Got the head on Thursday. It had the aft stud broken off flush with the head, and the #6 exhaust valve was not seated on the seat! I took it to my local maching shop (Blockhead Machine Shop) and the owner/operator (a Chevy guy but has always treated me well) says the stud is no problem, and the valve seat looks good from what he could see. He told me it looks like aluminum flakes around the combustion chamber, so more than likly the piston hit the valve (which would explain why the guy at the wrecking yard said the truck the head came off of had a bad knock). So, at the least it will need a new valve, and possibly a new guide. He says the other valves look good, and lapping the valves should be all I need on the others. I might just forget painting the head for now and put it on this next Sunday, I cant stand the way the car runs now!

Oh yeah, I'm not hurting the engine by running it with a bad valve, am I? Like stated earlier, the engine has very little blow-by and no oil smoke out of the exhaust...just a little black at start up.

Woohoo! Sounds like you get off easy this time around.

You're not the only one at the moment with a valve-related slant-five engine; see this thread.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.