[captain pickle]

I've been going in circles trying to find correct data on the valvetrain geometry and if I can get away with 1959 valves in 1960 heads.

I have a 1959 engine that was rebuilt and then the car sat for a long time and debris must have gotten in and wiped out the crank and bearings. I'm doing a clean and freshen on it.

Apparently it got 1960 heads along the way and the valve stems and guides that appear to have been knurned in the past are all out of spec. I was planning to ream the guides up and then install some 0.003" OS valves that I can get and touch up the existing seats. This is nothing crazy and a driver that will get 350 miles a year. And that's when I noticed that the head casting numbers were the same as 2 other 1960 engines I have. The 59 and 60 heads are all dual barrel (not the 3/2 or 425a). Some things I'm finding are saying that the valve length difference is about 0.023" with one longer and one shorter attributed to the different combustion chamber dimensions.

I've also tapped out the rocker studs and lowered the pedistals for screw in studs since one already pulled up. I was planning on using the SBC stamped rockers.

So - question is can I get away with the 59 valves in the 60 heads? I can grind the longer valve stem down but I'm having trouble even finding installed valve spring height to do some checking of where I am. I want to use all the same length pushrods so I don't make that much of a mismatched mess.

So - anybody done this or have advice? My gut tells me it may be possible to adjust into an acceptable geometry is one thing is a little off, but not if everything is a little off. thanks

edit: also I'm missing the water distribution tubes so wondering if I should try to make them of convert the engine to 1960 standard cooling