Help with fitting Double Valve Springs & Collets

[AustinWood]

I check for the valves touching the head by putting the head on the engine with no gasket. I then crank the engine while holding the head down with my other hand. It the head moves then they're too close.

[Zetomagneto]

That's another way to do it Austin, and no risk of damage.

[DaveT]

This is not answering your question to Simon but this is what I use - fabricating something similar would not be too difficult.  I use grease to hold the collets in the pliers:  https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/v...-245505312

Ruairidh, thanks for that photo,

I had a good ratch through my tools and found a suitable pair of pliers to modify (butcher), so I set to and achieved the correct holding of the collets but I needed to shorten the nose to enable the priers to be positioned within the chest. 

I set to with the disc grinder and then it happened I SLICED MY INDEX FINGER length ways through the knuckle not recommended.

A quick trip to A&E where once cleaned they found I'd gone down just above the tendon but thankfully not damaged it, so lots of steri-strips and super glue and now I'm sitting here with a great big bandage over the finger.

One advantage of living in the sticks I was in and out of A&E within 45 minutes. So your quote of not to difficult to fabricate was not quite correct, but I'll get there and next time keep my finger out of the way. 

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Holy s**t Dave, take care man!

I did offer to loan you mine!!!

[DaveT]

Holy s**t Dave, take care man!

I did offer to loan you mine!!!

I like a challenge and they will work once I've cut them down to size without slicing myself to bits

[Steve kay]

My old, large and somewhat arthritic fingers made collets impossible, so pin located valves have been used for some time. The discussion of improvised cotter strangling equipment made me wonder about returning to cotter retained valves, sometimes thought to be more reliable. Then I reached the last few comments above, so let's stick to the pins!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

It’s toe curling stuff Steve - still wincing!

[DaveT]

I can't see the slice as it's all bandaged up and a couple of bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale prevents the toes from curling and I never winced - honest

[David Stepney]

I have had similar accidents involving power tools, although not, fortunately, with the consequences of your own mishap, Dave.

You have my heartfelt sympathy and I hope it heals quickly.

[Chris KC]

Ouch. Hope you heal quickly. Angle grinders are very dangerous tools and need treating with healthy respect. And yes, I have a scar too!

Dave, when you say a 'sports' block, is it a standard block which has been ported or an original Austin sports chromidium type? If the latter, frankly I wouldn't run it on a Ruby, and certainly not with an LC head. I only fitted an LC head once but struggled to get my Nippy over 40mph with it (normally capable of 60+)

As others have said, double springs are only of real interest for a sports car, singles limit your revs to perhaps 4500 or 5000 rpm. I always understood the principle is that the springs resonate at different frequencies so at least one will be doing its job at any given moment. I use double springs myself, but then I have a 'bottom end' which is set up to take the rpm.