The Indian Rope Trick?????

What I am about to tell you may be well known to some folks but it surprised me and its absolutely true.. Yesterday I had a stuck exhaust valve on a gas/kerosene engine. We tried everything we knew to avoid removing the head. Nothing was going to shift this, as in NOTHING. Then a gentleman of advanced years came along, only a bit younger than me, and suggested The Indian Rope Trick. I just looked at him rather dumbfounded. Then he took charge of the situation and this is it--gospel truth. He removed all the plugs and turned the engine till it was at the very start of the compression stroke on the bad cylinder, he then liberally oiled the valve stem and took about 20 feet of clean rope and fed it into the bore, then with the starting handle and a long extension we turned the engine in the normal direction. After a lot of pressure was applied 'PING' valve is free. removed the rope and turned it over. sure enough the valve stuck again. Same trick but after four or five goes it stayed free. The engine has since done about six hours work with no sticking. We shall see. If it sticks again then off comes the head but hows that for a serious time saver. Only problem I see is that it wont work on a deisel engine (Actually it would on the old farmall M deisel)MTF

that trick is often used to loosen a head that's stuck to the head studs. In a four cylinder, two of the pistons come up at the same time, so both should be filled with rope (clothesline)to give an even force.

rope in cyclinder can also be used to hold valves on overhead valve engines when removeing valve springs for what ever reason. you can also use wead eater line but not in hot engine

Thanks for those replies. The guy told me about using it to change valve springs etc, but not about using it to force up stuck heads. Sometime over the weekend he is going to demonstrate actually removing a valve and reeming the guide without removing the head???? more later.. MTF

I have used the rope trick to change valve stem seals.