Your engine builder is WRONG and the geometry isn't correct. Is it good enough? Maybe. Is it correct? Nope.
Why push it? You've spent all the time and money. Fix the geometry. If the engine builder thinks half assed geometry is good enough, I'd be finding a new engine builder.
He definitely didn't say it was correct, but didn't seem worried about it having problems for my setup knowing that I was trying to make this all work on a tight budget. Not arguing with you, just specifying what he said. I spent way more on this engine than I ever planned to, not that I expect a good build to be cheap...but this was a terrible foundation in the first place to do what I wanted to do with it. I was mainly just throwing it together to have fun with using parts I had lying around or bought second hand for cheap and I was just planning on running it until I can get my other LSX powered project car finished. After that, I was hoping to do a gen 3 hemi in this car or a 5.3 LM7 I've been using for mockup in my LSX car. Most of my friends are making more power with their junkyard 5.3's than I'd ever be confident pushing through this LA block.
I'm listening though, and taking everything I am hearing into consideration. What would be involved with fixing the geometry? Not really sure how I'd go about doing that, as of now there is no interference with any parts, but it looks like if those pushrods straightened out even a little bit more then the heads would have to be clearanced. That's just not going to happen. I'd most likely try to sell the LA stuff off and start over with a late model, it would save me a lot of headaches in other ways as well as I'm still dealing with major FITECH tuning issues on E85 and blower belt alignment/tension issues on the procharger bracket I built. If there is something I can do that would be fairly easy/cheap, then I'll do it.
I get the budget. I've also been doing this a long time, and it makes me sick when a guy says it's good enough when the fix is so simple. Before the B3 system the only alternative was to mill the stands and use offset stands and blocks. Most guys just lived with what they had because they didn't want to spend the money.
Mikes system is so simple even I can measure for it and use it. The worst part of the job is grinding out the bolt holes in the shaft so you can move it back. IIRC Mike will do it, but you have to pay. Most guys with a die grinder can do it rather easily.
You are too close not to fix it now. Why should the Chrysler guys deal with [censored] geometry? The GM won't do it. Why should we?
Most guys think centering the sweep is correct. It's not. You want the sweep as narrow as possible.
I remember when Indy came out with their heads and they had cupped stands. I remembering calling them and asking them how in the hell am I going to correct the geometry without a bunch of milling and fabrication? Their exact answer was, and I've never forgotten this, was; if you change the geometry on our heads you are too dumb to own them.
To this day, I have never bought a part from them. I've worked on their stuff, but I won't buy it.
Take your time. Learn as much about rocker geometry as you can. And then fix yours. It's really quite simple now. And worth the effort.
