not sure about your situation but Pontiac stock heads won't take high lift cams, which sounds like what you have,, RAI & III style, 068 cam etc yes, but something like a RAII or IV, no, the factory used different heads with different springs, your push rods should be bent too if this is the case, Crane makes what they call Blueprint cams which are indentical to the factory, the 068 or 744 cams are great cams, the 041 which is the RAII & RAIV cam is too radical
it sounds like your top end has to come apart, sorry
