Valve keeper remover tool

crh wrote: You're kidding yourself if you think the head doesn't need servicing when the valve seals are shot. Also getting the old seals off the guides plus getting all pieces out of the tappet bores isn't going to be easy.

For the cost of a head gasket and a few hours labor you're way ahead of the game pulling the head to do the seals and properly check the guides and valves. Anything less is just a band aid..

Only a Farmer can start with $hit and end up with something good :side:

I'm with ya. I did my valve seals a few months ago, I can't imagine doing it with the head on, it was hard enough getting those keepers in place with the head off. Very tedious stuff. Not saying it can't be done with an aired up cylinder but I don't have the patience.

crh wrote: You're kidding yourself if you think the head doesn't need servicing when the valve seals are shot. Also getting the old seals off the guides plus getting all pieces out of the tappet bores isn't going to be easy.

For the cost of a head gasket and a few hours labor you're way ahead of the game pulling the head to do the seals and properly check the guides and valves. Anything less is just a band aid..

Only a Farmer can start with $hit and end up with something good :side:

Second that!! If the valve guide seals were hard as rocks, bet you the head gasket center o-ring is also a rock!!! And is most likely on the verge of leaking within the next couple thousand miles.

I have also seen the rubber dampner blocks (92075-232) on the cam chain idler wheel shafts flat as pancakes, and hard as rocks too!!!

There are also better quality seals out there than what were the OEM seals, back in the day. Same thing with the O-rings around the head gasket. You can chose a couple of ways to do the cam tunnel.
I would try changing the stem seals on it, if you have a good leak down test. Pretty low miles to have much worn, but you never know. one way to find out, do your tests, if it checks good, then change the seals.

I dunno...spend $60 on a tool that won't facilitate an easy swap and will sit on the shelf, unused afterward...or buy gaskets and check everything properly..... Just seems like a no brainer to me but what do I know.....I've only had a couple hundred of those heads apart :silly:

Shouldn't need to spend money on a tool that sits on the shelf. that was just an example, as posted. Easy to make up something. Cost minimal, depending on what you already have.
12K miles, might need a total rebuild from being run low on oil, over heated, who knows. Test first I say, then make a decision based on the results.
Never seen a bad set of stem seals in your many years Larry?

Just did the valve seals on my KZ1000 not too long ago. You don't need to take the head off or buy a tool. Made my own with some pipe lying around the shop. Cut out an area of gas pipe for an access window to the retainers and filled the cylinder I was working on with Para chord so the valves wouldn't fall in.

The old seals came out using some dental tools and needle nose pliers. Once you do one the rest are easy. Could I have taken the head off and done a full service on the valve train, yes. Did I want to, no. Stopped the smoke I was getting on start up and since I already had some seals with a gasket kit lying around total cost was $0.

Here's the tool.

Looks pretty simple, Cuff. How did you keep the valves from dropping down into the cylinders after removing the keepers?

He shoved as much paracord or nylon rope in the cylinder as possible at BDC then raised the piston to TDCand it holds the valve. You can also take an old spark plug and make an air adapter out of it to connect to a compressor or auxiliary air tank.

Looks like it worked ok for you,but for the price of a head gasket and pulling the nuts off the studs and 2 bolts it would of been easier to work on in my book.
And you could have cleaned up the valves/stems and combustion chambers at the same time,since chances are pretty good that they were carboned up from that oil leaking by and burning on to them.
But as long as it worked and everybody is happy ride on.

The head was coming off next year for an overhaul, bearings, valve guides and new cam chain. Just didn't want to do that so close to summer. I wanted to ride the bike not fix it.