Help on Exhaust Valve Keepers and Cap
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:00 pm
I've got a 1953 M38A1. Not yet running, in fact, not running since about 1979. I just recently got the jeep and have torn into the engine. Engine Serial number 9957. The previous owner had released a stuck exhaust valve, and then about 5 years ago abandonded the project.
I opened it up, and have lapped the valves. I promptly lost one of the existing valve keepers. The existing valve keeper looks a lot like a simple flatted half washer. No taper to it at all.
Ordered up a new keeper set, and instead of the flat washer type keeper, I received tapered keepers.
They look like they'll fit on my valves, but I'm not sure if the pointy end of the keeper should go up or point downwards toward the ground.
And, I'm confused on the engine diagrams. Do I use the valve stem caps? Some of the books have the cap in there, and other ones don't. When I removed the single existing exhaust valve that had not been touched, I did not see a cap in there. It appears that the exhaust valve directly touches the tappets.
So, pointy end up or downwards, and valve stem caps or a bare stem?
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

I opened it up, and have lapped the valves. I promptly lost one of the existing valve keepers. The existing valve keeper looks a lot like a simple flatted half washer. No taper to it at all.
Ordered up a new keeper set, and instead of the flat washer type keeper, I received tapered keepers.
They look like they'll fit on my valves, but I'm not sure if the pointy end of the keeper should go up or point downwards toward the ground.
And, I'm confused on the engine diagrams. Do I use the valve stem caps? Some of the books have the cap in there, and other ones don't. When I removed the single existing exhaust valve that had not been touched, I did not see a cap in there. It appears that the exhaust valve directly touches the tappets.
So, pointy end up or downwards, and valve stem caps or a bare stem?
Any help will be greatly appreciated!