Having a time removing valves

Well so far everything has been smooooth sailing, stripped the jeep down and had the head pulled in under 4 hours. I've done a clean-up/mild porting on the intake & exhaust manifolds, welded up a pinhole leak on the exhaust manifold, and ceramic coated it with VHT in hopes of getting a little heat off the header.
Now I turned my attention to the cylinder head, had to wait for a freind to let me borrow his valve spring compressor since I'm too much of a tight a$$ to go buy one. I go to remove the valves tonight so I can clean off the head and get it ready for a general cleanup and a mild porting, I blow through removing the first 5 valves, and then the remaining ones didn't want to come loose, at all, the spring will compress but the valve spring retainer doesnt compress with it and let me take the keepers out. I tried about everything short of breaking out a oxyacetyline and cutting them out (which after 45 min & 3 busted knuckles cutting the whole head in half was seeming like a good idea:soapbox I soaked them in PB blaster and called it a night, figured i'll get at them tomorrow after work see it the pb helps at all.

Is there any magic tricks to getting these things out without beating the heck out of myself & the cylinder head? should I hit it up with a torch and see if the heat helps it break loose?

Its sound like you are using a jaw/crank type compressor.

Give the retainer a few hits with a dead blow hammer to loosen them up first. Then go at it with the spring compressor. I also recommend using this type:


Quicker and easier that what you are using.

Years ago my Dad taught me a pretty cool trick at removing valve springs...

Get a deep drive socket that is just a tad smaller in diameter than the valve spring. Place open end of the socket on top of the valve spring, and give it a good sharp smack or two with a hammer. Hit is good! The socket will capture the valve spring clips, as they release. How this works, I'm not sure, but it's worked everytime for me....

I beat the piss out of the valves last night and they didn't want to budge. Tonight I think i'll take them inside and let them sit in some hot water for 15-20 min then go at it again. Hopefully the hot water will let the valve retainers swell and let loose.

I looked around today and could not find that kind of valve spring tool anywhere, Thats the kind I used in trade school 12 years ago. The one I'm borrowing is a double jaw compressor, the kind you can service the springs without removing the head.

I have till thursday, then i'll have the gaskets and want to start gasket matching the ports, so I have to find a way to get them off & cleaned up by then :soapbox:

Ivan said:

Years ago my Dad taught me a pretty cool trick at removing valve springs...

Get a deep drive socket that is just a tad smaller in diameter than the valve spring. Place open end of the socket on top of the valve spring, and give it a good sharp smack or two with a hammer. Hit is good! The socket will capture the valve spring clips, as they release. How this works, I'm not sure, but it's worked everytime for me....

Click to expand...

x a million,can't tell you how many times Ive done that!

RamlebXJ said:

I looked around today and could not find that kind of valve spring tool anywhere, Thats the kind I used in trade school 12 years ago. The one I'm borrowing is a double jaw compressor, the kind you can service the springs without removing the head.

Click to expand...

I figured that you were using one of those twist compressors from your description of the spring compressing and the retainer going with the valve. I use to use one of those too.. but the other is so much easier. I got mine at sears.

Have you tried holding the valve while you hit the retainer? Maybe put a block of wood under the heat and hit the retainer?

Maybe just drop it off at a machine shop and ask them to remove the springs. They will probably have a pneumatic compressor similar to the one I posted or a table that set up just for removing valve springs.

problem solved, socket 5lb minisledge, and being pissed off solved the issue.. thanx for the advice!