Porting small block 915 j-heads

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kma said:
I have some ideas.
Just ordered the book by Bettes btw
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David Vizards books are usually pretty straight foward, and aimed at providing useful info for novices........ plenty of pictures and diagrams.
He has several porting books.
 
PRH said:
I’m talking about basic bowl blending, pinch work, guide trimming, etc........ not high effort jobs.
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I understand. I agree. No problem :)
It seems that every time I get asked questions like 'can you guide me.. teach me where to grind?', INEVITABLY they'll ask, "so, what do you think they'll flow?" (knowing they want what all the magazines are repeating for numbers)
Like you say, we're skinning two different cats !
Kudo's to you, and moparofficial for taking the time with someone who 'just wants to learn'.
I don't know about you, but that's how I started
 
I started with a little die grinder, some “stones”, and a 1hp compressor, working in the basement of the house I was renting.

I had the shop I dealt with cut the seats for big valves on a set of 906’s...... trying to replicate the work Bill Bagshaw had done on a set in an article from Car Craft in 1984 I think it was.
A 500hp 440 build.

After the seats were cut I went after the heads with the stones.
I just smoothed out the transitions where the machining met the casting.
I had no idea what they flowed(not much I’m sure)...... in fact I doubt I even knew what a flow bench was.

That was like 1986.
 
PRH said:
That was like 1986.
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Well, you got about a 5 yr head start on me...
I started going to races with my one of my buddies who had a 440 6Bbl Cuda in NHRA Stock eliminator in about '86. I think he was running C/SA then.
His employer had a couple Hemi SS cars. A 65 aluminum front end belvedere and a 68' Hemi Cuda SS. I was orgasmic, to say the least, being around those cars..
A few yrs later, a SuperFlow 110 was purchased by cuda friend, and it was ON after that. We flowed stuff at 10" in those days. most guys still did.
I found an old 587 head laying in his scrap pile and snuck it home. I bought a Craftsman electric die grinder that was either on or off. 15,000 rpm or off. that was scary ! lol
I went to work on that, then showed up at the shop after work and on the bench it went !
The learning curve was straight up, I'll tell ya !! lol
A few months later, not to be out-done, the shop owner suddenly had a SF600 standing in the corner. (I think it came with a soundtrack of angels singing, cause that's what I heard every time I went into the back room !!) LOL
OH, those where the days !
I think it was in '91 I built a home brew unit, and in '96 I finally got one for myself.
 
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PRH said:
So, this thread is about head porting of SB heads, but you feel the need to bring my name up, then go on to say:


And you wonder how I came up with that being directed at me?
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Cause you self felate?
This a rhetorical question, right? Lmao Happy cinco de drinko
 
An old timer once told me something... 'just sounded like gurgles' ..but I told him fk you old man and get your wheelchair out from under my car before I put it in reverse..
 
I hear if you let you clay radius hang over the edge, at the cost a few cfm the numbers will hang on for the final report. Lmao at lying fk heads everywhere.
 
I was flowing an exhaust port the other day... my clay was all dried up, so I used some Playdough. It shot outta there like a cannon and hit me in the ear ! LOL
 
What a day....drank a **** ton of beer, and drank **** of beer, oh and I drank a **** ton o beer
 
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...sounds like you're gonna have one hell of a morning too :)
 
Funny how people say "subscribed" when all they have to do is click the watch button. I never see people say "unwatch". Thankfully that button is available also.
 
'63GT said:
...sounds like you're gonna have one hell of a morning too :)
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Always a great morning...my wife makes sure I wake up with a smile, every day. Living the dream lmao
I read some... and sometimes it's a joke I cant keep from a constant chuckle while reading. I couldn't take it serious. Funny.
So no one liked the guide profiling tip? Even though it's the safest place to place aside from doing a gasket match. Probably thought I was gassin some more.. Ok haha, well it works. How about when grinding -hold tight and dont lean on it too much. Keep your thumb/finger on the off/on switch.
Spray a 'little' light oil before starting.
Mark an area with dye to better control coverage to not get carried away in over working an area.
Stay off the dog leg side of the short turn, work the straight side short turn to even it with the dogleg side some and contour it from the very highest point off the straight wall, a lip there is good in this case...it will speed and draw more there. Until you hit over 240 cfm the pinch isnt really an issue.
Shorten the guides height 3/8 or so.
Look at a carburetor...those are relative to bowl shape coming off the lower 60/70 angle on the far side..but to a lesser degree.

Just look at 'good heads' with 'proven numbers' and let your imaginations run wild...within that tiny little constricted box aka 'production port' of course..
 
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MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Guide profiling with kink removal is worth 7-9
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I agree, just ran out of gas and didn't respond..
The guides are one of my go-to places for 'free flow' !
I call it free, cause you almost cannot mis-shape it, and it always yields airflow.
It is sickening to me, to see how much it is overlooked.
I've got a head in the corner of my shop, that someone did, who did a nice job EVERYWHERE, and left the guide completely untouched!
I was at a buddies shop last month and he had a set exactly the same way! Heh?
There's a set of bare 906s on my local craigslist, listed as 'heavily ported', with totally oem guides.. (forehead slap)
 
'63GT said:
I agree, just ran out of gas and didn't respond..
The guides are one of my go-to places for 'free flow' !
I call it free, cause you almost cannot mis-shape it, and it always yields airflow.
It is sickening to me, to see how much it is overlooked.
I've got a head in the corner of my shop, that someone did, who did a nice job EVERYWHERE, and left the guide completely untouched!
I was at a buddies shop last month and he had a set exactly the same way! Heh?
There's a set of bare 906s on my local craigslist, listed as 'heavily ported', with totally oem guides.. (forehead slap)
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Most would like to avoid that work. If they can get the target without it.. it's less work for the same result/money.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Most would like to avoid that work. If they can get the target without it.. it's less work for the same result/money.
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Oh, well I suppose so.... I can't leave that air behind. But yes, it's a pain to work it out. You always seem to be in the corner, sort to speak.
On the right side of the guide, your burr is spinning into the roof. More control.
But on the LEFT! darn thing keeps wanting to crawl over.
 
pittsburghracer said:
For any of you beginners or anyone wanting a great project check out these do it yourself flowbenches. I love mine.
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I love yours too ! I want it :) Do the lights dim, when you turn that behemoth on? lol
 
'63GT said:
Oh, well I suppose so.... I can't leave that air behind. But yes, it's a pain to work it out. You always seem to be in the corner, sort to speak.
On the right side of the guide, your burr is spinning into the roof. More control.
But on the LEFT! darn thing keeps wanting to crawl over.
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Spin the head around.
Its awkward, but it counters the pull.
 
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