Re: Can you change valve springs/retainers w/o removing head...
 

i don't recommend doing it with compressed air, too easy for the crank to spin and then be tapping on the retainer to loosen it and breaking the air seal and the valve dropping down past the guide, ask me how i know

needle nose pliers through the exhaust port with a flashlight in the spark plug hole trying to spin the crank with your other hand to raises the piston FTL, only took about 6 hours :1


so now i always put the piston down all the way and feed some nylon rope through the spark plug hole and then turn the crank as must as i can to compress the rope against the valves.

Re: Can you change valve springs/retainers w/o removing head...
 

If the car is in gear how's it going to turn the motor over? the car it self would have to move or the clutch slip.

Re: Can you change valve springs/retainers w/o removing head...
 

put the car in neutral? dtrain are you sippin on JD (the whisky not the person)

Re: Can you change valve springs/retainers w/o removing head...
 

forgot to add put the car in gear, chock the wheels , use a crank pulley tool on the crank pulley if you are scared do whatever you can to prevent the piston from going down, 30psi is not enough to move the car while its in gear.

Re: Can you change valve springs/retainers w/o removing head...
 

there is enough slop in the drivetrain to move the crank 30* or so with it in gear. I'd vote on rope &/or wrench on the crank pulley.