Jim, thanks. That is something I had yet to consider. But wouldn't a lash cap add additional preload to the valve? I guess I should measure installed height and answer that myself... Thanks again for the tip.swampedge wrote:Did you measure the installed height of the springs? Were they in spec? If so then you can add a simple lash cap to the end of the valve stem and not look back. It looks to me like the valves were to short from the get go. If you had oiling issues that bad to cause that you would have more problems than that plus the engine would have had that familiar "smell of death" in it when you pulled the valve covers.
Jim