Who in here is running 2.02/1.60 valves???

I run those valves but my motor is all aftermarket stuff. You can click on the link in my sig for my combo.

I got 202 valves but they are trickflow tw and they are max out with stock pistons like a 550 lift i believe you. you can always flycut your piston for more lift but i dont know why you would want to unless you add more cubes anyway.

i called afr about this and they recommended cometic head gaskets. the gaskets can be made to different thicknesses. i am concerned about piston to valve clearance also when i do my cam swap.

You should be fine eithier way check valve clearance with clay or paint.

I run a 499/510

Mike, is the cam in the motor?

If it is, why not bolt the head down without the gasket and turn the motor over by hand? That is going to be your only sure-fire way of knowing what will and won't work....

Joe

i have a set of edelbrock heads with 2.02 i use the steada 19 cam with stock pistons because of the lift on that cam it does not give any problems

95CobraMike said:

ok so it sounds like alot of people do it....

joe, why would i do it without the gasket?

Click to expand...

That way you can bolt up the head and set one cylinder of valvetrain and check to see if it hits. If it doesn't then you know it you're good. If it does, then you know to do something about it, plus you didn't waste a head gasket. Thats the way I would do it too.

Jeremy

yes, you are right - .039" of thickness will make a difference...

you would ideally want to check it without a gasket for several reasons, one, you know if it clears withouth a gasket, that it will clear with one, and two - who wants to compress their gasket, and completely torque a head down - just to take it off... so, it's better to do it without a gasket.

I'd be looking for about .080" on the intake side and .100" on the exhaust side. This is because the exhaust will heat up more, and if you ever run into float on the extended life of the engine, you dont want chance meetings out there (in the 50,000 + hard miles range)

Now, it's not necissarily the cam size or valve size that determines Piston to Valve clearence. The duration and lobe seperation has alot to do with it, because the exhaust valve will not close before the piston is TDC at the end of the exhaust storke - and the intake valve is opening too, and there in lies 99% of clearence issues. so - bottom line - different cams, different heads and different pistons (even in stock blocks the specifications may vary) all will result in different clearance numbers, so its always good to check.

you can put a minute amount of clay in the valve depressions and cut them in half with a razor after you have very carefully pulled it off the piston and measure with micrometers. or there are other ways

i cut my pistons(i used to run a rediculas cam before the TFS stage 1), doesnt cost that much - but another thing you can do if your engine is not only together already, but also in the car, is buy smaller rocker rollers

hope this helps