Posted by Mark W on June 19, 1998 at 20:58:18:
In Reply to: a shaved head posted by Phillip on June 19, 1998 at 03:13:01:
Ford heads as far back as '65 had hard seats in them, and cast iron
guides are not kind to stainless valves. I would suggest only milling the
head enough to make sure it's flat.
A good machinist should be able to spot a crack without having to pressure
check. I've not missed one yet, but also I've never seen a Ford head
crack. Plenty of Chevies, but Ford uses a much higher quality of iron
in their castings. Now watch, I'll see 2 cracks in the next month, and
miss one of them!
A boost in compression will really wake your motor up,
but unless you are prepared to diagnose and take the steps required
to compensate for these changes(shorter pushrods, spacers under rocker shaft
assembly, etc), you could be in for a peck of trouble.
You might consider a whole engine change. A used engine will actually
cost less than rebuilding that cylinder head, and the mechanical work will
take more muscle than skill.
Mark