How to push the springs down to get to the shims ?

[FrankS.]

That´s the question.

I checked my valve cleareance yesterday and everything looked fine.

But I asked myself the question how the h*** should I press the springs down
to get access to the shims.

Is a special tool required or just knowledge

Thanks
Frank

[-Jamie-]

turn the engine over so the lobe is facing upwards (valve fully closed, as you would do when checking a tappet) carefuly move the finger follow down the shaft and rest on the spring, use a magnet to retrive the tappet, not all of the tappets can be retrieved this way, so for those ones you will have to use a screw driver/small lever bar on the spring top to open the valve to get enough space, its easier to turn the engine over with the spark plugs removed but make sure u block up the spark plug holes, timing chain area and the bottom right of the head where the oil goes back into the block, loosing a tappet down any of these places could result in a engine strip!
If you dont know what your doing its best to get someone who does to do it!