twin spark to try and solve a compression problem.

So...cheapish but decent valve spring compressor, 12mm compression tester, torque wrench...anything else? (I have decent basic kit but none of those)

Any particular type of valve spring compressor?
I'll be getting a pair of Halfords Pro torque wrenches, and Draper do a well priced 10/12/14mm compressor kit (made by someone else and badged up as a far more expensive brand elsewhere, so I'm guessing it will be ok)

I have feeler gauges and a micrometer.

What else am I going to be cursing because I haven't thought about it?

 

[Timolgra]

Compression problem may not be valves so you may need a piston ring compressor, although you can get around that using big hose clamps or even a cable tie and you may need to think how you're going to push a gudgeon pin out.(boiling water over the piston often helps)

 

[Fanum]

Compression problem may not be valves so you may need a piston ring compressor, although you can get around that using big hose clamps or even a cable tie and you may need to think how you're going to push a gudgeon pin out.(boiling water over the piston often helps)

Piston ring compressor I can bodge around......a couple of tin cans and a foot of worm drive tape was how I did them on my old Simca

Will have a good read up on the procedures before I start getting too into it

 

[Timolgra]

Are you going to lap the valves in, if they're not too bad?

 

[Fanum]

Are you going to lap the valves in, if they're not too bad?

No, I shall probably hit them with a large impact adjuster.
That'll teach the bastards!!

 

[(RIP) DitchWater]

Clarke CHT range of torque wrenches from Machine Mart are okay for around £20 to £24.

I have the 1/4" for clutch bolts and the 1/2" for final drives.

 

[Timolgra]

No, I shall probably hit them with a large impact adjuster.
That'll teach the bastards!!

Why does that not suprise me?

 

[jez]

Bill have you done a cylinder leakage test on it yet, this will determine better where your problem may lie without taking the engine apart.
Here's a vid that explains it better.


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QNf0IOIvIcY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Plenty of testers available on Ebay from £50

 

[NeilDD]

Bill,
If you want to borrow a leak down tester, give me a shout

Neil

PS
You could also borrow valve spring compressors if necessary

 

[Agothaclypse]

You might consider this style of valve spring compressor. Allows removal of valve springs, without removing head. Ideal if its just the valve stem oil seals that need replacing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BERGEN-Prof...Q8YM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1329650571&sr=8-5

 

[Smug]

Birmingham screwdriver (club hammer)

 

[Fanum]

Thanks all

That cylinder leak test makes a lot of sense Jez, thanks.....It's obvious now I've seen it, but I'd never have thought of that

For a fairly low initial cost, it could tell me quite a lot it seems.

NeilDD, thanks for the kind offer....I suspect the 2 way postage of the kit would come to about half as much as buying the kit anyway, so if I am going to get into this level of working on it, I reckon it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy it so I have it for the future as well.....offer appreciated though

 

[Smug]

Planning ahead here, so some advise welcome.

I might be taking apart my 1150 twin spark to try and solve a compression problem.

What is the compression problem?

 

[Fanum]

What is the compression problem?

It's quite a long story

CLICKY HERE (there's also a link to the initial blow up on that thread)

 

[Smug]

Blimey. That is a long story.

Be careful with the compression test. If it was not firing properly on the left hand side, this would was wash the oil out of the rings and give a low compression reading.