TOPIC:

I doubt that this will work on cylinders #3 & #4. Particularly the exhaust. These valves are in-board of the frame and that will prevent the tool being placed squarely on the valve keeper retainer. Definitely no "Hammer" room for the exhaust. That's why I made mine the way I did which gives total control of the spring compression/release not to mention the "keeper" removal and re-install.

What a great write up and rather timely for me.Thanks.
I had the top end stripped down over the summer- cams out , ready to take the head off trying to find a solution to my on-going oil consumption problem. And also trying to think of a way to get at the valve stem seals out without taking the head off. I have the head nicely sealed up with a rather cheap aftermarket gasket , so I didn't want to disturb it.
But looking at what appears to be a very narrow passage way for the oil to get down the side of the shim bucket- it seems like such a tight fit , and then the oil has to get by the relatively new viton valve seals I replaced a few years ago, I convinced myself that there was no way the amount of oil the engine is using could possibly get by all that , that quickly.


Or maybe it can.
I did a leak down test to 100 lbs - no leakage at all.
I changed oil from Rotella to Honda - didn't help any.
Do you have a oil consumption issue Scotch. Be interesting to see what difference the new seals make.


The photo is from my trip to Laguna Seca over the summer for World superbike. This the H2R -track day bike. Give away are the slick tires. About $58,000

Re oil consumption. Even new and after a proper break-in period, mine used oil. As best as I can remember it settled in to an average 1 litre/1500 kilometers and I just accepted that fact. That's not changed until the past 2 years. I've checked the compression several times over the past years - just "because'. If I recorded the #'s, I can't find them but I do remember being really pleased with the results with no concerns so that's probably why I can't find the comp. #'s. Everything was sealing well so I wasn't concerned or diligent enough to write them down at the time.
The bike doesn't leak a drop (of any fluid). However, after a <100 Kilometer scoot around the patch two weeks ago I returned to find the oil level down by 1/4 of a litre ! This was after letting it drain-down for 20 minutes. You'd think with this amount of oil going past the seals that I'd be "Bug-Fogging" but no visible smoke has ever presented itself - UNLESS the bike has been on the side-stand for a few days or more. Then it would hurl a puff upon start-up.. The reason for this should be obvious.
With a great deal of trepidation I immediately pulled the plugs and all 6 were identical and the perfect color and condition with no deposits. This alone is very puzzling! Some soot around the thread base. That's when I committed to installing new seals and had to come up with an On-Head compressing tool.
As discovered, the seals were so worn, there was no appreciable contact with the stems !
I've got a couple of things I want to do before I put oil back in so it could be a few weeks before I spark her up. Am I concerned? No! Any doubts? No!
Footnote: When removing the Bungee from each cylinder I put a beam of light into each hole. Some areas on the piston-crown in contact with the Bungee were shiny aluminum. Go figure.
Ready to use in another 30+ years

scotch wrote: I doubt that this will work on cylinders #3 & #4. Particularly the exhaust. These valves are in-board of the frame and that will prevent the tool being placed squarely on the valve keeper retainer. Definitely no "Hammer" room for the exhaust. That's why I made mine the way I did which gives total control of the spring compression/release not to mention the "keeper" removal and re-install.

You don't use a hammer with the plunger style tool (at least, I wouldn't) but some pressure is required. On F models Hondas the 2 & 3 cylinders are 'inside' the frame, but folks had cut down the tool (literally cut a few inches of the handle) for clearance and used a 'lever' on the end of the tool and it apparently works.

As far as keepers go: the magnet in the end of the tool grabs the keepers when they're removed. To insert, the keepers are placed in valve keeper ring before using the tool so they can't go anywhere.

Removing and installing the keepers is very fast with this tool; there's zero to minimal setup time required.

Here's a video that shows how the tool works:

Scotch, you really are a wizard with these things. This is way above my ability to even contemplate trying but I can appreciate it anyways.

"With a great deal of trepidation I immediately pulled the plugs and all 6 were identical and the perfect color and condition with no deposits. This alone is very puzzling! Some soot around the thread base."

My situation is the same. Looking down the spark plug hole, there is no carbon build up on the 3 year old pistons either.
The high oil consumption is in direct relationship to high engine speed. Do 60mph or so, no problem. Do 75mph for long periods and oil disappears rapidly. I ride long distances for many hours here in the mid-west . In Montana the speed is even higher.