I ground the valves and seats on the heads for my 82 Vette, and while assembling them, I checked the valve spring installed height specs in my factory shop manual. It says 1 23/32" for intake, and 1 19/32" for exhaust. ( 1.719" intake 1.594" exhaust) Plus or minus 1/32". Procedure says to measure from base of spring (or top of shim if used) to top of rotator.
According to that measurement, I need to install a shim on the exhaust valves nearly 1/2" thick. There is no possible way to grind enough material off the valve and seat to require that kind of shim. Could it be that the exhaust spec should have been 1 29/32"? That would work out to be 1.906", which is a bit more realistic.
Anybody run into this before????

 

So far 150 people have read my question, but not a single response... Does anyone else do their own valve grinding?

 

My FSM states 1 23/32" for both. As to your second question, I doubt it. Personally, I leave that to the guy that does it for a living.