Does anyone have a recommendation for a valve spring compressor or can those termed generic work on 914 heads. What works on 356 heads?

I'm just down the road from you in Canton. I'm also looking for a spring compressor myself.

I bought and used this one about 5 months ago. Less than $20. Used it once and put it with all my other rarely used tools.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074W8Q8X...=UTF8&psc=1

You can get them off with a socket and a hammer. Who ever is doing your seats, guides and valve grind will reassemble

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YWFQBK1/ref=ss...0NsaWNrPXRydWU=


I have this one...in the drawer with all the rarely used tools.

I will say that getting them off is not terribly hard, I rest the valve up on a piece of wood, and push down on the valve spring retainer cap with a customized piece of pipe...then flick the retainer out.
I am heavy enough and strong enough to do it that way.

Getting them back in....you need a tool.
you have to compress the spring quite a bit to get the retainer back in there, square and lined up properly.
The tool is worth having for that one job.

Removing the springs and valves is all good, but completing the removal/installation of new guides, grinding the seats, fitting new valves, etc is generally left to the shops who specialize in this work.

Here in Buffalo we had a very good machinist who completed this work at a fair $$, but he got old.