cheap/easy way to swap valve springs at home

Rent/buy an on engine spring compressor. They're only like $15. Then you can take some rope & feed it into the cylinder with the piston down. Rotate motor by hand until rope is somewhat compressed just to keep valve from falling down once free. Pretty much it. Takes an hour or so. Also get a small pen type magnet to fish those locks out of the retainer or wherever they land. Oh make sure to put a couple rags around where you're working so they don't drop past the pushrod & into the motor.


http://www.harborfreight.com/universal-overhead-valve-compressor-92900.html

EDIT: I see the heads are off. Same deal just a rag under the head to keep the valve up. Much easier on the bench.