Valve spring Install woes...

Your fingers are too short... If you see the available tools, they go up from the pivot point, then come down on the retainer. If you have $12 or so, go buy or rent the KD on the car spring compressor. If you cant afford it, cut off the "C", make an extension out and up, and then re-attach the C to it. The further out you go from the center of the pivot, the more "down" rather than "out" the tool will go when you rotate it on the pivot.