There has got to be a better way! I strained my marriage asking my wife for help with this job today. The fulcrum type spring compressor causes the retainer to shift to one side or the other. The puller type compressors I’ve used don’t compress far enough, and don’t hold the spring well enough.

Has anyone made a compressor tool which bolts to the towers and then compresses the spring through the retainer axially with with the valve and yet allows for one’s wife to get her fingers in there?

On top of all this, I’m actually hoping that I lost one of my PT lifter shims into the oil pan, because otherwise, it’s hiding somewhere in the head.

Talk about a frustrating day!