So I got my head back from the shop today, and I have to put on the new valve stem seals. I got the spring compressed, but there is something around the valve lock that keeps it in place. How do I get the valve lock off?

 

If they did a valve job they should have put seals on it.

 

They didn't, they just surfaced it. I am doing the valve stem seals.

 

There is a set of keepers inside the retainer, two half pieces that need to come out once you can move the retainer down. Sometimes you need to tap the top of the retainer with a large enough socket that the keepers and valve end will go into the socket and force just the retainer down. The keepers are locked onto a ridge in the valve and fall right off (a magnet helps) but sometimes they get stuck against the retainer from being forced into it for so long.