Changing valve springs with head on the car

[Onefast99gsx]

Well I have my Crower Springs & Retainers. I'm going to change these with the head on the car. The vfaq was a dead link. I'm gonna try to make my own valve spring compressor tool based on a link I found.

I know I have to zip tie the timing belt to the cam gears in several spots. My questions is: Do I have to mess around with using a tool to take tension off the timing belt or can this be doine without it? I don't have one is what I'm getting at. Please let me know. I'm trying to make this as simple as I can.

Thanks.

[Pimpin Dsmstyle]

It wouldn't be a bad idea to just take off the head. If you are doing springs / retainers.. it also wouldn't be a bad idea to go through the head and inspect everything and maybe replace valve seals? If you did it recently, I suppose it would be a waste of time.

[Onefast99gsx]

Yeah, only thing is, I just had the head off less than a year and replaced the head gasket, the valve seals, etc. I was really looking for the quicker route here. All i can do is just give it a try i guess.

[Onefast99gsx]

I just did a buy it now for the Mitsu. Tensioner tool part# MD998738 that was on ebay for $20.

I'll get this worked out.

[Goat Blower]

I've yet to find a valve spring compressor that can fit around the springs without pushing from the bottom. The method you're talking about works on V8 heads with 2 valves per cylinder and plenty of room around the springs. I haven't ever seen it done on a DSM.

[Goat Blower]

Actually, if you've got the arm strength, you might be able to compress the springs by hand with the head in the car. You'd have to have the valves pressed into the head via some rope on top of the piston, or a lot of compressed air in the cylinder. Easier to just take the head off and do it right. Get a metal headgasket, they're reuseable.

[LingLing]

Get a metal headgasket, they're reuseable.
The metal ones from Mitsu are re-useable? Of course, depending on the condition of it :p