Jim, a box of 100 latex gloves was $4.99. That's well worth the cost when it comes to the wife yelling at me for grease spots on the fridge handle.

The head is read to come off. I tried working on the bolts with just a wrench and a 3/8" drive set but my back is hurting. I have 1/2" drive deep wells but no ratchet for them. A quick trip to wallmart would fix that but the sun is setting and I have all week on this project.

Got the exhust manifold off.

Got the valve cover off

Pulled a bunch of hoses

Here's the rocker arms



There's the things (cant remember the names) that hold them



The striped down motor



It's amazing that the water pump can push coolant through this crap

The long ones are the pushrods... In the egg box are the rockers and rockerballs.. Do the rockerballs still have oil grooves in them?
Never mix em up! You are doing good.
I have been told a standard coolant pump will pump 20 gals a minute at max rpm.. I never have seen it though.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Not sure, I looked them over for obvious cracks or damage and they all look good to me. Other than that.

Do you know a good source or parts list for all the vacume lines that I broke. I broke 3 of them but they were brittle as hell. I'm wondering if some people just use regular hose. Seems to me it would do the same job. The one i'm dreading replacing goes into the firewall, i'm assuming to the heater controls.

Either way 1/2" breaker bar will get the head off tomorrow.

One good thing from all of this is I planned on replacing the exaust manifold with a header I got from quadratec. The only one had some cracks in it so this gets me to do it.

Take a short piece if EACH vac line to the parts house and get a bit too much of each one. All parts houses have vac hose.
Yes the line to the firewall goes to the heater.
I was asking about the rubbung surface between the rocker and the ball it rocks on. There should be some lines that hold oil on the balls. When the ball wears out the oil holding lines are worn smooth.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

did you check the condition of the plug wires? are they on all the way? ( I ask only because 1 the easy things are often overlooked and 2 because I had a similar problem with my 82 and the 99 I use to own both was a plug wire that had come loose)

Well jim I think you nailed it a couple of posts back. The gasket didn't appear to have any damage and the cyl all looked good to my untrained eye (more picks to follow later)

I think I found the problem, this looks to me like it would be the "money shot"



The valve on the left that's covered in oil looks nothing like the valve to the right of it. The one on the left is for the no. 1 cyl

I'm uploading pics of the cylinders now.







I'll have some better shots once my other camera is charged. This one doesn't have a working display window so It's hard to guess what the picture is off.

Yep! That one is ugly. You need to pop the spring off and wobble the valve stem in the hole...to see how much clearence it has. AND to look at the valve seal. I'd come near betting the seal has went away.. If it has then you need to purchase a complete set of seals and install them all. If the clearance is a lot more on that ONE valve you might think of a new guide... but if all have similiar clearance then it is the seal and nothing else.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

What about just taking it to an engine shop and having them do a valve job in it? How much do you think that'd run me or do you even think that's necessary?

I had my 4 cylinder head done (complete head job) for I think 140$ but that's here in upstate NY where prices are cheap. In north Jersey they wanted 275$ for the same job. That's in an area where you can't even find an auto parts store, though.

Well Santone the valve jobs are simply put...excessive WEAR on both the valves and the head! The grinding thins out both for no reason. If the valves are working I never have seen a need to grind them down and have them seated deeper in the head.
When I have a burnt valve I get a new one and LAP it into position with a diamond compound.. JUST the one. Then I put the head back in service.
I have my own of course but I think you can BORROW a valve spring compressor from the parts house. It ain't rocket science!
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />