Yep, that kinda where I was headed for pressures, thinking using the mild roller springs set up that way would have good life- I hear good things about the Tool Room springs

Looking at your picture makes sense too. It was set up for towing.
Pretty sure that’s it.
What happened to the original 428?
What are the specs of the 390 in it?
So many questions.

Yep, that's the couple I sold it too, they were in a trailer club. Original owners lived up the street, bought it to tow their horses to shows with 4 kids. A guy in Petaluma had a 7 Litre that matched the date of the engine and just had to have it. I got that 390 over in Marin, just a nice build, could see the 2291 on the pistons with my borescope. Are the 428 fender emblems missing? hehehe... It had been sitting in the horse barn since 1989, had it running in 20 min. It went through at least one more owner up here that I see at Petaluma swap every year. Pretty sure I still have the records since new, the original owner was way past anal about that stuff

First hand, hands on experience only please.  I want to get my 454 going for now without drilling the galleries just yet for T&Ds, and I know the Dove HDs that I have aren't highly thought of for over .700 lift. I do have a set of Harland Sharps that have a basic setup on, just spacers and steel stands. What are the limits on the HS rockers, say with HD shafts, spacers and end stands? Haven't pulled them apart but guessing bushed rockers. I have a .725 that was spec'd for a 454 similar to mine, and a .760 with easy profile that peaked in a 505 at 6300, and a .785 that's a little nastier. I've never heard of a breakage problem with the HS rockers? I've thought of maybe putting the HS rockers into the Dove HD stand setup with the big end stands, if it will fit up, seems the problem with the Doves was just rockers themselves breaking? I picked up a couple more toys, a 56 Bird with a drop axle and fenderwell headers, and a 65 Caliente for A/FX style. The Bird was running with a 427 until recently, and I'd like to get something respectable in it to keep the old ladies up on the sidewalk. Thanks for your help
MeanGene

Is it a small block top loader?  Will not go all the way in on FE unless you modify/shorten pilot shaft.  Joe-JDC

Didn't see a response to this, did you miss it? Check the ID tag on your trans to verify that it is a big-block or small block trans. Small-block input is longer, and causes that exact problem, won't go in all the way

IMO, the stand pads are just too high.  My gut tells me if I were to whack .200" off of these Comps, it would start to push things back to where they need to be. 

As one of the biggest problems with running big cams and springs has been the 4-bolt attachment points that were never designed for that load, especially in aluminum, the taller and presumably much stronger pads would seem to be a big improvement, if you can make up the height difference elsewhere (shorter stands). You seem to be fixated on one (conventional) solution, cutting the pads, which would unnecessarily take away the strength advantage, when the height can fixed without giving up the extra strength. I would imagine one or more of the established sources that supply aluminum rocker stands could come up with a kit, with some input from the major players,  with the proper height to work with the TF heads, including the end stands. Gotta get outside of the box and look from a different angle. Personally, I would work pretty hard at finding another way than cutting the pads down and giving up the strength

I know that is a generalized drawing there Jay, but in the case of the Trick Flow, the tip is actually pitched too far towards the exhaust side.  Depending on the arch of the rocker arm (if any), a longer valve will not necessarily do the same thing as a change in shaft placement.  If it was a "box" geometry that started with all 90° angles, up with one, or down with the other would accomplish the same things.  If the set-up exists with "other than" 90° angles to start with the remedies get kinda blurry.  Just for the sake of example....sometimes dropping the stand .200 might affect it more or less than a .200 longer valve, or vice versa.  They do have a longer valve, but it isn't "longer enough", and it would create other issues like installed height problems to keep making the valve longer.  The best fix for their deal is to lower the shaft, by whatever method suits a person's fancy.  I agree that it will work, it has minimal effect on power, and yes, it will wear the guides out quicker over time than proper placement. It also can be hell on a valve tip and rocker if not a roller, as Jay suggested.

Seemed to me that milling the rocker stands and changing the studs is the best answer.  The stands can be easily clamped in a Kurt vise and trimmed, and the studs can be bought with longer base thread.  After the fix, the deeper root is actually better........it just needs to be done.

One of the problems when raising the port roof when using OE style mounting is than we start to run out of threads above the port.  This doesn't happen quite as soon if the pad is taller and there are more threads left......just food for thought.

I think we shouldn't be too greedy about wanting an absolute bolt-on-no hassle situation when working with aftermarket heads.  A bolt-on OE garden variety FE head will flow about 230 on my bench on a good day.  That TFS that needs the stands milled will flow 308 here.  If all it takes is milling the darn stands a little, big deal.....just my opinion.....for 80 cfm, seems like a pretty good deal.

Valvetrain geometry can get to be an infinite discussion, because there are so many conditions that can require so many different remedies.  Sometimes, with really big camshafts with super high spring pressure, it is good to screw it up intentionally, in terms of the normal theory, to ease the burden past half lift, when ramps are stout, and spring pressure is high.  Other times, with less than .500 lift, the tip will barely change position through the whole range.  THAT is obviously what most of the street folks are looking for. 

Maybe Trick Flow should just put a note in the box that when building a high performance engine, one should verify proper valvetrain geometry.  I'm going to check it on all heads and all valvetrains.  Over time, I see some things over and over with certain combos of parts.  If you don't do it every day, you should check your individual situation out for yourself, or  work with someone who can check it for you.

Thank you- I was thinking with my Bridgeport mind, and had the same idea about putting the stands in an accurate mill vice, and keep the same setup for the next batch. The average wrap-around end stand thickness thing, a valid point, could be overcome with a little country thinking. In my mind, the extra beef and thread engagement is worth coming at it from a different direction

Are the threads deeper in head for rocker shaft stand bolts ?
Increased clamping force without pulling threads ?
If not and ports not raised , makes no sense .

Beat me to it lol... Maybe that was their thought, but poor execution? Is there more thread engagement the way they come? Still has to fit right, one could (if there is room) go deeper into the head to get more engagement, but if it was that easy (that room thing) someone would have done it a long time ago

I have a 20' Wells Cargo, would rather have a 24', but it came up on cl for 3K while I was on lunch, and I took time off and went for it- mainly because it has the left side barn door. When the drivers door is 1" past the jamb of the barn door, the tail of my 62 is 1" inside the back door, so I can load it myself. Kinda tight in the front but almost 3', room for jack etc and tying down. Had a couple bonuses, it belonged to an electrical contractor, and he had installed flourescent lighting on the ceiling across the front and down the right side, it had e-track on front and both sides with rigging, and had 3 Pingel motorcycle chocks. The guy got 20 calls after I told him I was headed for the bank, included a pushy gal with a Corvette who was incensed after she offered him more money to cut me out and he said no lol