I removed the valve spool today, and just so we're clear, When facing the front of the machine, its the right valve body, which lifts the boom, but it is the left spool in the valve body when facing front of machine, though its attached to the LEFT pedal WHEN SITTING on the machine. I removed the large, about 1 1/2" dia. nut, then tapped spool out from the front. The spring on the rear of the spool just behind that large nut. The spring itself and the housing was very sludged and gunked up, so I cleaned it up. I also noticed the spring was mostly compressed already when I removed the spool and inspected it. Any thoughts? There was a lot of gunk built up between the washer stack and does that allen plug need to be turned all the way in? I need to confirm a bit of the orientation of the shim stack. I have the manual but doesnt seem to show the exact spool/body and components I have. Inside the center of the large nut is an allen plug with a small shaft on the backside. I have 5 bevel washers. With the allen plug on a table with the shaft pointing up, is it correct to have the first washer facing up like a dish or saucer, then the rest turned around facing downward at the first one? Also could use a bit of guidance when getting that nut/washer ass. back on the spool spring using those 4 small keeper clips I would call them, inside the nut.