Valve grinding compound is placed on the valve opening and the
valve’s face and then spun until the surfaces match.Before installing the springs, Herman measured the height of the valve
with a micrometer once it was test fit in the head, then compared the
reading with that in the shop manual. The micrometer was placed on the
head in place of the spring, between the top of the head and with the
keeper inserted. This process measured the length of the valve stem
when the valve was in the closed position. If the valve stem is too long,
the springs will not be compressed enough and the valves will float; if
the valve stem is too short, the springs will compress too far, thus
causing the cam and lifters to prematurely wear. To make the springs the
correct height, shims and different keepers can be used to make the
springs more tight or more loose to match the factory setting.
The springs, retainers and keepers were then installed in the reverse
order in which they were removed with the valve spring compressor.
Herman began by placing the valve in the head from beneath, then slid
the spring onto the exposed valve stem from above. He then placed an
O-ring on the bottom ridge of the valve and an umbrella seal on top. The
spring was them compressed with a spring compression tool and the
keeper was slid on. Herman tapped the top of each valve to make sure
the keepers were securely in place.