Valve removal quick question

[Praxiss454]

I pulled the head from my L6 230 for a rebuild. I'm trying to pop the valves out but the first one doesn't want to come out. Here's what I've done.

1. Use spring compressor to compress spring down. I had to tap the top of the valve with a rubber hammer to knock the cap free.

2. With spring compressed, remove the two halves of the V shaped retainer clip

3. Pulled the spring off.

Now I'm looking at the valve, just sitting there in place. I can move it up and down freely, but it looks like there is another solid ring stopper that is holding it and preventing me from pulling it out of the bottom of the head.

How do I remove this ring? I'm afraid of screwing something up so I don't want to force it. It seems to be solid all the way around, and it seems to be sitting in an indented channel on the valve, similar to how the retainer clip sits.



Any tips are much appreciated.

[Captainfab]

Why not just let the machine shop that will be rebuilding the head and rest of the engine, disassemble the head?

The part that you have indicated with the arrow is the valve stem seal. It is rubber.

[Praxiss454]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Why not just let the machine shop that will be rebuilding the head and rest of the engine, disassemble the head?

I guess I could do that, it would certainly be easier. But this is my first project like this so a) I don't know what I'm doing and b) Any work I can do for myself, I want to do for myself.

Regarding the seal, I was wondering if it was rubber like an o-ring, but mine is certainly baked/caked on there and is rock hard. A few of the valves are not salvagable, have a fair bit of corrosion and deterioration, so I imagine I'll need to get a new set and get the valve seats ground out as well.

I was reading an old timer's website about grinding them yourself old school style with stones. But I probably will not attempt that route considering I didn't know the valve stem seal was rubber and is most definitely consumable.

[PGSigns]

I would just let em pull it apart. Here is what I look for when I pull one apart. First I look at the valve faces and the chambers to see if any look sunk in the head. That can tell you a bit about the valve and seat overall condition. Then I run down the retainers with a 3/4" socket and a hammer and shock em. This does wonders for getting them apart. Next I'll pill the springs one at a time and look at the top of the stem before I pull the valve. This gives me an idea of the condition of the rockers. If they are rounded or beat up rockers go on the parts list. Then as I pull the valve I check the feel on the guides and then look at the valve face when I get the valve out. That will tell a lot about the seat and how the engine was running by the deposits and the color. So now I have an over all idea of the condition of the head before even goes in the hot tank. These are things the shop is going to do and it can be helpful in seeing if a head is good or bad before going to far. With some experience at looking at what you have when you get it apart you may be able to just take them a bare head and say "its going to need guides, new valves, springs, and check the exhaust seats as a couple look to be sunk". But for the folks with out a lot of experience its just better to leave them together and let the shop pull them apart.
Jimmy

[Chevy Fleetside]

If your pulling the engine apart. It would be a good idea to number the connecting rods as you take them out. Stamp a # on the rod and the cap. Also # the crank journals also or keep them in order and put them back on the engine.