Valve stem length

[Msmith3054]

I have a 69 340 I am installing roller rockers and shafts on. This engine came with the 273 steel adjustable rockers and ran ok like that. After removing the old rockers and shafts I noticed that some of the Valve stem lengths were higher than the others.
I did a compression check, no problems there.
I really don’t want to pull the heads and replace valves if I don’t need to. The valves with the additional length are easily within the adjustable rockers arm range of adjustment, and the engine was running strong before I took it apart for this upgrade.

Is there some geometry concerns here I am not aware of, or should I just go with what I have?

 

[Hyper_pak]

It might be the seats are at different heights, very common on older heads.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

Look and see if it’s just the exhausts that are higher. That could be a sign they didn’t use hard seats under the exhaust valves and they are beating the seat down in the head.

If all the exhausts are short, then they probably used hard seats and now the exhaust stems are high.

If they are both off it’s probably just crap machine work. Keep and eye on the lash and if it doesn’t change and you’re happy with the way it runs keep on keeping on.

 

[earlymopar]

Higher by how much?

 

[Msmith3054]

Higher by how much?

I do not have the car available to me right now to measure but it is visibly higher on some of the valves. I’m hoping all will be ok with these new rockers. On the cylinders with the longer stems, they are still within the adjusters range of adjustment. The valve spring retainers are are level with each other, it’s just some of the valve stems are longer than the others above the retainers.
I am going with these new rockers to eliminate the possibility of the rockers hitting the retainers.