Price for porting heads??? $400 good?
10-12-2003, 06:52 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 207
Price for porting heads??? $400 good?
I am wanting to have my LT1 heads ported and there isn't any long time veterans around here porting them. However there is a newer shop/guy who will port them and flow test them for $400......... is this a decent price? he doesn't know any kind of results he will get or what not..... whats stock flow? what do some of your guys flow after having them ported? thanks
Josh
Josh
10-14-2003, 10:26 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 786
Porting itself is only a portion of what a good set of heads needs, keep that in mind 
. By the time you spend $300-400 on decent machinework, and that much again on quality components, you'll be pretty close to what you can get a set of proven LT1 heads for
The LT1 stuff is just another SBC head for all intents and purposes. Nothing terribly special, so if he knows what he's doing, he should be able to at least do something halfway decent without hurting them. Question is, does he know what he's doing, or does he say he knows what he's doing
FWIW, most homeport stuff I've gotten from people has been in the 225-245cfm range, and most "270cfm stage 2" heads seem to actually be in the 250-265 peak range. Of course, some of the discrepancy from the latter is likely due to flowbench racing & the internet. Most people want a billion cfm, whether they need it or not.
Good luck!
. By the time you spend $300-400 on decent machinework, and that much again on quality components, you'll be pretty close to what you can get a set of proven LT1 heads for The LT1 stuff is just another SBC head for all intents and purposes. Nothing terribly special, so if he knows what he's doing, he should be able to at least do something halfway decent without hurting them. Question is, does he know what he's doing, or does he say he knows what he's doing
FWIW, most homeport stuff I've gotten from people has been in the 225-245cfm range, and most "270cfm stage 2" heads seem to actually be in the 250-265 peak range. Of course, some of the discrepancy from the latter is likely due to flowbench racing & the internet
. Most people want a billion cfm, whether they need it or not. Good luck!
10-15-2003, 04:23 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 786
~230-240 
It depends on what you're doing as far as valvetrain etc. goes. The more extreme you go, the closer you can come to maxing out the potential of each bit of air... Obviously, making compromises for the street etc. you can ideally make the ~460hp required with an aggressive HR setup and ~25Xcfm peak flow provided the midlift #'s are good. That's the thing.. you need something that performs across the board as far as heads go, & not just high peak #'s. Like most stuff, it's all about area under the curve
It depends on what you're doing as far as valvetrain etc. goes. The more extreme you go, the closer you can come to maxing out the potential of each bit of air... Obviously, making compromises for the street etc. you can ideally make the ~460hp required with an aggressive HR setup and ~25Xcfm peak flow provided the midlift #'s are good. That's the thing.. you need something that performs across the board as far as heads go, & not just high peak #'s
. Like most stuff, it's all about area under the curve
10-20-2003, 01:23 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: May 1999
Location: HI.
Posts: 2,201
Hell I just took my heads in today after I ported and polished them myself. (with help from Phil, Lloyd, Vince and John ). Not to mention 49 hours of porting and polishing. Your right it is a science (porting) but mostly time consuming. Bought a set of Manley's 2.00 and 1.56 and took them in for a valve job. Guy asked who did my port work and I told him I sent them off to do and it cost me 500.00. . He said looked good and I got my money's worth.
Porting equipment ( rolls...burr...die grinder)... $200.00
valves............................................ .......... $200.00
valve job............................................... ... $270.00
Knowing I did the headwork myself................. PRICELESS
Approx. total $670.00
. He said looked good and I got my money's worth.Porting equipment ( rolls...burr...die grinder)... $200.00
valves............................................ .......... $200.00
valve job............................................... ... $270.00
Knowing I did the headwork myself................. PRICELESS
Approx. total $670.00
10-20-2003, 01:31 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 786
Sounds good SJS
Isn't that $670 + decking + machining spring seats + machining guides for seals + seals + locators + springs + retainers + keepers though?
Certainly is nice to do things yourself however. I hope they make decent power
Isn't that $670 + decking + machining spring seats + machining guides for seals + seals + locators + springs + retainers + keepers though?
Certainly is nice to do things yourself however
. I hope they make decent power
10-20-2003, 02:55 PM
#13
Registered User
Join Date: May 1999
Location: HI.
Posts: 2,201
The springs..retainers....keepers and stuff all came with my HotCam kit so I didn't count that. Whatever they would cost???The decking and complete 3 angle valve job with seals was $270.00. Phil you always bustin my *****. Thanks for the advice bud.
Oh yeah I forgot to mention the main part. NEVER AGAIN!!
Thanks for the advice bud.Oh yeah I forgot to mention the main part. NEVER AGAIN!!
Last edited by S.J.S.; 10-20-2003 at 02:58 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
oldschool
Parts For Sale
16
02-09-2016 09:21 PM
Wilson
Car Audio and Electronics
0
07-21-2002 05:08 PM