Just getting parts together for a rebuild. I have an 83 block with an earlier solid lifter head on it Is this a problem?
I just bought some bigger valves and guides for the head.
It will be a street car running a 2 bbl auto and Dutra duals.
Here are some questions...
I should port and polish before the new valves are put in?
Is there a standard valve job but extra for a 3 angle valve job? and is it worth it?
I want to increase compression to run on 87 octane. How much should be taken of the head or block? I have a buddy with a machine shop but its not automotive, is there a wrong way or finish if he does it?
I dont have a cam picked yet but would like an Erson, any suggestions?
I have those to start thanks

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68 Valiant Signet, 225, auto.

please?

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68 Valiant Signet, 225, auto.

Porting and polishing are done while the valves are out, so are generally done first. Some work can be done while the valves are installed but care must be taken to make sure no foreign matter get's into the engine.

Seats and valves are no longer ground generally. They are machined or cut with specialty cutters. The terms no longer have the same meaning in a modern shop. A three angle valve job is standard AFAIK. Back cutting and face cutting are other operations for performance builds generally. Back cutting is helpful in a street application, face cutting is useful if you run oversize valves that are extremely large, and bore is still relatively small. (For instance me running 300 Ford Valves in a .045 overbore. It keeps me from smacking the cylinder walls with the valves.) Generally, the extremely large valves should only be used on a .060 overbore or larger.

How much to take off the head or block requires that some measurements be taken. You must measure how far down the hole the piston is, consider any dish or raised portions of the piston if applicable, the volume of the combustion chamber (After Valve Work!) the diameter of the gasket fire ring, stroke corrections (Measure to be sure), Bore size, and compressed gasket thickness.

If you post up here, we can help you walk through it. Until you know all of these things, we can't make a recommendation of how much to cut off any of the above. There are online calculators to help you with this information of course.

Like I said here, it is imperative that you measure all of these things first.

I've not done a Hydraulic to solid conversion. You are going to want solid lifters, pushrods, the solid rocker shaft with adjustable rockers, and the appropriate bolts for the solid rocker shaft.

You should be able to go 9.0 or possibly up to 9.5:1 on 87. I don't run at that compression, so get a second opinion. I run higher compression for 92 Octane.

Depending on your buddies equipment, you may be better served to go with an automotive machine shop. There are processes that are more precise with specific equipment. It can be done, but the skill sets and advanced equipment are not necessarily interchangeable.

To choose a cam requires knowing some more things, What is your intended use? Be realistic with engine operating rpm. What rear gears are you using? What is the true weight of the vehicle? What converter do you have, and where does it stall?

For general street and a bit more low and mid go with an RV15M (Either the stocked cam or Doc's RDP Grind,) If you have lower rear gears, and more stall, you can do a 270 or an RDP version.

For low gears and high stall, the 280, 280/270 RDP, or something similar might be in line.

For all out strip, extreme RPM, the High Flow AM may meet your needs. There are custom grinds floating around, so some others can give you lobe center values and so forth, but it depends completely on your build.

Don't throw a High flow AM or 280 in something that has stock gears and converter. You will end up with a gutless pig.

There are other grinds out there. Tell us what you want to do!

Gotta excuse us. We've been out grilling burgers and burning our eyebrows off with fireworks down here!

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

By the way, if your planning to do something with the ports that involves removing substantial material, (read: more than cleaning up flash,) then you need to search and hit the articles and some of Doc's and other posts that cover where the water jackets are. You can turn a perfectly good head into scrap with a single swerve of the die grinder.

Move forward with extensive port modification only after you fully understand where the water is. There are photos linked in the Frequently Asked Questions thread in this part of the Forum.

Use caution!

There are some very qualified guys that specialize in slant heads. Doug Dutra and Mike Jeffery. If your planning to go mid-evil on the thing, consider getting one of their heads. Could save you a boatload of $$

Two pennies.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing