MY BAD

The valve seals probably ARE right: #3 and 4 valve guides ARE NOT. They've worked their way back out, over time, and are fully 1/4" lower/higher (depending how you look at them) than the other valve guides. (I took pictures. When this project is finished...will it ever be?...I intend to make a clean thread with nothing but the information and photos).

So the sequence of events is: the valve guides worked their way back out from how they were installed (I assume), and in the process, dislodged the valve seals, causing enormous oil leakage.

I removed the rest of the valves, bagged and identified them seperately, and put them in a box with the cylinder head: I'll take it to my NAPA friend tomorrow and see about having valve guides replaced, and maybe the seals installed, too. I'd suppose the valve guides are hydrolically installed. At any rate, I am not qualified to replace them or pound them back in with a framing hammer :D

So at this point, for now, the repair is out of my hands. I'll go on to other tasks while waiting. Seems like everyone on this forum spends 3/4ths of their time here waiting for parts to arrive.

I also decided that since I've gone this far, I have to replace the oil pump, too. Cha-ching. But it's the right thing to do.

I can sooooo understand why these engines befuddle old guys like me, whose Ford Falcons could be fixed with a brick and cooking oil.