Let's just say these are safe limits.

Your mileage may vary, but having a lifter go after missing an opportunity to switch them out can be very expensive.

 

How about ones they have done?

You don't need to rebuild the entire motor but your seats/valves will be pocketed/worn at 40,000 and if you're going to the effort of lifting the heads, you'd be daft not have them cleaned up.

I'm not into crazy hotrodding but I do like my things 'just right' and all the niceties are really quite cheap.

I'd re-cut the valve and seats, skim the heads, set the squish, install the cam and it'll run sharp for another 40,000. I good shop should fettling the ports around the seats to match doing the most important cleaning up of them.

Have a look at your exhaust guides to see if they are burnt out.

Yup, one of my rocker covers warped too ... it is possible to level them enough just using wet and dry paper on a flat surface? Wasn't leaking before.

That's very true ... but it depends on which cam he goes for which I suppose will be the next question?

 

Well here's your question, I want to notice a difference if I do it but I want it to idle without stalling, run well, nothing too aggressive, don't want to create other problems. Not sure if that was a question.

 

Pop a cam and lifters in it and run it.

 

If you still have the stock cam any decent aftermarket will give you a noticeable improvement.
EV 27 or 13, Woods 6, or the Vthunder 3010 are my recommendations.
I went with the EV 27 and am very happy with it.

 

Nah, seats will be good for 80K if you use decent gas.....which in some states is impossible....Kees's guides were fine at 100K, seats were screwed though.

 

You can do just the cam and lifters but will have to bolt cut the pushrods and install new adjustables that is without removing the heads. You can probably do the 3 for $500-$600. your labor and maybe get to around 75 hp/80 tq. woods w6 (I highly recommend) $225. S&S adjustable Pushrods $110 lifters vary from $130 Gatorman"s (ok) to $260 for S&S or HD (prefered)

 

The other alternative being to lift the heads off paying $50-60 for a gasket set and keeping the original rods. Taking the opportunity to check/improve valve/seats etc.

Neither's a right or wrong way. If you're doing the work yourself the cost are similar. One way is less hassle, the other way might lead to other small improvements. We were just looking at a similar equation ...

 

To use the original non-adjustable pushrods, you don't have to pull the heads. Just the rocker boxes.

 

Thanks for all the input guys, I thought the original bolt cutting comment was sarcasm but people really do that? Don't think that's a corner I would cut. Take the scenic route...