| PARTS LIST |
| DESCRIPTION | PN | SOURCE | PRICE |
| Moroso spring compressor | 62370 | Summit Racing | $79.95 |
| Moroso spark plug adapter | 62385 | Summit Racing | 26.95 |
| Proform spark plug adapters | 67400 | Summit Racing | 13.39 |
| Powerhouse height mic | 101200 | Powerhouse | 62.95 |
| Comp, titanium retainer | 732-16 | Summit Racing | 299.95 |
The first step is to remove the spark plug from the appropriate cylinder. We used a simple spark-plug adapter fitting from a compression tester combined with a quick-disconnect air fitting threaded directly to the adapter. | 
The Moroso tool fits both 31/48- and 71/416-inch rocker studs merely by swapping ends on the center shaft. The tool is also adjustable to allow compressing the spring just enough to expose the locks without coil-binding the spring. Once the handle travels over center, you can actually let go of it and use both hands to retrieve the locks. |
A small magnet can also be helpful for grabbing locks that may fall inside the retainer. | |
Rocker Tracks
In the old Western movies, there was always an Indian who could track anything over impossible terrain. A good engine builder can also use near-invisible signs to help track the health of an engine. As we were swapping springs on our small-block Ford, we noticed an unusual wear pattern on a couple of valves. If you look closely at the accompanying photo, the valve on the right shows a typical wear pattern across the middle of the valve stem. This indicates a good pushrod length. But studying the valve-stem tip on the left, there is only a partial pattern on roughly half the width of the valve. This indicates that the valve-stem tip is not perpendicular to the stem. That places side load on the valve that can cause premature valve-guide wear. The solution for this would be to remove the head and face all the valves in a valve-grinding machine to ensure that all the valves will allow full-face contact with the rocker-arm roller tips.