broken valve spring

[wareiter]

85 with 2.1 digijet recently rebuilt. missing and wet spark plug in #3. fuel and spark so checked compression. 0 compression in #3 pulled valve cover off and the second spring in from the back is broken. These are AMC heads that came with the 2.1 that someone left in the seller's warehouse - so no history. I'd like to try putting another spring on that valve. My question is how do I do that. I plan on using the indian rope trick or compressed air to keep the valve up. Does the keeper just unscrew fron the valve stem? any tricks on doing this? If it does unscrew, how do you keep the valve stem from spinning? Do you use channel locks or vise grips to spin the keeper?
thanks
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1985 weekender
1989 560 SL
1995 RR Classic
http://waterboxer.blogspot.com

[Terry Kay]

Pressurize the cylinder at TDC,and give the spring a good wack with a spark plug socket covering the top collar.

The keeper's will jump outa the collar.

Now---getting them back in there after you change the spring may be a problem if you don't have a mini valve spring tool.

For sure get all of the sheet metal off of the bottom of the Van--get it outa the way,and you may pull this one off.
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T.K.

[morymob]

This is where u need the compressor that u see in mag adds, shaft goes where rocker shaft bolts and a simple lever deal to compress valve ,on eng or on bench. Anyone u know around that does their own eng work that may help or have this tool u could borrow? These tools are cheap and good to have if u do much eng work.

[wareiter]

here are some pictures of removal of the valve and using the spring compressor on a spare head. The inner spring and short jaws on the compressor make it a three handed job. longer jaws would make this easier.

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1985 weekender
1989 560 SL
1995 RR Classic
http://waterboxer.blogspot.com

[tencentlife]

The classic lever thing mory is describing works great on aircooleds, and maybe on a 1.9, but on a 2.1 the water pump inlet pipe left side prevents use of that tool, no room to swing the lever. By the way, Rocky Jennings is manufacturing that tool nowadays, and does a nice job on it. He sent me one to try out but I couldn't do the job with it on my 2.1 so I slammed this together. Works a treat (hands-free!):

Wanna rent it?

Curious whether the head with the busted spring is OEM or AMC?
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Experience is death to doctrine.

[wareiter]

the busted spring was on an AMC head that I know nothing about. How bad are those springs and are they all going to snap?
Walt
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1985 weekender
1989 560 SL
1995 RR Classic
http://waterboxer.blogspot.com

[tom roden]

That tool in the photos is what you need.Heres a little something extra for you.Once your ready to install the keeper,dab a little grease on the grooves on the valve stem.It ll hold it there for you so you can get the second keeper half on.
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vw enthusiast since 1973,Have owned:64 bus,67 sunroof beetle,71 beetle,74 dasher,1975,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,85,88 sciroccos(love em)83 gti(2),91gti,80 vanagon,84 vanagon(3),70 Squareback,84 jetta and hopefully alot more before I die

[tencentlife]