Tight intake valve clearance ?

[Jason R]

Hello all, I'm in the process of installing edelbrock heads on my 64 galaxie and I'm running into tight intake valve clearance for the head gasket I want to run. Engine is a 416 with a comp hydraulic roller I've been running for a couple years with a set of c6ae-u heads and CJ valve sizes. With a new Ed head torqued down, checking springs and 1020 felpro gasket (.045"measured) and a SOLID roller lifter I get a minimum intake clearance .078" from 6-10 degrees ATDC. I would like to run cometic .030" gaskets with a 4.165" bore to bump the compression and keep a tight squish height (piston .012" in the hole at TDC). With the cometic I should drop to around .063" intake clearance minimum. So my question is if I go with the cometic .030" gasket and once I put the hydraulic lifters back in will I lose say .020" or so of lift and buy me just enough clearance on the intake to get by? I plan on mainly street driving, 6k max rpm, and occasional trip to the track. If your wondering  valve springs are 165lbs on the seat and around 425lbs on the nose at .600" lift. Also I started this problem for myself by advancing the cam 4degrees during this install, before with the cam straight up I was fine on valve clearance. I am prepared to drop the cam back 2 or 4 if needed, but I would sure like to try this combo before I do. Thanks in advance for any experiences or advice you guys can lend
Jason

[blykins]

Did you use a checking spring or an actual valve spring to check?

You will lose lift by switching from a checking spring to an actual spring.

To be honest, .060-.065" intake valve clearance doesn't scare me.  If you were seeing that on the exhaust side, then I'd be suggesting you do some things to gain more clearance.  It takes a whole lot of bad ju-ju to get an intake valve into the piston.  The valve is always chasing the piston down the bore. 

[Jason R]

Brent, Thanks for the reply. Yes it was a light checking spring and a solid roller lifter. Upon assembly the hydraulic lifters and standard valve springs will go back in. I have room to spare on the exhaust side especially since I advanced the cam.
Thanks again
Jason

[jayb]

I agree with Brent, you should be fine with that clearance.  But you've got no room to maneuver if you get into a valve float or lifter pump-up situation, so make sure those springs and the rest of the valvetrain are up to the drill.