Don’t let it slip!

How do two tiny pieces of metal stop an engine from destroying itself?! ⚙️💥 Inside your car's engine, stiff steel coil springs rapidly open and close the valves thousands of times a minute! These springs are under serious tension. If they pop off while the engine is running, the heavy metal valve will drop straight into the engine cylinder, instantly destroying the entire motor! To lock these springs down, mechanics face a high-stakes puzzle! Using a heavy compressor tool, they crush the steel coil. While it is under pressure, they carefully drop two tiny, microscopic metal wedges (called keepers) directly onto the valve stem! If the tool slips, the spring can launch across the garage like a missile! But when they carefully release the tension, the pressure pushes up against the tiny wedges, locking the assembly safely together!