Rering one jug?

[DuckRyder]

It is possible you may end up having to change pushrod lengths because the receeded valves are now longer (well they aren't really longer, but the stems are sitting higher as if they were) it just depends on how severe it really is.

[ToughOldFord]

Yeah, if money's tight I'd at least throw a used head at it. I'd guess that once they start sinking they go pretty quick.

[mikeconner1]

You didn't say which side, but my guess is right bank, #4 cylinder, yes? The two rear cylinders are the furthest from the reach of the cooling system, and are the most likely to fail valve & seat-wise. As someone said earlier, the original seats & guides are not hardened, and the new no-lead fuel just burns them up. You also didn't say if the engine was smoking, but I suspect it did, quite a bit, yes? My suggestion would be to remove both heads while you're in it, and have them redone with new seats & guides. A decent machine shop around these parts will do that job for $400-$600 complete, not too bad to really freshen up that engine. If you just do the one side, you're going to have some imbalance that #1 ain't gonna run well, and #2, ain't gonna last long cuz the other side will show its weaknesses even faster. No shortcuts in the engine bidness

[Fordlorn]

Yep, that's where I'm at right now. Have called two machine shops to get prices. I'm gonna go ahead and at least rebuild the heads now and maybe in a year or two, if I have to, freshen up the block. I also found out that Ford did a spotty job of getting the spring seat heights in relation to the rocker tower dimensions correct. I talked to a machinest that made a special fixture that alows him to get the proper relation of stem to spring to rocker geometry. He made sense when he explained it so I'll prolly go with him even if it costs a little more. Sounds like between $400 and $500. I think I'll be much happier this way.

[Fordlorn]

Dropped the heads off today. Yeah, I know, this thread just rose from the dead. This proves that people over 40 have more patience. Twenty years ago I would have been telling you how good the truck was running about a month and a half ago.