I had a lengthly discussion with a 27 years Volvo veteran. He said there is no tool to get down inside the recesses to compress the springs. He also said that I would have to remove the Head to do it right, otherwise he would not guarantee the work and I should reconditon the head and grind the valves, otherwise, he would not guarantee the work. $1500 quote. Volvo Dealerhip quoted an all day job and $800. Another fellow said he would do it for $200, but I do not trust the guy's work practices.

Everyone I have talked to suggests it is likely worn Valve Guides, because Leaded Fuel is not available to lubricate the top end, etc.

Also, I my 1981 244DL B21A is manual steering, no Power Steering Pump.

I just do not want to drop a valve, because it is my only car and have a very limited budget.

Ideas, Rope/String trick info, tools used, torque settings, pics, etc. would be helpful. I do all other work and I have worked on occasion as a motor mechanic and have removed a number of heads, engines, transmissions, and re-installed, but I always sent the heads to someone else to recondition and only removed manifolds and parts on the outside. I do not have any special tools, just got by with the basics.

Check Unggthat's web post at
http://valvespringcompressor.weblogs.us/
it may be useful.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

That's it! Mine's not nearly so sophisticated as that, but the final picture of the sleave with the roughly cut access slot is exactly what I made.
All you need is a way of pressing that down on top of the spring, so that the valve stem can pop up the middle, and the collets be extracted through the aperture.

About 12 years ago I did this valve seal replacement with the help of my neighbor who was a Ford mechanic. My car was also a B21A carb (SU).

We had to put compressed air inside each cylinder we were working on. We did fit an old spark plug with a 1/8 npt nipple to feed 125psi while we were working on changing the valve seals.

If I remember well he had a valve spring compressor that we bolted (or attached in some ways) to the head to push the pring down. The half circle locks were loosened with a hammer and punch while top washer was pushed down. The two small locks were pulled with a magnet, spring removed and valve seal replaced. All this was done while air pressure was applied.

Today I realize safety must be first. Doing it this way may cause injury unless face and eye protection is provided.

Before I did the seal replacement I first tried with success something called ''stop leak'' made by Wynn I beleive. It was a engine conditioner that softened the rubber seals (also crank seals) and I got 4 more years before doing the above seal job.

Hope someone else has an easier way.

Good luck.

If the guides are worn then there is nothing you can do without taking the head off. But the rope trick really does work. IMHO it is safer than compressed air 1) because you need access to compressed air
2) If the air suddenly fails or something leaks, the valve may drop in
3) it gives something rock solid to hold the valve
4) When you have got the spring off you can release the crankshaft and let the valve down about a quarter of an inch. Then you can waggle the stem and decide whether the guide is worn or not.

My home made spring compressor worked easily and safely. Maybe I didn't describe it very clearly. The lever was a stout flat bit of iron about like a tire lever, with a bend about 3" from one end. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the end, removed the nearest camshaft bearing cap nut, slipped the hole over the bolt, and loosely held it with a large washer and the nut back on. That gave my fulcrum point.
The I took length of gas pipe or plumbing pipe about 1 1/4" diameter (ie to fit on top of the valve spring retainer plate) and cut out a slot from the bottom.
Then by wedging this tube under my lever I found it very easy to compress the valve spring. The valve was held by the compressed string, so the spring, retainer plate and collets sank, leaving the stem unmoved. With long nosed fine pliers and a bit of fiddling I extracted the collets (plug ALL the holes and oil passages!) and gently released the spring.
The stem seals (inlet valves only) easily slide off, and the new ones just press down and clip over the top of the valve guides.
The whole job (4 valves) was done in a morning.
The old seals were fragile and crumbling apart after 11 years and 300,000 miles.

PS the Volvo mechanic is wrong. You don't need a tool to get down into the recesses - you compress from the top, using something that is no wider then the cam bucket, but hollow with my cut out so that you can get at the collets.

Cliff

It absolutely amazes me how much disinformation is given out by supposed professionals, who do this day in and day out for a living.

If the Pipe is 1 1/4" Diameter, how thick are the walls to engage the top of the Spring, how long is the pipe, and how far up were the cutouts (just one or one on each side)? What is the overall length of the Flat Iron Blade? I understand it was bent 3" from the end. How far in was the 1/2 hole? What is the diameter of the Valve Stems and Valve Guides?

With 151,000 Kilometers, on the Odometer, is it very likely the guides are worn?

I find it strange that the car only began to smoke AFTER the Volvo Dealership adjusted the Valve Clearances. My only explanation is that it created more vacuum , drawing oil past the seals, unless the Mechanic damaged or dislocated the seal(s).

After reading your write-up, I am absolutely confident I can do it myself. Thanks.

Any additional information and answers to my questions will be appreciated.

I'm quoting figures from memory, don't take them as absolute.
The large hole is at the end. The point is that it forms a secure hook onto the nearest cap bolt, held loosely by the large washer and losely tightened nut. The bend should come, at about 3" as you say, ie coinciding with the valve being compressed. (I've just remembered I improved on the design by fixing a 1/4" bolt projecting downwards at that point, to stop the bit of tube sliding out sideways)
I think my lever was about a foot long, but that's not critical. The springs aren't that strong by the time you have that much leverage on them.
When you have the lever in position, you can gauge how long the sleave needs to be to get the best leverage on the top of the valve stem. About 2" is my recollection.
The diameter is not critical. As wide as possible up to the diameter of the tappet bucket. I cut out a section from one end perhaps 1" of circumference, and maybe 3/4 of the length of the sleave. You need to leave enough to still get a good seat on the valve assembly, but with the access aperture big enough so that you can see inside and fish out the little collets.
I do remember that as you compress the spring it has a tendency to move off centre, because the hole in the cap is wider than the diameter of the valve stem.
That can be used to advantage, because it gives a wider clearance on one side. Get the first collet out there, then push the other one round on its groove until it too reaches the widest point. Reverse this process to get them in again afterwards - ie get the first one in, then push it round to the back and do the second.
I emphasise again, plug all the oilways and galleries with rags. You do not want to lose a collet inside the engine!
As to the likelihood of wear, it depends on so many things. There was barely detectable sideways movement in mine after 300,000 miles.