OT - Valve Stem Height 302 & 390 Ford

Ken(Ark) · Sep 21, 2014

Does anybody have the specs for the valve STEM height for a 302 and the FE 390 ?

The rockers are not adjustable so the STEM needs to be ground to the right height . I can find lots of info on valve SPRING height but that's not what I need .

The 390 heads are C1AE's and the 302 heads are E7TE's

Thanks for any help , I have searched for a long time but have had no luck finding those specs . I would buy an AERA book but I can't justify the money for just two old motors .

shaun wallace · Sep 21, 2014

On 330FT pushrod length adjust 'valve lash'. FE & FT engines use same valve adjustment. The 302 is also adjusted by pushrod length. The nuts are torqued to 18-22 ft-lbs.

ZANE · Sep 22, 2014

If the rocker arm hold down nut is self locking
you tighten it down till there is no slack and
then another 3/4 round.

If the nut is not self locking just go all the way
down. You might try taking out the slack then
observe how much more of a revolution it takes to
get to the bottom. I would think some where aroung
a round???? The lifter can accomidate a lot of
adjustment error.

Zane

beastlybirdie · Sep 22, 2014

Ok, as for valve stem length, that would be the overall measure of the valve from head to tip. You do not grind stems, unless you are done with the valve, or the tip has mushroomed and you are desperate. If you are seeing some sitting higher than others, look at the head for signs of tuliping, or signs the seats are sinking (both usually occur from high spring pressures). The seat placement should have all valves sitting same height. If the head was surfaced, you get to a point that it requires a change in pushrod length.
I hope this answers the question I think you were asking.

beastlybirdie · Sep 22, 2014

Ok, as for valve stem length, that would be the overall measure of the valve from head to tip. You do not grind stems, unless you are done with the valve, or the tip has mushroomed and you are desperate. If you are seeing some sitting higher than others, look at the head for signs of tuliping, or signs the seats are sinking (both usually occur from high spring pressures). The seat placement should have all valves sitting same height. If the head was surfaced, you get to a point that it requires a change in pushrod length.
I hope this answers the question I think you were asking.

Ken(Ark) · Sep 22, 2014

Thanks for the replies , I found the numbers finally .

On pedestal type rockers that are non adjustable or the old FE style that are shaft mounted and non adjustable , the tip of the valve needs to be set at a specific height when a valve or seat is ground . You do this by butt cutting the valve stem to shorten the overall length since it sets deeper in the head after having material ground off .

Stem height is the distance between the spring seat and the tip of the valve stem . On most small block Fords this height is 2.1570 - 2.1870 . It is not as critical when you have adjustable rockers . You still would not want .100 too much . On the FE shaft mounted rockers the height is 2.110 - 2.140 .

It is similar to non adjustable lifters in the N motor , which is a hundred times easier to assemble the valve and physically check the lash .

You will get a million plus hits for spring height which has nothing to do with the tip of the stem

Jason S. · Sep 22, 2014

(quoted from post at 02:14:14 09/23/14)
Thanks for the replies , I found the numbers finally .

On pedestal type rockers that are non adjustable or the old FE style that are shaft mounted and non adjustable , the tip of the valve needs to be set at a specific height when a valve or seat is ground . You do this by butt cutting the valve stem to shorten the overall length since it sets deeper in the head after having material ground off .

Stem height is the distance between the spring seat and the tip of the valve stem . On most small block Fords this height is 2.1570 - 2.1870 . It is not as critical when you have adjustable rockers . You still would not want .100 too much . On the FE shaft mounted rockers the height is 2.110 - 2.140 .

It is similar to non adjustable lifters in the N motor , which is a hundred times easier to assemble the valve and physically check the lash .

You will get a million plus hits for spring height which has nothing to do with the tip of the stem

If you have too much preload on the 1977 and up 302 or 351W or any of the 351M,400,429,460 heads Ford Motorsport and Crane sell a shim kit. It goes underneath the pedestal in the slot cast into the head.They come in a 32 pack. Sixteen .030 shims sixteen .060 shims and you can stack both of them to get .090.Crane used to sell a shim kit for the FE engines with non adjustable rocker arms but I do not know if they still do. All the FE's I had I switched to adjustable rocker arms.

gwstang · Sep 22, 2014

If this is a newer style 5.0 with the pedestal style, you tighten until the push rod gets some drag on it, while twisting between the fingers, then about 3/4 to 1 full round. I just got done doing this a couple of months ago on my '66 mustang that I put a 5.0 HO w/efi into.

howdy1960 · Sep 23, 2014

beastly, I agree with valve over all leagth as you described it. I do not agree with not grinding the tip. The main reason for grinding the tip (aka 'tipping' per my mentor) is to assure a flat surface perpendicular(sp) to stem for rocker to sit/ride against.
Draw back to my training is the machine shop did mostly small block Chevys.
However it WAS fun putting Chevy 1.72/1.500 valves into a Pinto head.

beastlybirdie · Sep 23, 2014

(quoted from post at 22:14:44 09/22/14) beastly, I agree with valve over all leagth as you described it. I do not agree with not grinding the tip. The main reason for grinding the tip (aka 'tipping' per my mentor) is to assure a flat surface perpendicular(sp) to stem for rocker to sit/ride against.
Draw back to my training is the machine shop did mostly small block Chevys.
However it WAS fun putting Chevy 1.72/1.500 valves into a Pinto head.

Lol, we did similar things. I agree on squaring tips, and shaving them (I run big block mopars, though I use Isky adjustable now) just when I originally read your post it sounded like you were trying to cut a lot more off the valve. BTW, Isky and crane made adjustable shaft rockers for FE's. A lot easier to play with.

Hobo,NC · Sep 23, 2014

(quoted from post at 06:01:54 09/23/14)
If this is a newer style 5.0 with the pedestal style, you tighten until the push rod gets some drag on it, while twisting between the fingers, then about 3/4 to 1 full round. I just got done doing this a couple of months ago on my '66 mustang that I put a 5.0 HO w/efi into.

Dunno what you mean by late but 5.0's are not adjusted that way... If it is its been changed over to a adjustable set up...

Hobo,NC · Sep 23, 2014

I have found some good info here...

http://www.network54.com/Index/10214

I don't own a stem height gauge always wanted one just never brought one... I grind the valve and then the same off the stem its always worked out for me that way...

ASEguy · Sep 23, 2014

I do what Hobo says he does. Valve train geometry is not something most tech's think about with hydraulic lifters, but it should be. I got burned years ago with compression on a V-6 that got worse after I machined the valves. The valves receded into the head to the extent that the valve hung open. Lifters can bottom out if they are hydraulic. If I was concerned it might happen I would replace the valves. I have also seen stretched valves...rare, but it does happen.

howdy1960 · Sep 23, 2014

~grinz~ SBC in a pinto head does require a LOT off. about .100. Good thing they have lots of hardened tip to do it with.
My mentor ran SBC as cheap to fix but when his SWMBO wanted to race her grocery getter he did up a 383 + .030 for her as left him more time to fix his.
She went mid 14s in 67 Coronet while he was doing mid 9s in 68 Camero (all throtle, no bottle) in 1/4 mile.

gwstang · Sep 23, 2014

That was about what it took to get my adjustment to the torque value (17-20 ft/lbs if I remember right). It is supposed to be torqued to a value #, so you are correct. I forget sometimes...lol. :shock:

OT - Valve Stem Height 302 & 390 Ford

Ken(Ark)

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shaun wallace

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ZANE

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beastlybirdie

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beastlybirdie

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Ken(Ark)

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Jason S.

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gwstang

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howdy1960

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beastlybirdie

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Hobo,NC

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Hobo,NC

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ASEguy

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howdy1960

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