i would say you need a valve job done.i have been doing heads for over 25years and done alot of testing on this issue of hard seats.one finding i have found is the guides wear out and then beat out the seats. some heads have softer guide then others. another is detonation that beats things up in a hurry.
now for this other b.s. about needing steel or hardened seats or additive. YOU DON'T. lead was added to gas to raise the octain rating that is all it was cheaper then other ways. even in the 50's and 60's there was ammaco which was unleaded and there was no problems then.lp. gas has no lead and it was and is used in fleet trucks with no valve problems. methenal has no lead and it is used in race motors with no valve problems.
a lot of valve problems come from not getting a good valve job to begin with. i have seen a lot of poor work from the local machine shop. you have to shop around. read about valve work then when you go to the shop ask questions.
i can tell you you will not get a good job unless you pay for it. and you will have to go to a shop that does hp work. not the nappa store on the corner where it is in by 9 out by 5.
scorpian your problem sounds like detonation. the wrog grade of gas or timing or over heating.but it was not the seat or valve fault.
