One of the intake valves sits a little lower than the other

[ScrapMetal]

Have a misfire and have done a ton of stuff to figure out what's wrong with this engine, the misfire is coming from cylinder #4. I took the valve cover off and cranked the motor slowly with the spark plug wires off so it wouldn't start. Then I saw that one of the intake valves in cylinder #4 sits a little lower than the other.

Here's a pic of what I'm looking at for your viewing pleasure...



I took a ruler and laid it flat on the other cylinder's intake valves (they are all side by side) and they all sit at the same height, but on cylinder #4 the intake valve nearest the firewall sits a little (just a tiny bit) lower than the other ones.

Is that what could be causing the misfire? And if so what's the way of solving this problem? I was thinking of pulling the head right off and sending it to a machine shop, but if I do I'd like to know a little about what"s wrong with it so the shop won't rape me.

The original owner I bought the car from said he had the head rebuilt, could they have messed up and not installed this valve correctly?

My old man also told me it could be a bent valve?

Anyone that might be able to help me out I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance

[seang]

That is crazy, almost like the valve stem is not even the right length, but I'm not sure.

[corn322]

Isn't that cylinder #1 we're looking at in the picture?

Can you get your fingers in there and grab the retainer, see you can pull the valve up any?

[ScrapMetal]

I grabbed that picture off Google just for show and tell, it is indeed cylinder #4. I grab the retainer and nothing moves, everything's solid.

I'm just gonna pull the head out this weekend.

[BigDAT]

sounds the whoever built this engine had to replace a valve, and they didn't lap it like they are supposed to. (lapping is when you use a sandy compound and use it to make the valve and the valve seat in the head exactly the same, so you get a good seal)