Club126UK
Fiat 126 Chat => Fiat 126 Mechanical Problem Solving => Topic started by: eben80 on January 15, 2012, 09:49:46 AM
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In Afrikaans we have a saying: "'n Boer maak 'n plan." Which means, "A farmer makes a plan when he has an unusual problem."
Some of you might now that I'm South African who lived in London for 7 years and now moved to Slovakia 6 months ago.
Everything is great. Except I'm still struggling a bit to communicate, especially with technical things.
Other thing, there are no(or I cant find them), tool shops or Halfords type places that you can go browse for what you want.
I've had the head off the 126 for a bit of a clean-up and to re-lap the valves. I removed the retainers by compressing the spring with a piece of tubing which worked. But of course I needed to get them back on again afterwards.
So... I had to make a plan. Went to the builders' warehouse and bought a cheap EUR7 clamp:
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tQIwv9NI5vk/TxH8sR711CI/AAAAAAAAMPs/r1yJ2c9ZsHE/s800/DSCF9717.JPG)
Used a HSS drill and some files to convert it into a valve spring compressor:
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qCSRFGHbUYQ/TxH8qf1JnfI/AAAAAAAAMPk/ZWSt6g_M7Q8/s800/DSCF9718.JPG)
Took just enough off to make space to refit the retainers and took the sharp edges off:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J9sYlRZcXm8/TxH8oxPe10I/AAAAAAAAMPc/4SljUKRMC9I/s800/DSCF9719.JPG)
Probably not as easy as a proper tool but I didn't have any issues and it didn't slip once(best to be careful though)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bQUfc_aXTAE/TxH8n4wXbBI/AAAAAAAAMPU/mAnUMUvi-pc/s800/DSCF9720.JPG)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xfcpJHUyh70/TxH8mbp_ihI/AAAAAAAAMPM/wcluBsKsGQ0/s800/DSCF9721.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QAlga4sM8Hw/TxH8lOP149I/AAAAAAAAMPE/pu9KNYzsbaU/s800/DSCF9722.JPG)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m_1yK9brt-A/TxH8kGL44bI/AAAAAAAAMO8/9eAYZg1oGKE/s800/DSCF9723.JPG)
& Bob's your Uncle ;D
Thought I'd share in case anyone else ever has the same situation.
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Very good :D I had the chance to use the proper tool but needed two of us to hold it down since we couldn't secure the 'head to the bench :)
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LOL see this is an improvement then. Its a one-man jobby. You just screw in the compress the spring and it stays there. :)
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Yeah, the proper tool only works if you secure the 'head down or use it while the 'head is still secured to the cylinder block. This is a neat idea :)