Thanks guys for the great idea's. I was considering the airhose option @ 70-100 psi of pressure, but since streets mentioned it failed right before he was finished, this has me a little worried.

I think I will try the clothes line idea, as once this is compressed, I can take my time with the spring off, and make sure I find the best retainers available. If the machine shop indicates their a cheap retainer (based on what I have left of the one), I may replace all of them to ensure I dont have this happen again a month from now.

Do any of you guys know the best spring compression tool for heads that are mounted on the block still? All my buddies do not have one, and I may need to purchase or rent one for this project. I see one in Jegs (black handled -looks like nail puller), but I want the best tool for the job, since I will most likely only want to do this once.