this was my way of doing this when i rebuilt my heads with new valve seals and resurfaced the valve seats.
the heads were off the car already, and if you want to follow my way you HAVE to take them off... but if you get creative and find another way then by all means, but this is the way i did it
ok, first of all, you need a valve compressor like the one shown here
http://www.stangpro.com/html/project...uired-assm.JPG
not the little one but the big ol C lookin thing. and you will need an extra set of hands, preferable some one mechanically inclined
you will also need a socket that fits the valve, like a 17mm i think, it depends on the size, get one that fits
now what you need to do is cut the socket with a grinder or something, just get something to cut it with.... ok so after thinking about how i am going to explain everything and how long its going to take to do that i found a pic that will answer alot of questions and explain a good number of things for me...
ok well basically that is what you have to do with the tool pictured and you will need a extra set of hands
but wait its not that simple now, you will need tools, alot of paitience as there are 24 valves and it takes a little time to do each of them and a can of grease (whatever kind for prefer as long as it is sticky, tacky like...
tool needed: skinny needle nose pliers, long skinny screwdriver, a metal pick (long and skinny prefered) now when i say long and skinny don't go crazy and buy the 3ft screwdriver and the 2 foot long needle nose or something like that, come on, your smart, use common sense, get something long and skinny enough to service the valves and fit into the area surroundings
i should be getting paid or something for sitting down and explaining this through a forum... info i am giving out, IMO is good [shizzle] for DIY valve servicing
ok, removing them, you don't have to take the heads out to get the retainers out but like i mentioned above, my heads were out of the car when i did these. take a socket that will fit valve like the way it fit the one pictured above, no not the cut one, another one. put it over the valve, then get a hammer and whack it.... yes, you read it right take a hammer and whack it hard, not a little cute blow. all you need is one blow and if done right the retainers will fall out. if they dont fall out hit it again. not a cute one but a decent manly blow should get them out. hold on to the socket and hammer cuz the force from the spring will cause it to come back at you.
so now you got them out and the retainers are somewhere close by and so is the top part, don't sweat it, just get a magnet and pick them up, and put them in a can or something.
now do whatever it is that you are going to do, valve seals, or a completely new valve or resurfacing the seats whatever.....
to put them back in, set it up like it is pictured ablve and set it up so that the opening points to where there is space to work around. now get your parts ready, this is where you need your helper. get that person (or yourself) to compress it, now you have to try and keep it as stable as you possible can because it can veer of to one side and fall off and you have to compress it again.
after you have mastered the art of compressing it (you will know what i am talking about when you actually do it)
get a retainer and put a dab of grease on the inner groove. this is where the fun begins and this is where having a steady hand and alot of patience comes in handy. get the needle nose and set one in there, use 2 hands and use whatever tool you feel necessary pick, flat head.... set one in and set the other in, this will take a while and pretty much do what you have to do to get both in. as soon as they are seated release it. and if you drop one, depending on where you drop it you can either get another one and keep going or release and start over. its more complicated then that and i have spent enough time on the computer that i don't feel like typing anymore...
summary: use the tool and socket, have alot of patience so you can "operate" on the heads.... and good luck, and at the shop i work at, i used to do this but not anymore as we have a machine shop that does our heads for us now, that might be better as you can get your heads fully rebuilt for a cost, for me the cost is worth it because you are going to be spending ALOT of time on these, but it is very cost effective as all you need are some basic tools a a spring compressor,
GL and good night!!! **yawns** **pops fingers**