I'm trying to change out my VLAs, hoping that is my problem. I'm limitted on space and time so I'm wondering if I can simply compress the valve with ...something... and sneak the rocker arm out of the way. Any thoughts?

Thanks!!

NO!

Just loosen the rocker arm bolts most of the way, and you should get enough clearance. Move up and down the shafts loosening a little at a time or you may bend the shafts and be truely upgefuct. I use cut off rubber glove fingers to keep the VLA's in the rockers I'm not working on.

Umm...you may have to excuse my inexperience here but rocker arm bolts? The roller-rockers just "float" between the VLAs and the valve with the cam riding on top. Nothing actually holds the rockers in except the presure between the VLAs and valves/cams. The only thing I can loosen would be the cams...? If I make sure the piston is down and push the valve down I think the rocker will pretty much just fall off. This is the only way I see without taking the cams out, which takes a lot more work than just getting the valve covers off.

Eddy means the camshaft bearing caps.
I have pulled the rockers out, make sure the cylinder you are on does not have the piston up top or have the valves open at all.
The issue is if the intakes are open a bit and you compress an exhaust the valves can touch.

Leave the cams bolted down. Use a big flathead screwdriver. Plant the head down onto an unimportant casting area of the head and use that as the fulcrum. Use the shaft of the screwdriver to work the rocker off. Put your hand over the area so the rocker doesn't fly out of the garage.

But careful not to damage anything. I've done this many times. I learned it from watching a Mitsu master tech. Killer way to take advantage of flat rate.

Thank you so much everyone, I have started moving forward cautiosly. Now I have a new question about the VLAs: Is there a particular orientation for the port on the side? I can't really see into the well the VLAs sit in but when I feel it there is a large opening on one side and a narrow slot on the other...I'll pull some more and keep track on the ones I pull but I was trying to do this one by one. Thanks again! I'm just a poor kid in Montana that found a monty to love (and hate). Open invite for gold panning (I have a patented claim), elk, deer, antelope, and anything else you want to know about the lost lands.

Think we could work out a deal if I was to stop by with a dry washer to do some higher-volume production? Just sayin'... Plus, I need to learn how to do this procedure.

John B.

Well, I don't really know too much about the higher volume production. I purchased on account of the elk and simple what and where it is (the uppermost claim of Confederate Gulch). How much material can you move with that? I don't even know what a dry washer is. It would appear we are getting a highbanker this summer... The only problem is that the access is pretty much reduced to atv right now, depending on what the creek does this spring. Somtimes it fills in, somtimes it guts the channel down about 5 feet. We can continue this off 4x4 if you would like. snobowl@aol.com As for the procedure, the back VLAs are nearly impossible to get at, the tool MD 998782 or a home copy of sorts would be very nice. I'm going to see what I can find tomorrow. A simple bow square worked for the hardest one but it's aluminum and didn't hold up past 1.

Off channel it is...

John B.