OK, Stocker "valve jobs".

[Billy Nees]

If you know that your spring seat will take the cut without going through or getting too thin/weak then sink the spring seat. I don't know much about 302s but might there be an "offset" retainer (gotta be steel) available? Maybe a combination of both? A shorter spring?

[pmrphil]

Yeah, I agree, the spring should fit the head, not try to make the head fit the spring.

[Rick J]

Get the correct springs, retainers, locks.
Do not use locks that increase installed height, they lack the strength of a standard or a top lock, which is the strongest lock style.

[goinbroke2]

Actually these are springs/retainers/locks that came off a 302 stocker. I'm guessing his valves were sunk deeper or the spring seat was machined, actually, I never asked if he used aftermarket valves, perhaps he used valves with higher lock cuts?

My issue with cutting the valve seat lower is that I would have to start all over with the valve job that I just finished. The spring seat has never been touched, I'll take a closer look and see if .100 is plausible.

I have a set of new mild springs on it now that are at 65 on the seat and 185 over the nose, these are for breaking in the lifters. I could shim them up to get 115/275 or so after break in. (at correct height they are 85/250 or so)

Back out to the garage I go...

[Billy Nees]

Seeing as your magic number is .100, more than likely whoever you got the stuff from had .100 long valves. It's just too even a number to be chance.

[Henrys Toy]

Originally Posted by goinbroke2

Since all the head guys are here, ill ask here?.

How do you raise installed height? Never had this problem before, i have lock/retainers that raise it up but not enough.
1) Sink the valve deeper, but that lowers compression
2) mill the spring seat down

I need around .100 on intake and .140 more on exh, thoughts?

Oh, and the reason i need more height is because my spring pressures are too high. (70-80# too high)

Or am i looking at it wrong???

Not too proud to admit i dont know much!

Good morning Jim and to all,
The ideas you have listed will work. You can also find out if your favorite intake or exhaust valve manufacture has valves that are plus .050 and or .100 longer. Then use different assembly height keepers and / or retainers to get to your final height requirement. Have you contacted you valve spring Manufacturer to see if there is some other number valve spring that can accommodate the pressure's you're looking for?
Then you won't have to perform any additional machining processes.
Just a couple of suggestions that might help you, Have a Good Day.

Respectfully,
Henry Kunz 1534 H/SA

[goinbroke2]

Well, I sunk the seat of an intake enough to get 1.90 installed height, that gives me 130# on the seat and 290# over the nose. Still on the high side but livable.

Exhaust I sunk it as far as I like it and only got installed height of 1.805 which is still way to short.

I'm going to start calling around for valves +.100 and see how quick I can get them.


(quite the change from a bracket racing engine build!!)

[Billy Nees]

I hope that you're cutting up a set of junk heads because by the time that you get done doing what you're doing, you can probably throw them away!

[goinbroke2]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

I hope that you're cutting up a set of junk heads because by the time that you get done doing what you're doing, you can probably throw them away!

All I'm cutting is valve seats which can be replaced and the valves which can be replaced. I get your point though...this is getting rediculous.

So, all I can find is milodon +.050 valves but they are 1.60 so I'd have to cut them to 1.46 so that's no good. Can't find longer stock diameter valves.

Another option is replace the springs which is what I think I'll do. I think I'll stop by Armstrongs again and hopefully they have something in stock.

I mixed and matched the 3 springs and 5 retainers I already have here and so close but not good enough.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by goinbroke2

Well, I sunk the seat of an intake enough to get 1.90 installed height, that gives me 130# on the seat and 290# over the nose. Still on the high side but livable.

Exhaust I sunk it as far as I like it and only got installed height of 1.805 which is still way to short.

I'm going to start calling around for valves +.100 and see how quick I can get them.


(quite the change from a bracket racing engine build!!)

Jim, not fer nuthin' but do you have a set of "stock", "legal" heads laying around? Take them, do a nice, clean, un-trick valve job on them and find a set of springs that will fit. Someone must make a spring for a "hot street" cam for a 302 that will give you 130-150 lbs. seat pressure. There are gains to be made with a trick-of-the-week valve job, changing seat angles and valve angles BUT you're not there yet and with the combo that you're doing that's the last thing that you need to be concerned with.
You've got a soft HP factor and (for the combo) a decent "stock" head. If you want to sink your intake valves, then go ahead. But not a lot. Sinking the intake will "get the valve out of the way" at low lifts and is a good thing. Don't sink the exhaust valve at all if you can help it. Low lift flow is the opposite on the exhaust side as the intake. Get the exhaust valve "out of the way" by opening it into the chamber so that exhaust gas can flow around it.
The main thing that you need to be concerned with to get started will be blueprinting to get your maximum amount of mechanical compression and don't get carried away with camshaft duration because your duration and "cam timing" will dictate what you will have for cylinder pressure. Cylinder pressure being very important when it comes to making torque and you're not going to make gobs of HP so you had better be able to make torque.
Now "professional" engine builders can (and probably will) come on here and argue my points but with the combo you've got and at the point you're at a well built and blueprinted shortblock and the correct cam selection (and a good set of "stock" heads) will get you a lot farther under the index than what you're doing right now.