Help with Valve Removal

[mojobaby]

I thought that the most difficult part of removing my valves would be to compress the springs with one hand and retrieve the little collets with the other.
Anticipating the problem, I bought a spring compressing tool but had to take it back as it didn't fit. Our springs are extremely small and very close together! In the end I made my own jig which worked pretty well and cost absolutely nothing to make.

The first spring was compressed and the collets removed, and I expected to be able to just push the valve out. It goes down quite far but the top of the valve stem, where the collets sit, gets stuck at the top of the valve guide.

The Heynes manual says to just "extract the valves". I'm tempted to use a bit of force to push it through, but I thought I'd ask for some advice first. I wouldn't want to mess up my guides.

 

[angel]

The tip of the valve stem became "mushroomed" - typical on high mileage engines with valve clearances not properly set.

Don't try to drive the valve through the guide by hitting it. Dress its tip with a file or a Dremel tool, and you will save unnecessary valve guide damage.

 

[mojobaby]

Thanks for that, Angel. 15 minutes polishing with 400 grit paper smoothed it off so that it just slid through the guide.
The second valve has the same problem but not as bad.