Tip on valve spring removal with head installed?

i've done it on a pinto before went a bought the valve spring compressor from autobarn different to the usual one, just put the piston up to tdc so the valve doesn't fall down the cylinder when you remove the collet's but you can buy an air fittin to hook up to compressed air to keep the valves closed and it was a pain in the arse but got it done not sure if it's any help.. i would honestly consider removing the head

Your wasting your time Rhys, the valve stem seals on pushrod engines are an umbrella type, your going going to have worn valves and guides.

Couple of ways to make sure the valves don't end up in the bore and keep the valve stem as high as possible are feed some CLEAN nylon rope into the bore through the spark plug hole or use a cylinder leakage tester with the air pressure turned up.

Hi Rhys,

Compressed air into the cylinder with the piston at tdc,you need to be sure that it is at tdc or the air pressure will rotate the crank. It sounds like you have the big c shaped valve spring compressor,you need the overhead type which all fits above the head. Once the compressed air is in, give the spring retainer a tap with a soft faced hammer to break the taper lock on the collet's, then comress the springs and bobs your uncle!! If your really crude, you can use a sparkplug socket and an extension, fit the extension into the socket, hold the socket over the valve retainer and hit with a hammer, it usually takes a few goes to get both collet's to bounce out. As I said it is crude though and can cause damage in some cases

The guides will be worn, K-lines are the best way to sort it out, depending on the shop your looking at $20 a guide.

Just pull the head off.

put a round peace of rubber in the spark plug hole under the valve wind the pistion up to jam the valve ---and make a leaver that's fits on to a rocker Blot or bolts---- some grinding and welding may be needed to make one have fun---