Stuck Valve Shim

[thehackmechanic]

I'm doing my first valve adjustment on my twin-cam after its rebuild 700 miles ago. I got the cams and tappets out without incident, but the shim for #1 exhaust valve is stuck in the spring retaining cup. I've tried a pretty powerful rare earth magnet, and it won't budge. I can't find any posts on this on any of the Lotus sites, but I see posts in the motorcycle world about putting a right-sized socket on the spring retainer and pressing down on it or rapping it gently with a rubber mallet. Can I do that here?

--Rob Siegel

[jbcollier]

If the engine is at TDC, and both cams are out, then you can do that with cylinders 2 & 3.  Not with cylinders 1 & 4 though as the valve may hit the piston.

No chance of using a small screwdriver or pick and working it out at the side of the shim?

[thehackmechanic]

Boy, there's not much there to pry.

I've ordered a stronger magnet. Think I'll try that before anything more extreme.

[thehackmechanic]

SOLVED by Rohan over on the Elan forum:

"Never seen it happen before, normally they lift out with the follower stuck to it by a film of oil. The shim should only be supported at the centre on the valve stem I would try tapping the shim down gently with a punch on one side and the other side should come up so you can then pry it out"

Worked perfectly.

[BDA]

Yippee! Glad you got it out! 

[jbcollier]

Congrats on getting the shim out.

Ok, a little on the paranoid side I'll admit, but, it's not a good idea to use magnets to remove engine parts unless you absolutely have to.  Using a magnet, magnetizes the part.  Not a lot, true, but some.  This then leads to the part attracting metal filings that would normal drain away.  Again, mildly paranoid, but still good practice.