Hi guys, Well after reading all your replies I have a lot more information. The spring number that I got from Howards was # 98632 double springs with no damper the rates they show for these are 145@1.94 closed and 422@ 1.25 open. These were the springs that were recommended by Eric Bolander western regional sales manger for Howards. He sounded like he had been doing this for a while, not just a blabber mouth salesman, and not like someone that had worked at AutoZone up until last week. The springs that were on the website were #98611 that spec'd at 145@1.88 closed and 350@1.25. I told him all the stuff I have in this motor and what I am planning to do with it. The numbers on the #98632 that I received are close to the numbers you guys are looking for, maybe a bit soft on the closed side according to Brent. So are you guys saying that I need to shim these springs a bit to raise the closed pressure? As far as vacuum goes, that we will have to see. You may be right, BUT I have run a cam with .262/.269 and .540 Int .560 Exh with 133 overlap in a 10.25 CR 427 Chevy with oval port heads and never really noticed a vacuum problem for the power brakes. So I'll just have to see, and maybe run a cannister for vaccum to help my booster if I have a problem there. The lifters that come with the Howard cam are Morel and you guys seem to like them, so I didn't think I had to worry there. I am planning to run 5W30 oil as Bolander told me that was a good idea and to expect a little lifter noise on crank up especially if it has been sitting for several days. I do appreciate all your input on this, and value your experience on this kind of engine. For some reason this particular air pump is a lot more difficult to build run and have last than a big block Chevy. I have built several of them. They are easy and easy to make good power with. My last bracket car was a 68 Camaro all steel and glass except the hood, .060 over 396 so 408, 100cc oval port closed chamber heads with a Comp solid flat tappet 11-604-5 256/266 294/304 adv dur 579/605 lift 12.3 CR Edelbrock Victor Jr port matched intake, Rons Fuel Flying Toilet on alcohol, TCI transbrake powerglide TCI 5000 converter, 12 bolt with Strange spool and axles and 488 Richmond gears. I built this all my self, the only thing I had done was having the valve job done to go up to 2.19/1.88 for the Manley race flow valves. This car ran 6.59@ 102 1/8th mile consistently. There was more in it, but I didn't feel the need to push this combo and I was limited to stock suspension with slapper bars. It was deadly consistent and that's what you look for. This Galaxie isn't my first hotrod. And neither was this Camaro. But I am being challenged by this FE build. I know by having been a Chevy guy it sets some of you on edge as does the fact that I bought ProMaxx heads. Well nobody and I mean nobody had any aluminum heads last year, or if they had them they wanted $3000 a piece for them IF you could get them to actually ship them, so I bought what I bought. I never dreamed that I would be a year into getting parts and finishing this motor. Honestly, I'm sick of it. But I have it, I love the body style and I really want to run it, but a lot of the fun has been taken out of it.

Again thanks for the help
Dave Keeton

Hey guys, First of all, thanks for all the replies and input. I appreciate that none of you really blasted me as sometimes happens in a forum. I like what you said Brent about the valve springs. I did single them up for break in. I did use break in oil but to be honest it was Jegs break in oil that is supposed to have all the ZDDP in it that you are supposed to need. Maybe that was part of it. All the lifters did rotate in the bores at any position. I made absolutely sure of that considering the age of this block. It didn't turn that much before firing on up. during break in I heard a pretty loud tapping at the rear of the passenger valve cover, I put a stethoscope to the valve cover, and I could feel that a rocker arm adjusting nut was barely hitting the baffle for the breather. I of course corrected that after I shut it down. It all seemed to be going well at that point. The next day, with the valve covers off, I checked to see if I had any rockers that had any lash or anything looked out of place. I didn't see anything wrong at this point. I pulled the rocker assys off and put back in the inside springs and set everything back to zero lash to fire it up again and adjust a bit on the timing and idle mixture. During this run as the minutes went along I heard a valve tick, like one was a bit loose. It didn't take long for that tick to turn into a loud clack so I shut it down. You are probably right Brent about too much spring pressure for a hydraulic flat tappet. I took the guy at ProMaxx's word that these springs were good for that kind of cam. On one lifter, just one, the intake on #2, the lifter wore  3/8" off the contact surface. The lifter would still spin in the bore. So, seeing this, out came the motor and trans. When I tore the motor down, all the lifters would come out the top but the bad one. It stayed in till the cam came out and I pushed it down and out. It wore all the way down into the spring inside the lifter. All the bearings had metal in them, and it killed the bearing surfaces of the crank. So I have another crank and bearings here, and I'm waiting on cam bearings.
   I also ordered a Howards Cams hydraulic roller, CL253385-10 cam and lifter kit, Adv Dur 288 int 294 ex 235@050 int and 241@050 ex .560/.560 lift LSA 110 Int CL 106. I also ordered their springs that Howards recommended #98632 that are 145@1.94 and 422 @1.25 pressures. I'll order my pushrods from either Trend or Manton. I realize a custom cam grind might give me a few more horsepower and more torque here or there, but since this is going to be a street car and occasional bracket car, it will be what it is. Again, I do appreciate all you guys giving me your input and expertise on this. I'll let you know how things go if I can ever get any parts here. I'm a retired partsman, 10 years in auto parts then 31 years at a Volvo truck dealership and getting parts now is a thousand times worse than our worst nightmare was before I retired in Jan 2020. I got out just in time. But it sure has made my hobby a pain in the butt.

Thanks again.

I am using the REAL GASKETS now. I put a thin bead of Permatex Ultra Black on the valve covers, that are fabricated aluminum, and a bead at each end around the "U". I am using studs and nuts. These are going on Pro Maxx heads and Edelbrock performer RPM intake. I'm still fighting a small leak on both lower corners at the rear. No problem at the front or at the intake/head junction. So, not satisfied with them. I might try Brents suggestion.

That's some good info to work with. Thanks Nightmist66. The head gaskets they recommend are FelPro 1020 that are .041 thick. Ok, blast away. Everyone always has different opinions on head and intake gaskets based on hard learned experience. I've owned 5 FE motors but this is the first I've been into. I've been into a bunch of small and big block Chevys and always ran FelPro with good results. But that's apples and oranges, I know. From what you said head gasket thickness will help with the interference issue compared to no gasket, which makes sense, so .041 thickness may help some. These are 72cc heads and the pistons I will be running are dish top that are supposed to end up with 10.3 compression. I don't need any more than that, which is about stock, on this street and sometimes bracket car.
Thanks again
Dave

Thanks guys, that info is of some help. I did measure with a digital caliper across the intake and exhaust valves and that distance is 4.05". So by over boring to 4.08 or 4.09 that allows for clearance, BUT when I take into account the amount of offset that the centerline is offset then the problem may show up. Knowing that grinding the bore is ok, of course not going below where the top ring travels, that puts my mind somewhat at ease. Since I am only planning to run .588 exh lift I am also hopeful that I won't have the interference issues that more lift could cause. Thanks again for your replies, I'll let you know how it goes, and if I run into any issues with these ProMaxx heads that you guys have very varied opinions about. I understand all of your thoughts and feelings about buy pure American, I'm about as adamant as you are but these times of, we might as well say zero availability of a lot of parts, make us bend our rules a bit sometimes. Besides these guys are 55 miles from me, so if I have a problem I can talk with them in person, and I figure if they work out, I was at least helping the local guys feed their families that work with Jason at ProMaxx.