valvespring removal

[pazur]

Hi, can someone advise how to remove intake valve from 302 head (one on the left) using the puller as shown on the picture? The two-piece retainer should go out easily when spring is compressed, or is there some trick?

 

[69 Rustang]

If the head has been run, the keepers get "wedged" in. The "keepers" are the 2 small pieces holding the valve in the retainer. I lightly hit the retainer with a hammer to break the keepers loose from the retainer (don't hit the top of the valve, hit the spring retainer). You can feel a difference between the valves where the keeper is stuck and those that you have broken loose as the hammer strikes feel different.

Then you should be able to put the spring removal tool on top of the spring and clamp it down. If the retainers don't come loose--carefully wiggle it and see if they do. If they still don't, you may have to try again with the hammer.

Are the heads on or off the car? If they are on the car, are you using compressed air to keep the valves closed?

 

[D.Hearne]

To remove the springs, all you need is something to hold the valve in place and use a big ballpeen hammer and a deep 1/2" drive socket large enough to cover the retainer. Usually one good whack with the hammer on the socket covering the retainer will pop the retainer keepers out. If you're going to reuse the keepers, keep an eye out for where they land.

 

[Fast63]

If those heads already have a lot of miles on them, good luck trying to get them apart. I tried to remove the springs with a similar setup and the two retainers were really stuck together. Try using a socket and a hammer that will fit on the inner one first and hit it to help the retainers seperate. Then put a socket on the outer retainer and hit it to free up the locks. Then put the spring compressor on and try to remove it all. My biggest problem was the locks being fused to the inner retainer which makes it hard to remove with the outer retainer in the way

 

[pazur]

If the head has been run, the keepers get "wedged" in. The "keepers" are the 2 small pieces holding the valve in the retainer. I lightly hit the retainer with a hammer to break the keepers loose from the retainer (don't hit the top of the valve, hit the spring retainer). You can feel a difference between the valves where the keeper is stuck and those that you have broken loose as the hammer strikes feel different.

Then you should be able to put the spring removal tool on top of the spring and clamp it down. If the retainers don't come loose--carefully wiggle it and see if they do. If they still don't, you may have to try again with the hammer.

Are the heads on or off the car? If they are on the car, are you using compressed air to keep the valves closed?

Well the heads are off the car, and have just a piece of wood to keep the valves closed. I use 9/16 socket too, it works with outake valves. But intake valves have visually different retainers, just want to make sure before adding some serious force in the right direction, mainly not to bend valves (I want to reuse them)