Guys, Im all over the Camaro forums but NOBODY seems to be of any use on this one.....Im installing a set of 906 Vortecs on my 350. Ill be running a 460 cam and planning on doing the 'ghetto grind' on my valve stems to gain the extra .050 clearance I need. (I know they are only capable of 420 lift, or so Im told) Just the guide height, not the pocket. So, heres my question....if I grind .050 off the height of the valve guides, the stock valve seals will now be way too long. What valve seals do I use if Im only grinding down the valve guide height?

How much lift do you plan on having? Reports vary, but I've never heard only 0.420" lift. 0.450" is more like it, 0.480" is often okay. Only way to know is to check each valve with the seal, retainer & keepers installed.

If you're willing to go through the effort of what will produce poor results, you should be willing to buy the cutter that would do the job right. If you aren't going to cut the guides properly, use beehive springs.

You grind the bottoms of the stock vortec retainers , not the tops of the guide boss to do the ghetto grind. .050" is a lot. Cams are cheap. Get a .450" lift Isky dirt "lift rule" cam. Great for Ghetto vortec 350 street machines.
As said the only way to determine the real lift clearance of your heads is to measure.
www.iskycams.com

well I broke down, got it done right, and brought it to the machine shop. My advice to anyone who wants to put a set of vortecs on is.....dont........its way more involved and only slightly cheaper than buying a set of new, performance heads. This whole thing has been a learning experience for sure...

Reducing the OD of the guide for stem seal installation is commonly done. Some shorten the guides, too, in order to get needed clearance, but shortening the guides has unintended side-effects.

Shortening the guide reduces the amount of control the guide has on valve movement. In designing the new NASCAR R07 engine, GM engineers took that into account and made the guides taller/longer to better control the valve and their ability to reliably seal.

Determining the amount that the guides can be shortened before valve sealing is negatively effected would be best left to those who REALLY know.

Just me view.

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!! Graduation Day Parade 20 May 2010!!!

this article helped me with my cars http://www.baselinesuspensions.com/i...A_Drag_Car.htm

sorry, wrong thread. but good info anyway