ARES 15017 - Valve Spring Compressor - Compresses Valve Springs on Overhead Valve Engines - Direct Action Compressor Lever Gives Better Visibility During Compression
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A tool made for small engine repair rather than automotive work, it's a small, compact device.
This repair is for a Honda car with small valves
My eyes were not open, but they should have been. There's no doubt it's Chinese, so what could it not be?
Selected User Reviews For ARES 15017 - Valve Spring Compressor - Compresses Valve Springs on Overhead Valve Engines - Direct Action Compressor Lever Gives Better Visibility During Compression
On two motors, I used this to remove the valve train. As I tried adjusting the height of the valve after removing 24 valves in total, I discovered that the bottom section of the clamp (the part that fits against the valve) kept binding. After a while, the adjuster stopped spinning, and as you can see from both of my pictures, a part of the center nut began stripping its threads, and eventually the threads on the nut broke, so that this brand new tool no longer functions as designed. I was unable to adjust the screw after screwing it into the "silver" threads. This tool could have set me back weeks if I had used it for more than a day. I'm currently waiting for a replacement because it only lasted for one day. I'm hoping that it won't happen again when I replace my old valve train on my motor after replacing it with the new one.
The bare minimum. Since I have been a mechanic for more than 40 years, I have used a wide variety of tools and I find that while this tool performs to an extent, it is not very intuitive nor does it cover all bases. As far as I'm concerned, it has very poor design. In order to use the leverage and mechanical advantage to compress the valve spring, get the adjustments just to a point where you can collapse the handle (compressing the spring) a little more. It is kind of a pain that there isn't a great way to get to the valve keepers because of the design. If you're looking for better quality than that found on many other auto specific websites, I HIGHLY recommend getting that. This will work if you need one right away, but you will be very frustrated.
302 heads can be controlled by it.
With the recessed valve springs on my BMW M30B34 cylinder head, this tool worked like a charm. From what I understand, this tool is pretty much required equipment. Last but not least, I recommend that everyone who's interested in this tool watch the video, as it covers some tips on how to best use it. I have a tool wall where I keep this tool!.
Rather than clamp this then turn the screw threads, you loosely tighten the threads with the handle closed all the way to position it, then you back off and adjust in small increments until you have just enough clearance to remove the keepers but not so much that the leverage is compromised. This is a fantastic thing if you know how to use it!.
You will need to grease all bolts on this as well as any rotating parts. That is why I gave it a 3 rating. Wear the metal parts if you do not use pressure when working on them. The vice part became very difficult to turn within four springs. It started showing metal shaving after just four springs. As soon as I took it off and greased a few parts, it was better than it was out of the Be sure to keep that in mind, otherwise you may damage The only downside was that it couldn't handle the heavier duty valve springs on my hemi, but it was a great purchase otherwise. No springs were flying at me like they did in the previous video.
The seals were used on a volvo 5 cylinder to replace valve stem seals. It's hard to get the retainer loose because of the stubby handle. It soon became apparent that tapping the back of the tool with a hammer while applying tension to the retainer would cause it to pop out very easily, making the job go much faster. The tool feels very solid, and even after a few taps with a hammer, it still seems to be holding up pretty well. It would be a good choice.
The stock dodge 360 magnum heads work great with this product. Several people have given this a bad review because they have incorrect knowledge of it. It's not the screw on the other end but the lever that's meant to be used to hold back the valve springs. Research before you buy so you can make an informed decision.
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