Originally Posted by katchung

I finally got the nerve to do the valve adjustment on my beloved beast. It was going well...all of the valves were tight though...no space at all, so I'm psyched to see a potential difference in performance.

The problem is, that I hit a snag on the 5th valve. The spring is moving with the bottom nut, and I can't seem to get any space between the lobe and the top nut. How can I stop the spring from turning with the nut without getting a special tool? I tried wedging a flathead in the spring but it didn't work. Could I used a pair of needle-nose vice-grips to attach the plate at the top of the spring to the spring? Would that be enough to stop the spring from rotating with the nut?

Also, is there a way to turn the crankshaft from above?
Diesel giant suggests turning the engine by turning the power steering pump bolt. I tried this and the cyl camshaft lobes didn't move at all. I've been turning the engine over with the ignition, and it's hit or miss and really time consuming. How many rotations of the power steering pump bolt should I make before expecting the lobes to move?

Feeling a bit vulnerable with my baby's valve cover off, but excited about the prospect of hearing her purr like a kitten...

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.