Help: Tricks for valve retainer keepers?

[nealtovsen at yahoo.com (Neal Tovsen)]

(please CC me in your reply - I'm on digest mode and I don't want to
miss it)

Anybody have tricks for getting the keepers off the valve? I've got the
spring compressed, but the valve stem isn't sliding up to release the
keepers. Seems to be stuck. Same for other valves I've tried. I tried
some light taps on the valve face with a mallet but I don't want to bend
the valve.

I'm new at this. I don't see how I could be missing anything, and the
Bentley makes it seem so simple...help!

FYI, this is a hydro 8v head with some fancy-pants stainless custom
valves with 7mm (instead of usual 8mm) stems. I purchased the head
fully-assembled, so I haven't had to mess with it before.

TIA!

-- 
Neal Tovsen