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Safety with Cylinder Heads and Valves
Keep these 10 safety precautions in mind when working with cylinder heads, valves, valve springs, camshafts, and rocker arms.
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1. Always wear safety glasses around the shop. Wear
the glasses at all times while in the shop, even while looking up specifications, reviewing procedures, or working on cylinder head components. Get in the habit of keeping the safety glasses on at all times. 2. The edges of the cylinder head may be very sharp because of the machined surfaces. Be careful not to cut your fingers when handling the cylinder head. 3. During cleaning, pieces of carbon and soot are usually removed from the valves and cylinder heads. Be careful not to breathe in the carbon dust. 4. When valves and valve springs are being removed or installed, the valve springs are depressed and under high pressure. Make sure the valve spring compressor is secured correctly on the valve so the spring will not slip under pressure. Your eyes and face may be injured if you are hit by a spring that has slipped out of the grasp of the tool. 5. Make sure that any electrical tools used for cleaning valves or cylinder heads are grounded correctly. Never use an electrical tool while standing in wet areas in the shop. |
6. Often the top edges of used lifters are very
sharp. This is caused by the cam lobe wearing on the top of the lifter. Be careful not to cut your fingers on these sharp edges when removing lifters. 7. When installing a camshaft, be careful not to pinch your fingers between the cam bearings and the cylinder block holes. 8. Make sure that all tools used for working on the camshaft and valves drive mechanisms are clean and free of dirt and grease. 9. When grinding valves or using other electrical equipment, never string an extension cord across the floor. 10. Many of the bolts and nuts require high torque specifications. Always use the correct torque wrench, and know the torque specifications when working with cylinder heads. |
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