Is porting yourself worth it?
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Launching!
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Roanoke, Va.
Is porting yourself worth it? Some of yall yall know i'm planning on rebuild, if not you know now. I'm getting the LT4 kit(something like 40% off) and selling the hot cam and getting something else better. I've had some people tell me i should do alittle port job on the intake myself. Just the thought of grinding away some of a new intake scares me. They've told me to just use the gasket as the out line and grind away. Is this worth the change of fuckig things up? And would it miss up the flow? I don't want to spend the money on getting it really done. I'd be fine with just bolting it on the way it cames. But i'd like to know if it'd me worth it?
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Regina, SK
I think he's just talking about port matching the intake manifold to the gasket - which is much simpler than trying to do a port job your own cylinder heads. As I understand it (and I'm no expert by any means) porting your own heads is NOT recommended for novices. Head porting is a dark and mystical art best left to the pros. But if you're just talking about port matching to a gasket, that's something you can handle if you've got a dremel tool and some basic mechanical skill.
You just carefully lay the gasket onto the intake, make sure it's lined up correctly, scribe around the gasket, and then slowly, carefully, grind away material until you've opened the port to the scribe line. Then blend in where you've removed metal until the transistion is smooth.
But if that description sounds too scary and/or you're not confident in your ability, then by all means have a professional do it. Obviously there's a chance for things to go wrong, and mistakes are expensive to correct...
You just carefully lay the gasket onto the intake, make sure it's lined up correctly, scribe around the gasket, and then slowly, carefully, grind away material until you've opened the port to the scribe line. Then blend in where you've removed metal until the transistion is smooth.
But if that description sounds too scary and/or you're not confident in your ability, then by all means have a professional do it. Obviously there's a chance for things to go wrong, and mistakes are expensive to correct...
Originally Posted by Lt1Camaroz28
I'm getting the LT4 kit(something like 40% off) and selling the hot cam and getting something else better. I've had some people tell me i should do alittle port job on the intake myself. Just the thought of grinding away some of a new intake scares me. They've told me to just use the gasket as the out line and grind away. Is this worth the change of fuckig things up? And would it miss up the flow? I don't want to spend the money on getting it really done. I'd be fine with just bolting it on the way it cames. But i'd like to know if it'd me worth it?
Also, I would highly suggest NOT porting the intake manifold without port matching to the heads also. If you port just the intake manifold, you'll cause a "step" in the flow that will cause mass turbulence <read: bad>.
Also, unless you have LT4 heads, you can't just bolt-on an LT4 intake manifold. The LT4 intake has a raised intake port that won't match up with LT1 heads without some heavy grinding/port matching.
I think we need more information on you exact plans.
Mike
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 271
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From: Regina, SK
From an earlier discussion I'm pretty sure he's getting the full LT4 kit from GM: LT4 heads, LT4 intake manifold, and LT4 hotcam.
He's wanting to know if port matching is really going to improve the performance or not, and if it's worth the risk of f***ing up the components if your dremel slips. I say go for it, but that's just my 2 cents
He's wanting to know if port matching is really going to improve the performance or not, and if it's worth the risk of f***ing up the components if your dremel slips. I say go for it, but that's just my 2 cents
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: NYC metro area
Originally Posted by Mikey 97Z M6
So are you getting the complete LT4 top end package with the heads/intake etc...? Or are you just getting the Hotcam kit with an LT4 intake?
Also, I would highly suggest NOT porting the intake manifold without port matching to the heads also. If you port just the intake manifold, you'll cause a "step" in the flow that will cause mass turbulence <read: bad>.
Also, unless you have LT4 heads, you can't just bolt-on an LT4 intake manifold. The LT4 intake has a raised intake port that won't match up with LT1 heads without some heavy grinding/port matching.
I think we need more information on you exact plans.
Mike
Also, I would highly suggest NOT porting the intake manifold without port matching to the heads also. If you port just the intake manifold, you'll cause a "step" in the flow that will cause mass turbulence <read: bad>.
Also, unless you have LT4 heads, you can't just bolt-on an LT4 intake manifold. The LT4 intake has a raised intake port that won't match up with LT1 heads without some heavy grinding/port matching.
I think we need more information on you exact plans.
Mike
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Originally Posted by enisguy
There was another thread with all this information, he's getting the complete LT4 kit.
I say if you're up for doing a little blending, that is fine. If you want to get heavy into the porting, check out my write-up on porting LT1 heads and see if this will inspire you to do a little more.
Click on the "head porting" button on the left. http://members.***.net/gmarengo/Mike
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not enough if your planning on pulling the heads just for that. if your putting a new cam in the sure your right there pull the heads and get it done. but no way would i go into a stock motor just to port the heads.
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 271
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From: Regina, SK
But what about in the guy above's case where he's getting the LT4 heads, intake and cam put on? Obviously the motor's in pieces anyways, so that's the time to do it: how much hp gain would you guess it's worth - not a full port job, just simple cleanup / manifold gasket port matching? Only 5-10 hp or more??
