RE: Port Topic

I am only 20 yrs old but I literally grew working with motors. I dont know everything but I know enough. having a father who worked at a machine shop helped alot when it came building a motor. He knew alot and he worked on engines til the day he died.(not literally) had cancer and a bad heart. I have ported a couple cast heads before. Don't even ask how my first pair turned out!!!yikes. looked like waves lapping on a beach. They were only a set of 305 heads off one of his old camaros. I know what you mean about having no one to talk cars to. I have very few friends who know much about engine building. I have driven my fiance up the walls. My 2 year old daughter knows "daddy's car!" Well all 7 of them anyway.  

+1 on the questions asked and ability quotion...good luck...some need it more than others...and the intelligent car talk is also limited to these forums also...

on topic ...i thought i wanted to port my own heads...bought a die grinder, abrasive set, have an old set of 882's that could use some touch up work...

then i read david vizard's sbc porting book...scared the hell out of me...maybe if i could find a set of those nifty little templates he showed, and a source for the machinists ink/dye...but to just start on a port without the templates...i know myself too well...the faster you can grind down the most material, the better...not always the best philosophy...but i can be one impatient sob  

jon, sorry to hear about your dad. I grew up almost the same way. Pop had a lot of race cars and my brothers and i were tasked with taking care of different parts of the car. I usually got the suspension since I seamed to have a knack for it, but I did get to rebuild some carbs, do a couple of heads etc.

If you need someone to talk cars to just post.

jake  

Sounds like you started out like me. I built my first engine when I was 16 and ported my first set of heads at 18. I trashed the first set of heads I practiced on!! I didnt give up and got another set out and started over. Thats the only way to learn an ART like porting heads.  

Practice on some junk heads first.The blueing ink isnt needed,all you need is a sharpie.  Templates would be nice to use but I would still practice with junk heads until your comfortable  

68scott,
The killer in doing a port job is the need for patience. I am impatient as well, and when you get in a hurry you'll screw up a head in a heartbeat. The machinist die can be found at a GOOD speed shop, through the internet, and I have found it through Grainger.

You do not NEED the templates. They help, but not a necessity. If you have a set of truly crappy heads, I would start on those first.

Jake  

I have a set of 350 rebuilt heads that are rusty. Maybe ill give it another shot after i get the hang of porting cast manifolds. That way i get some porting experience without wasting heads. I only have a couple set of heads. nothing fancy, but they are still good.  

gettn, that is a good idea using a sharpie. Learned something new.

Jake  

Getting use to how fast the metal will cut out is very important. If you dont have any you will need to by some carbide cutters for the majority of the metal removal. The biggest gain in flow you will see is from porting the area under the valve[pocket/bowl porting]. The cylinderwall side of the port is where the major portion of flow takes place in the intake port. Bowl porting is the first step  

ya my two year old son is as addicted as me maybe worse he loves cars.any chevelle he sees he says dadda and any nova he says uncle tony(69nova).bless my wifes heart though shes let me spend almost 17000 on the car including 2500 of our wedding money and every tax return for the last 6 years  

My wifes not that understanding. My projects are funded from sidemoney. Mainly porting heads!  

p2-72 it sounds like you have your little one off to a good start. And you're lucky to have a very understanding wife.

Jake  

you gotta keep em in line lol just kidding no shes great just wants to ride in the car at our huge cruises here in flint mi,but not hear about it or watch it on tv.  

Keep her happy! Shes one of a very few  

thanks man