Jon, you are too kind my friend. I have spent a lifetime. I can hardly believe how quickly those times came and went, lol.
So both trucks and cars, but it started with cars. 1957 chevy was my first, and the one I kept all these years. Took my drivers test in the darn thing.
Currently, 261 powered. 302 gmc rods, venolia forged pop up pistons, Schneider cam 493 lift, 282 duration. Four speed, 4:11 rear. Car sits like I built it in high school in the 70s with the exception of the motor. The head that was on the car was one I had intended for a much more radical motor so it was ported and hogged out pretty good. I actually built the head when I was in my 20s (now 60s) for a race motor when I was in my bigger must be better mode. I needed a head so I dragged it out of storage in 2014 and used it knowing it would be a high rpm head. It developed a crack last year so I redid another head which I just finished installing.
Nothing crazy, 1.6 chevy stainless exhaust valves, 50-52 chevy power glide 1 15/16 intake valves. Relieved the exhaust chamber to unshroud the larger exhaust valve, hand ground the little bulb on the exhaust wall near the head of the valve, Hogged out the valve bowls a bit to make use of the larger valves, three angle valve job, some hand blending, pc seals, enlarged valve spring pockets to accommodate the Schneider springs and keepers.
The photo with the head port side up was on the mill. The first pass at .001 shows how out of flat the head was. I ended up taking .010 off the head to get it flat which I did not think was terrible. I have had heads in the past that needed a lot more so .010 was pretty good in my mind. Important part of the process, at least for me.
The other thing is, I generally don’t replace the valve guides any longer. I had a head crack on me a number of years ago trying to get one out. Turned a perfectly good 848 head into a boat anchor. So I prefer to use bronze inserts. These heads are ready old now, have been through countless heat and cool cycles and to the extent the castings will move around a bit, I guess they have moved all that they are going to. I don’t want to mess with that just to install valve guides. That and I think the bronze has some lubricant quality to them, so to speak, So bronze liners for me.
