Apparently one valve

was stuck open. He was fortunate to find a highly experienced

mechanic.

The mechanic was able to get the valve out of the guide and completely
into
the cylinder with the piston at bottom dead center. Then using a

special

tool
and a bore scoop he got the valve stem started into the spark plug

hole.

Yep the valve
stem fits through the spark plug hole. He then stuffed rope into the
cylinder through the valve stem guide and moved the piston out until

it

held
the valve in the spark plug hole securely. He then cleaned the valve
stem
and reversed the process. This whole procedure saved removing the

lower

cowl
and a bunch of baffling to remove the entire cylinder and piston and
getting
to the valve that way. The guy is obviously a brain surgeon in real
life.

I have heard of the rope trick to keep a valve stem in the valve guide
with the spring off but this is first time I have heard of anyone
accomplishing
this feat of mechanical magic.

Paul Lamar<

Paul,
The 'rope trick' is a well known and published Lycoming procedure
(Service instruction 1425). Most good mechanics have done it and know
where to find the information on how to do it to ream the valve guide
with the valve dropped down into the cylinder. In fact, I have done it
several times myself, and yes, I should have been a brain surgeon.

(and

I do stay sometimes in Holiday Inns, even)

http://www.lycoming.textron.com/support/publications/maintenancePublicat

ions/serviceInstructions/SI1425a.pdf

Oh well.......
Marc Wiese

Do you have a picture of the tool you use to pick up the valve and feed
the stem back into the guide or through the spark plug hole? Do you also
own a bore
scope to see inside the cylinder. That should come in handy for
inspecting
apex seals.

Paul,
You can just use one of the different size and configurations of the
"mechanical fingers" that most mechanics have in their tool boxes (I
even use them to find parts blindly in the bottom of the Lycoming oil
sumps!). Borescope is a shop tool, too expensive for me to own.
Marc W.

Well how do you see in there to line the valve stem up with the spark plug hole?
Don't you need a gripper with a right angle? You have to go in one hole,
grab the valve and feed the stem into another hole at least an inch away.

Paul Lamar
 
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