LT-1 Head porting. Help Please.
LT-1 Head porting. Help Please. Does anyone have some good advice for porting a stock set of heads?? I am Not Spending any money on them So i will be doing the work myself. Not Going to Go Outrageous but want to make them flow better. Proably will just clean up the castings and port match to the intake. but if anyone has any other advice it would be appreciated. Thanks. Also these Heads will be on a nitrous application. Not All the Time But A few Sprays here and there. Thanks.
Hey:
Not to burst your bubble, but How are going to measure the increase in flow?
Do you have a Flow bench or at least an Air Flow meter? Do you have any experience at this, as you can just as easy unflow your heads, as increase it, if you don't have any prior working of how to port heads. Gasket matching is not head porting and the gains are not much, if any, and can be very negative if done wrong. Head porting is an acquired skill, thru experience unless done on a CNC mill, which you need the computer info for your particular head. Good luck on any good porter sharing that info. Save your money and contact
http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
You'll end up with a quality product and not waste a set of heads.
Dub
When In Doubt Do Without
Not to burst your bubble, but How are going to measure the increase in flow?
Do you have a Flow bench or at least an Air Flow meter? Do you have any experience at this, as you can just as easy unflow your heads, as increase it, if you don't have any prior working of how to port heads. Gasket matching is not head porting and the gains are not much, if any, and can be very negative if done wrong. Head porting is an acquired skill, thru experience unless done on a CNC mill, which you need the computer info for your particular head. Good luck on any good porter sharing that info. Save your money and contact
http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
You'll end up with a quality product and not waste a set of heads.
Dub
When In Doubt Do Without
Last edited by 1993 z28 f1; Dec 4, 2009 at 05:43 PM.
Hey:
Not to burst your bubble, but How are going to measure the increase in flow?
Do you have a Flow bench or at least an Air Flow meter? Do you have any experience at this, as you can just as easy unflow your heads, as increase it, if you don't have any prior working of how to port heads. Gasket matching is not head porting and the gains are not much, if any, and can be very negative if done wrong. Head porting is an acquired skill, thru experience unless done on a CNC mill, which you need the computer info for your particular head. Good luck on any good porter sharing that info. Save your money and contact
http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
You'll end up with a quality product and not waste a set of heads.
Dub
When In Doubt Do Without
Not to burst your bubble, but How are going to measure the increase in flow?
Do you have a Flow bench or at least an Air Flow meter? Do you have any experience at this, as you can just as easy unflow your heads, as increase it, if you don't have any prior working of how to port heads. Gasket matching is not head porting and the gains are not much, if any, and can be very negative if done wrong. Head porting is an acquired skill, thru experience unless done on a CNC mill, which you need the computer info for your particular head. Good luck on any good porter sharing that info. Save your money and contact
http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
http://www.elliottsportworks.com http://www.elliottsportworks.com
You'll end up with a quality product and not waste a set of heads.
Dub
When In Doubt Do Without
Head porting and machine-work should be left to the pros.
If you decide to do it yourself do a ton of research first...
http://www.gofastnews.com/board/tech...trictions.html
http://www.gofastnews.com/board/tech...trictions.html
If you decide to do it yourself do a ton of research first...
http://www.gofastnews.com/board/tech...trictions.html
http://www.gofastnews.com/board/tech...trictions.html
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 772
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From: Bahrain
Read a lot, look at a lot of videos and pictures.
Use a Dremel, they come electric with variable speeds (do not underestimate the power of this little monster!). Get yourself a box of various bits and emery rolls (I got mine from TradesPro, excellent kit!) and go at it.
Most importantly, take your time and don't rush it. Remember, your learning to do it and most of all, you don't want to ruin your heads.
Try to get a vernier caliper to measure and compare dimensions of ports, or better yet, telescopic gauges.
Good luck
Use a Dremel, they come electric with variable speeds (do not underestimate the power of this little monster!). Get yourself a box of various bits and emery rolls (I got mine from TradesPro, excellent kit!) and go at it.
Most importantly, take your time and don't rush it. Remember, your learning to do it and most of all, you don't want to ruin your heads.
Try to get a vernier caliper to measure and compare dimensions of ports, or better yet, telescopic gauges.
Good luck
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Read a lot, look at a lot of videos and pictures.
Use a Dremel, they come electric with variable speeds (do not underestimate the power of this little monster!). Get yourself a box of various bits and emery rolls (I got mine from TradesPro, excellent kit!) and go at it.
Most importantly, take your time and don't rush it. Remember, your learning to do it and most of all, you don't want to ruin your heads.
Try to get a vernier caliper to measure and compare dimensions of ports, or better yet, telescopic gauges.
Good luck
Use a Dremel, they come electric with variable speeds (do not underestimate the power of this little monster!). Get yourself a box of various bits and emery rolls (I got mine from TradesPro, excellent kit!) and go at it.
Most importantly, take your time and don't rush it. Remember, your learning to do it and most of all, you don't want to ruin your heads.
Try to get a vernier caliper to measure and compare dimensions of ports, or better yet, telescopic gauges.
Good luck
I don't speak from experience with porting heads with a Dremel, but I am well aware of what it can do to an intake manifold.
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Brett Foote TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 772
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From: Bahrain
A Dremel is NOT the tool to be using for head porting. You need precise control of the speed of the bit, and the Dremel, while variable speed indeed, cannot be adjusted while you are feeling out the surface. This is risky - you run the chance of gouging out aluminum and ruin the head.
I don't speak from experience with porting heads with a Dremel, but I am well aware of what it can do to an intake manifold.
I don't speak from experience with porting heads with a Dremel, but I am well aware of what it can do to an intake manifold.
The bit I used to port the heads resembles a drill bit, its high carbon steel and you use its sides to shave off material. It does not gouge, but precisely shaves material away slowly and even the finish is smooth. You could use it for the curvature of the pushrod pinch and even blending. Its slow, but whats there to rush?
It goes down to personal preference I guess.
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 284
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
Does anyone have some good advice for porting a stock set of heads?? I am Not Spending any money on them So i will be doing the work myself. Not Going to Go Outrageous but want to make them flow better. Proably will just clean up the castings and port match to the intake. but if anyone has any other advice it would be appreciated. Thanks. Also these Heads will be on a nitrous application. Not All the Time But A few Sprays here and there. Thanks.
Should you decide to frequent these goldmines of technical information, your best bet is to learn who is speaking from experience and who the "cut-n-paste" experts are. I AM TAKING NOTHING AWAY FROM LLOYD AND AI, but do a search on the net on Jordon Musser. You'll find him to be an exceptionally smart individual, but you'll also see what he did with his car, on his own. Heck, I did what you want to do about 10 years ago on a junk set of heads and picked up almost 2 tenths in the 1/4. Just smoothed out the casting and gasket matched the ports. You won't learn if you let someone else do your work for you, and they had to learn too.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 772
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From: Bahrain
If I did go ahead and buy an air compressor, and a pneumatic tool, hoses, pressure regulators and water separators, where am I supposed to store them after the build is over.
Maybe you should ask why someone chose to use a tool before making a smart *** comment like that.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
From: Bahrain
Should you decide to frequent these goldmines of technical information, your best bet is to learn who is speaking from experience and who the "cut-n-paste" experts are. I AM TAKING NOTHING AWAY FROM LLOYD AND AI, but do a search on the net on Jordon Musser. You'll find him to be an exceptionally smart individual, but you'll also see what he did with his car, on his own. Heck, I did what you want to do about 10 years ago on a junk set of heads and picked up almost 2 tenths in the 1/4. Just smoothed out the casting and gasket matched the ports. You won't learn if you let someone else do your work for you, and they had to learn too.
The same way all the great porters did, they had to start somewhere.
Don't let anyone put you down, take the leap!
lotsa feedback on this thread. HA. I do Have Experience porting and i Do already Have a compressor and a Die Grinder and bits. I have just never done a Set of LT-1 Heads mostly just Steel SBC heads and Some Old Buick 215 Heads. I, Personally, wouldnt use a dremel, but i have alot of resources backing me. i Can do this Work Was just wondering if there was any specific things that i would need to know. But Im not going to Flow These heads but Im Not Going To Go That Crazy on them, Its not like were cuttin out the Seats and putting bigger valves and im not Grinding on the Bowls or anything, but If you guys say that there wont be much Difference then i wont waste my time.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
From: Bahrain
lotsa feedback on this thread. HA. I do Have Experience porting and i Do already Have a compressor and a Die Grinder and bits. I have just never done a Set of LT-1 Heads mostly just Steel SBC heads and Some Old Buick 215 Heads. I, Personally, wouldnt use a dremel, but i have alot of resources backing me. i Can do this Work Was just wondering if there was any specific things that i would need to know. But Im not going to Flow These heads but Im Not Going To Go That Crazy on them, Its not like were cuttin out the Seats and putting bigger valves and im not Grinding on the Bowls or anything, but If you guys say that there wont be much Difference then i wont waste my time.
I started my removing the excess cast GM left for us in the ports on all 8 intake ports. Then I just blended away the casting flashes in the ports and made the runners smooth. I personally left it at that. If I wanted to go deeper, I would have learned to do so on some scrapped heads instead.
I also did some blending and smoothing of the exhaust ports. I did not however touch the valve guide area due to the difficulty of sourcing the correct bit for the job here in my country. I did however polish up the surrounding areas.
I would consider mine as a gasket match + clean up.
A little improvement is always better than none. I believe the SBC heads are very similar in port design.
I started my removing the excess cast GM left for us in the ports on all 8 intake ports. Then I just blended away the casting flashes in the ports and made the runners smooth. I personally left it at that. If I wanted to go deeper, I would have learned to do so on some scrapped heads instead.
I also did some blending and smoothing of the exhaust ports. I did not however touch the valve guide area due to the difficulty of sourcing the correct bit for the job here in my country. I did however polish up the surrounding areas.
I would consider mine as a gasket match + clean up.
I started my removing the excess cast GM left for us in the ports on all 8 intake ports. Then I just blended away the casting flashes in the ports and made the runners smooth. I personally left it at that. If I wanted to go deeper, I would have learned to do so on some scrapped heads instead.
I also did some blending and smoothing of the exhaust ports. I did not however touch the valve guide area due to the difficulty of sourcing the correct bit for the job here in my country. I did however polish up the surrounding areas.
I would consider mine as a gasket match + clean up.
Thanks
Cool, well if you're going to diy be careful when gasket matching the intake runners around the roof and the pushrod pinch, it's easy to "punch thru". also leave the floor of the exhaust ports alone other than smoothing and polishing. Most of the horror stories I've seen or heard of revolve around these areas, good luck.
Cool, well if you're going to diy be careful when gasket matching the intake runners around the roof and the pushrod pinch, it's easy to "punch thru". also leave the floor of the exhaust ports alone other than smoothing and polishing. Most of the horror stories I've seen or heard of revolve around these areas, good luck.