Going back a post...
Like you said, if you have good hands, you don't need to polish out your lines, mistakes, or blend issues.

 

I completely agree with this...(with a caveat) that there is no EXCESS casting flash or intrusion into the flow path. I did a set of GM 441castings for a 72 impala, too many years ago to admit, and all I did was clean up so casting irregularities on the intake side.. Like a port had almost a 1/16" of flash on one side....BUT a whole lot of rework on the exhaust side. Unshrouded the exhaust valve, cleaned up the port roof, tear dropped the stem guide and matched it to the manifold. We put it all back together using the same style steel shim head gasket as the factory, timed to factory spec with the factory 2 barrel. It was a completely different engine. The guy was just wanting to get a little better running engine that apeard stock hence stock manifolds but no joke it picked up a ton. Pre-work we jokingly timed it 0-60 at almost a full 12 seconds, after the work it was down to 8.5-9 seconds!!! Most people laugh when I say 9 sec to hit 60, but it had a 3 second improvement from almost exclusively exhaust side work.

I've done a few mopars and Windsor heads too. And I'm convinced, anything that is primarily street will see more benefits from exhaust side work than intake side. Just my .02

 

Pulling motor tomorrow. With my 1.7 roller rockers do I need more clearance in my valve covers.

 

Sometimes you do. I don't remember. I know on mustang valve covers we take baffle out. Probably should double check before you put intake and stuff on over the cover. I have taller aluminum ones that I'm using.

 

How tall can I go and still clear the intake

 

I'll have to measure when I get home. I think you have 1/2"-5/8". Not sure, that's a guess.
I have a 1/2" phelonic spacer to raise my upper intake when the time comes, just in case.
Drivers side will clear easily, it's passenger side we worry about. Might be able to shave off some material from bottom of the upper intake as well, that's kinda beefy.

 

Ok motor is out new heads are on few parts needed will be here tomorrow. Have guy coming Saturday to show me how to set roller rockers. He asked me for a cam card I'm using stock cam so I don't have one. He also asked if lifters are solid or hyd. Can anyone help motor is a 97 5.8 ,rockers are 1.7.

 

The 351 uses hydraulic lifters.

 

He wanted cam card to see what to set the valve lash to... Being hydraulic, it will be set with a procedure, not with a feeler gauge.

 

What's the procedure

 

Turn the engine until the lifter you want to adjust is at the lowest point in its travel. To find the lowest point, you can just look at it with the intake off, or stick a pushrod in it and see when the pushrod is the lowest in its travel.

Once the lifter is at the lowest point, install the rocker and push rod. Tighten the rocker adjustment just to the point where the pushrod has 0 lash. You can find zero lash by spinning the pushrod with your fingers - when it starts to have some resistance to spinning, that is zero lash. Once you hit the zero lash point, turn the adjustment 1/2 turn in, then lock it down.

 

Ian is correct. I use 1/2 turn.

Here is crane cams PDF that I send people.

http://www.cranecams.com/pdf-tech-tips/hydro-lift.pdf

 

Awesome thanks. How do I check to make sure my pushrods are correct length?

 

If you divide the valve stem into 1/3 increments, When valve is closed, the roller will be on the closer 1/3 mark. As valve opens, it will move it's contact point away from the pivot point to the 2/3 mark.
If pushrods are too long or short, the area covered by the rocker tip isn't correct.
It's actually quite forgiving in pushrod length.
If you have stock length, you'll be fine.
Roller lifter pushrods are significantly shorter, it's hard to get them mixed up.
Unless you've decked the block a bunch, you'll be fine.

 

Measured pushrods today came up with 7.686. Ordered 7.7 are these to long.