Never done this and would appreciate anyone with some know how our step-by-step directions. I've done alot of work on this car but never this. Any help would be appreciated.

You are gonna need three special tools. A Valve spring compressor (its looks like a peice of steel with a 30 degree bend in it), a compression gauge with a air hose connector, and a starter button.

Disconnect your battery, then remove your valve cover/s. Take out the spark plug for the cylinder that has the valves you are working on. Install the cyl compression tool in the spark plug hole and use a shop air compressor to pressurize the cylinder(this keeps the valve from falling down when you remove the spring/retainer) to about 100 psi.

Remove and set aside the rocker arms and nuts for the affected valves.

The way the valve spring compressor works is it bolts to the cylinder head (usually the valve cover bolts) in the bend, then you put the short end on top of the spring/retainer. When you push upward on the long end it will compress the valve spring. Be very careful here, the locks that hold the retainer on the top of the spring are very small and are easily lost. And once lost you are pretty screwed because they usually fall into the oil return passages and into the oil pan/lifter galley. Push up on the bar SLOWLY and be ready to catch the locks on the inside of the top of the spring(you can put shop rags around the spring to keep the locks from falling into the block). Once you remove the locks and put them on the table SLOWLY relase the spring. Now remove the spring and retainer to the table. DO ONLY ONE SPRING/RETAINER ASSEMBLY AT A TIME AS THE INTAKE AND EXAUST VALVE RETAINERS ARE DIFFERENT.

Now you can see the valve stem seal on the cylinder head at the lowest visible part of the stem. This can be removed and discarded with a screwdriver by pushing up on the bottom of it(BE VERY VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CUT/SCAR THE VALVE STEM, if this happens its a head job).

Now install you new valve stem seal(trust me, buy racing ones, they are heavy duty and cost nothing) with a deep well socket and a hammer GENTLY tapping the socket with the hammer. Tap it down until the bottom is flush with the cylinder head. Dont hit it hard, as it should go down fairly easily.

Now sit your spring and retainer back on the valve exactly as it came off. Get the locks in you hand. When you sit the locks into the retainer it may take a couple tries to get the hang of how the fall into the retainer/valve but they will look like an upside down road cone.

Compress the spring hold the locks around the ring cut out of the top of the valve and SLOWLY release the valve spring. Take your time about it, if you drop them your screwed. Once the locks are back in the spring/retainer, disconnect the hose pressurizing the cylinder.

Then GENTLY rap the top of the valve with a rubber mallet (the part in the middle not the retainer holding the spring down) bumping it down about a 1/4 in each time. This is to check that the locks are installed properly and that the retainer is rotating slightly. The valve should bounce up and down without the locks popping out. Do this about 15 times.

Now remove the cylinder pressure tool and re-install you spark plug.

Reinstall the rocker arms and tighten them until they are snug. Connect the started button leads to the starters Heavy power post, and its small solenoid post. Tap the button until one of the exhaust rocker arms pushes the valve all the way down(Itll take a couple tries to get the hang of operating the starter bumper). Now you adjust the intake rocker arm. Get a feeler(depth) gauge and get out the 5 thousandth one. Tighten the nut on the intake rocker with the feeler gauge in between the valve and rocker until it has resistance to pull out but not so much that its really hard. When the rocker is full up there should be pressure but it shouldnt be super tight or loose. Now press the starter button until the intake rocker is pushing the valve all the way down. Repeat adjustment process on the exhaust valve.
Re install valve cover, and reconnect battery


I explained the long way how to do this and it takes a while, but once you get used to the order of how to do it it goes faster. Just take your time and do it right. Now would also be a good time replace your valve springs with some performance ones as they are off anyway(this will improve mid to high rpm perfomance). Lemme know if you need more help

DAMN!!! Thank you - great information!

DAMN!!! Thank you - great information!

Dude ive been there, I had to replace a broken valve spring without pulling the head on my 92 camaro while I was away from home. Thank god for my dad he showed me this method and I hope you can make use of it too.