How is this Port/Polish? (Maybe no 56K)

[sweetride01]

I'm not sure on the price exactly, but the p&p will probably be in the region of $6-700, and the thermal cleaning and machining of the head was probably another few hundred. I'll post later when I find the exact prices.

[sweetride01]

Greg, my mechanic tells me that finishing the chambers would take quite a bit of extra time... he would do it in a less "mild" P&P job, but it would take a reasonable abount extra time (and our money) to do that as well. Anyways, I would hope that it would not affect the powerband THAT much... Hopefully the current job should really help the engine to breathe a bit more freely.

[der affe]

it wont be the end of the world if you don't do the chambers, although you may want to take the head back off after a while and finish the job though. it will really depend on if you have tuning issues or not. keep that in mind if you run into problems with flat spots maybe a big loss in mpg or over rich/ over lean conditions, of you just can't tune them out. not to say it is deffinately going to happen, just be aware. as far as the intrusiveness of the port work; if you just matched up the ports to the ID of the gaskets or slightly bigger that is still a pretty decent jump in port size (remember that the increace is going all the way through the port from the valve to the seat and a little makes a big difference). not to bag on you guys porting, but he may be uncomfortable doing the chamber work. that is fine, i practiced on a LOT of junk heads before i was willing to attempt it on a real set of heads for use on a car. the chambers is/are where you can really fuck up if you are not careful and take your time. just getting more volume into and out of the chamber is one thing, but when things get messed up in the chamber you mess up the flame travel/ the effectiveness of the burn (maybe just in one cyl. then it can be a real pain!) and that will make baby jesus cry...alot. that really sucks when you have 12+ hours in a head and it just doesn't work right!, what do you tell the customer....sorry...that will be $700 please, get me another head and i'll try again. that doesn't go over so well. so if you can afford it and he feels comfortable doing it (again not bagging on him) go ahead and do it. if he doesn't go nutty and just clean everything up and cc the chambers so they are the same you will be very happy with the results. interesting thing about doing the port work then going back and doing the chambers is you will be able to say first hand, the difference between chamber work with runner P&P and just runner P&P. not a bad price on the P&P job either, i used to get $600-$700 for a P&P WITH chamber work on an inline 4 cyl 8V motor (extra $200 if it was a 16V), no parts, you take it to the machine shop and get the rebuilding done yourself. (i only did 1 inline 6, it was on a 4.0 jeep and it was a BIG favor for a friend so not $ involved)
greg

[sweetride01]

Thanks greg, i will keep all that in mind if i run into any problems. I think that Thomas is comfortable doing the chambers, he has done it before, but he just told me it would be extra $$$.

[der affe]

that ok. still wasn't trying to bag on him, so hopefully no offence taken. i had to throw the tuning thing in there just because sometimes you (me too) try to ignore the obvious thing that we know might be the problem in the back of our heads. case in point cars been progressively running hotter, according to the gauge, check the level...a little bit low, top off, doesn't get better; pressure test the system and cap, all good, still not running cool as it should; tap on gauge cluster needle jumps...oh bad ground on cluster, still getting hotter on the gauge...must be gauge;.....duh over heat on freeway, pulled of as i thought it was climbing too high, just started over flowing cap...so no damage. t-stat took a crap...dumb ass didn't want to believe that it was that, even though i kinda thought that was what it was. it can happen to all of us. good luck with the head.
greg

[der affe]

how's the head comming?

[sweetride01]

LOL the cam is on its way from Germany. I won't get to see/drive my car until I get back from Europe in a month though, as I am leaving in a few days. I won't have driven the car in 2 months!

[Jand3rson]

This is very nice. I'm doing the same job soon, but on my eta intake manifold. I'm enlarging it to accept a 325i throttle body.

[sweetride01]

Hello everyone,
I just got my car back yesterday, and man, it drives so nicely now. Despite the new 284/272 cam, torque is improved throughout the rev range, and I can be in 3rd gear, say at 3000 rpm, and put the accelerator down 60%, and it's almost like driving an automatic or beefy V6, I get decent acceleration without having to mash it. The engine is smooth, and the cam lets out a little bit of gurgle at Idle. With my Jim C chip (not yet custom tuned), the power still starts surging after 4000 rpm, but with the cam, P&P, and rebuilt head, the power is more ferocious. When I reach 5000 rpm, the car feels fast, and the power seems to keep on steady or building until after 6000 rpm, wheras the power used to start dropping off after 6000 before. Once the engine is properly broken in, I will see how the power stays all the way to 7 grand.
I'd say I gained a good 15hp with this work, and after 1000 miles, I will get the valves readjusted, and take the car for a dyno run, and possibly custom chip tune. FYI, before this work, and Jim C chip alone, my car was putting out about 150whp.

So, to answer some M20 haters, it is possible to have a smooth, nice running, and pleasantly drivable M20.

[Erick]

So, to answer some M20 haters, it is possible to have a smooth, nice running, and pleasantly drivable M20.

Yeah, but in no way shape or form was that cost-effective.

[nando]

it's not that bad.. and now he has a completely rebuilt head.

[demlotcrew]

Those ports look very good to me,

Heres a pic of a S14 SE head ported.



Andrew