I'm really out of money for machine work, already got totally screwed on the price for the studs and milling work, as I understand after WEEKS of research, the stock vortec springs really aren't all that bad, in fact the stock pressure is very similar to aftermarket comp cam 1.25 springs, although some K-700 would work much better in their place; its just the retainer to guide that causes all the problems with a .500 lift cam. Is it possible to cut down the guide myself with a grinder? I could have sworn i heard of someone else on here that did that once. I need to grind off .200 from the tops of the guides as i understand it. Why does that require fancy machine shop equipement? Someone convince me why I can't do it myself. I'm DYING to get my motor back together, I mean don't get me wrong, I like driving my caddy 500 GP around everyday but I need my stereo, my AC and most of all..................MY *** DAMN 5 SPEED MANUAL!!!!!!


P.S-The cam I'm dead set on installing has .507 lift/.510, 240/246 duration @.050. I talked with comp Cams and they recommended this cam to me after I told them my setup. The previous cam in my car was the Comp Extreme 268 back when I had stock heads, intake, carb and valvetrain.

 

comp cams has a cutter made for doing this and it could be used on a hand drill.

 

I got my guides milled for only $2 each, i'm more than willing to shell out $32 and have piece of mind that it was done right with the right tools. look up machine shops in the phone book and call around til you get a fair deal.

 

Are you sure it is .2" that seems like a lot. That would allow up to .660" lift, which would probably bind the coils in the springs. 0.460" is the max stock height, so somehthing like .040" off the guides would allow .5" lift if the springs are up to the task. .040" is less than 1/16" which can't be that hard to remove, if you have the right tools.

 

i do my own

 

how do you do it, is there a special tool? what is the part number?
thanks

 

I found a simplier answer. Just go out and buy some standard teflon small block chevy valve seals and take the heads to the local machine shop to be machined with a simple tool , or do it yourself with the tool if you want to buy it. My buddy and i did this ourselves with a borrowed tool, cost us nothing.
Chris

 

's no big deal cutting down the valve guides. I do my own, but I also work in a shop. There is a tool that will fit into a standard drill, but for the price of the tool, you're local machine shop will do it for ya.
Actually .2 is about right, by the time all's said and done. 1) you want to leave some extra clearance at max cam lift just in case. 2) Ya never know what else may not be to spec so once again leave a bit extra clearance.
The real issue is that the vortec's use pressed in studs, which if you are gonna go with any kind of real cam, and corresponding springs, you'll need to upgrade to screw in studs, even staying close to stock I'd reccomend it, the peace of mind is worth it.

 

Crane Cams also has a pretty good selection of machining tools:

http://www.cranecams.com/master/toolscyl.htm

For about $40.00 you can do it yourself. Another $6.00 for a 7/16-14 tap and the screwed studs are done, too.

 

i do mine with a vertical end mill, guess i'm just luckey to have access to one

 

What tool do you use in the mill to do this with Ede?

Thanks

Darrell

 

Don't buy the cam you're "Dead set on" and you'll have more than enough for machining and valvesprings.
Your present XE268 cam is a better choice anyways.
The guide has a stepped diameter so you can't just grind off the top of the guide because the seal pushes down to the step
so the step must be lowered too.
Find a repuatable machine shop that knows what they are doing so you don't get soaked again. This is routine stuff.

Neither of those cams will work well with the stock vortec springs.
They are fast action hydraulic designs and require specific
seat and open pressure to avoid valve float at high rpm.
Anything worth doing is worth doing right.

 

regular HS 1/2" end mill

 

What about lowering the seal ridge so that the seal will go down properly?

 

I never heard of any ridge? I just used both crane positive seals and o-rings on the intakes and plain old umbrella seals on the exhausts and they fit fine.