I restore quite a bit of these (over 30) and you can't remove them or at least shouldn't. Most of them are welded in place. If they weren't, it would be difficult for the spring to stay in the middle of the lid where it is supposed to be when the lid is tightened down. I always mask off the whole underside of the lid and spring anyway. I never want to chance paint chipping off and getting into the oil supply. The underside of the lid was never originally painted anyway. Wada