Dave; The first thing that I would do before pulling the cylinder heads is check the timing chain and sprockets. Mopar big blocks from the 70's used timing sprockets with plastic teeth and those teeth tend to get very worn around the 100,000 mile mark. You can check this by pulling off the distributor cap and turning the engine over with a bar and socket at the harmonic balancer pulley. Just to make it easier pull the spark lugs first. If you turn the engine over one way and back the other way, and the rotor in the distributor hesitates before changing direction you need a new timing set. If it moves normally to and fro, with no lag, then you may need a valve job. Best Regards Arran Foster 1954 Imperial Newport Needing Trim parts 1975 Chrysler Newport with 440 Needs some electrical gremlins fixed. ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Duricy" <desotobravo@xxxxxxxxx> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 1:44 PM Subject: IML: 1973 Imperial Valve Job Questions My 1973 Imperial with 151,000 miles has been running poorly. Symptoms have included lack of power, rough idle, excessively noisy and hot exhaust, and low engine vacuum (10 to 12 inches of vacuum on the worst of days). Compression tests show 120psi for cylinder 1, 90psi for cylinder 3, and inconsistent readings for cylinder 5 - which jumps anywhere from 60psi to 80psi. With these readings, I didn't bother to test the remaining cylinders given how difficult it is to access the plugs on this car. I believe that the symptoms and the tests show that the Imperial has either sticky or burned valves. I am unsure what to do next. Would it be more economical to have a machine shop rebuild the cylinder head, buy a replacement head, or attempt the work myself? I have done a valve job on my 1950 DeSoto, but I suspect the Imperial 440 demands more skill and pricier parts than the DeSoto Six. I'm wondering, too, if I should just sell the car. That, however, is a very sad thought. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Dave Duricy 1973 Imperial LeBaron (The Ailing Monarch) 1968 Imperial Crown convertible (The Usurper) 1950 DeSoto Custom (The Witness) ____________________________________________________ Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com ----------------- http://www.imperialclub.com ----------------- This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the Administrators should be sent to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm ----------------- http://www.imperialclub.com ----------------- This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the Administrators should be sent to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm