How To: Remove valves from a Ford flat head

[Alastair Thomas]

Having removed the starter motor, cleaned the sump and replaced it, I decided to remove the valves because they would need grinding in.
Removing the valves
These engines have been in service in their millions for getting on for 90 years so you might imagine that an accepted and acceptable method of getting the valves out would have been agreed upon by now. If this is the case then I wish someone had told me. I read the manual and watched a number of YouTube videos and was left feeling that there must be a better way.
The problem arises from the fact that these engines had valves with the so called mushroom foot. (The latest versions of this engine have straight stemmed valves). This means that the valve will not pass through the valveguide hence the valveguide is split in two down its length. The result is that the whole assembly of valve, valveguide, spring and collet has to be removed in one piece as shown in the illustration below.

The valve assembly