how do I compress valve springs head on
 

I have an 88 honda accord LX with a 2.0, 5 speed 240,000 miles smokes like crazy at startup, sometimes not at all, cold weather seems to make it worse, anyway I would like to try to replace my valve stem seals useing poormans tools I need some idea of what I can do to remove and replace the valve springs in car I can do the compressed air thing, I need a tool or clue on how to make one, and any instructions would be nice, I just want to keep my accord alive,
not sure if it it is OK to mention other stuff in in the same forum but I also have a problem with the fast idle, its way to high sometimes 3000 or better temperature also affects this the colder the temp the higher the idle and it wont drop off until the engine is about completely warm.
any help with any of this will be greatly appreciated.
thank you
Jaymo

To do it on the car you'll want a valve spring compressor of this nature:
http://www.northerntool.com/images/p...9094279_lg.jpg

about $20 at sears.

However when doing it on the car there is a much higher risk than doing it off the car. It's real easy to loose a retainer down an oil passage or other areas. Keep this in mind while doing the job.

Thank you for the great advice Hopefully stuffing the head with rags will keep me from loseing a retainer, would be just my luck, Thanks allot for the picture, Im gonna get a timing belt and the gaskets and get to it in the next couple of weeks, if you have any idea about the carb issues I have had 3 of these 86 to 88 hondas with fast idle problems, any easy fix for this?

keep in mind to put whichever cylinder # you are working on ,,,on top dead and use compressed air to fill up the cylinder thus keeps the valves up .. if you do not and the spring is out , the valve might drop in to the cylinder than the head needs to be removed , also get a small pencil magnet, it is very helpful to remove the 2 valve keepers from falling off..

depress the spring with the tool, once depressed use the magnet to remove the keepers