Wow ! Good Observations
I just blew up the photo of the Damper Spring up to Full Screen on my computer. Sure enough that Damper part of the Dual Spring is broke in the middle (probably on the back side of the photo where we can't actually see the actual break). You can follow the Planes of the Spring Curls and the fop half does not run in line with the bottom half. In fact it looks as though the top half is wedging itself into the bottom half binding everything up.
Well this could surely bend the push rod if that dual spring Damper is broke in half and all bound up ! Not being able to open the valve all the way, and making it real Difficult for the OP to take the keepers off that valve with his spring compressor because it won't compress.
You guys are onto something here, it is all fitting together now as to what is wrong.
