Port and Polish Help and Tips
04-21-2017, 10:34 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Port and Polish Help and Tips
Hey guys and gals, I've got the head off and I have been slowly porting the exhaust side to the gasket. There are tons of articles out there as well as YouTube videos of people doing it, although be weary of some of them as I am sure not all of it is professionally taught to them or through them. So I was wondering what you DIYers out there have got to say about porting and polishing our LE5 heads?!
To be honest, this is my first time doing it. I am aware of the possible consequences of taking too much off as well as changing the shape of the "natural head flow" for lack of better words.
I have heard that a port and polish on our heads specifically really isn't necessary as there is already adequate size and flow already. Thoughts?
Also, I would like to mention that I am only porting and polishing the exhaust side. I really do not want to screw the intake side up as I know it is critical you get it right the first time. Now I also know that when finished porting and polishing, it is important to get it bench tested... Well I do not have that option at the moment. That goes without saying, "Go at your own risk!"
So, what could you peeps share for the person who's got the stuff to do the job, is an avid Do-it-Yourselfer, who's got half a brain, and is patient to learn as well as practice??
:
To be honest, this is my first time doing it. I am aware of the possible consequences of taking too much off as well as changing the shape of the "natural head flow" for lack of better words.
I have heard that a port and polish on our heads specifically really isn't necessary as there is already adequate size and flow already. Thoughts?
Also, I would like to mention that I am only porting and polishing the exhaust side. I really do not want to screw the intake side up as I know it is critical you get it right the first time. Now I also know that when finished porting and polishing, it is important to get it bench tested... Well I do not have that option at the moment. That goes without saying, "Go at your own risk!"
So, what could you peeps share for the person who's got the stuff to do the job, is an avid Do-it-Yourselfer, who's got half a brain, and is patient to learn as well as practice??
:
04-22-2017, 01:26 AM
#2
New Member
Hey cobalt-noob whats up....
so this isn't really going to get any crazy gains. It does make the supercharger better or gives that some gains like cooling and a few other things. Some say slightly louder but with the smaller pulley you should feel the torque but you'd have to dyno to tell what it actually did for you. I am going to get a head job with mine and get them all ported and polished which should give both the trq&hsrprw.
Now the heads that can def make some better gains. Get a 3 angle valve job and you'll feel the torque a lot more. This guy has a good post he did that I found a few weeks ago when just surfing to see what exactly I could do to mine to get the horsepower and torque. I'm a V8 guy who is use to carb or swaps and efi conversions like simple kits. I'd say check his post out to see the depths.
What other mods do you have? It's possible you might very well feel it depending on what you have done. Any time you can get them to breathe better they run better like headers and that which is my other mods can chnage it from say 1-3 horsepower to 5-10.
so this isn't really going to get any crazy gains. It does make the supercharger better or gives that some gains like cooling and a few other things. Some say slightly louder but with the smaller pulley you should feel the torque but you'd have to dyno to tell what it actually did for you. I am going to get a head job with mine and get them all ported and polished which should give both the trq&hsrprw.
Now the heads that can def make some better gains. Get a 3 angle valve job and you'll feel the torque a lot more. This guy has a good post he did that I found a few weeks ago when just surfing to see what exactly I could do to mine to get the horsepower and torque. I'm a V8 guy who is use to carb or swaps and efi conversions like simple kits. I'd say check his post out to see the depths.
What other mods do you have? It's possible you might very well feel it depending on what you have done. Any time you can get them to breathe better they run better like headers and that which is my other mods can chnage it from say 1-3 horsepower to 5-10.
04-22-2017, 01:25 PM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Hey cobalt-noob whats up....
so this isn't really going to get any crazy gains. It does make the supercharger better or gives that some gains like cooling and a few other things. Some say slightly louder but with the smaller pulley you should feel the torque but you'd have to dyno to tell what it actually did for you. I am going to get a head job with mine and get them all ported and polished which should give both the trq&hsrprw.
Now the heads that can def make some better gains. Get a 3 angle valve job and you'll feel the torque a lot more. This guy has a good post he did that I found a few weeks ago when just surfing to see what exactly I could do to mine to get the horsepower and torque. I'm a V8 guy who is use to carb or swaps and efi conversions like simple kits. I'd say check his post out to see the depths.
What other mods do you have? It's possible you might very well feel it depending on what you have done. Any time you can get them to breathe better they run better like headers and that which is my other mods can chnage it from say 1-3 horsepower to 5-10.
so this isn't really going to get any crazy gains. It does make the supercharger better or gives that some gains like cooling and a few other things. Some say slightly louder but with the smaller pulley you should feel the torque but you'd have to dyno to tell what it actually did for you. I am going to get a head job with mine and get them all ported and polished which should give both the trq&hsrprw.
Now the heads that can def make some better gains. Get a 3 angle valve job and you'll feel the torque a lot more. This guy has a good post he did that I found a few weeks ago when just surfing to see what exactly I could do to mine to get the horsepower and torque. I'm a V8 guy who is use to carb or swaps and efi conversions like simple kits. I'd say check his post out to see the depths.
What other mods do you have? It's possible you might very well feel it depending on what you have done. Any time you can get them to breathe better they run better like headers and that which is my other mods can chnage it from say 1-3 horsepower to 5-10.
So far what ive got done to mine is:
ZZP S/C kit w/ Canned Tune (soon to change when I pick up HPtuners)
ZZP 82# Valve Springs and Titanium Retainers
Shorty Headers
ZZP 2.5" DP w/ Cat (unfortunately) [I got the 2.5" before I went force induced, so ill be changing soon)
2.5" Cat Back
ZZP Neutral Balance Shafts
Fidanza Aluminum Flywheel
LSJ modified Clucth for F23 Tranny
ZZP Cams about to be ordered as soon as theyre in stock!
KSport pro Coilovers
So, I'm sorta ringin out the last bit of horses I can pick up before shes all back together.
I'm pretty sure id be getting better gains if I opened up the Intake ports a bit more, but, my confidence level on that is not where it should be. In reality I'm not expecting much out of opening up the Exhaust ports, but, I'm sure it wont hurt!
I looked in to that 3 angle valve job, gotta say I never even looked in to it before you mentioned it. Sounds like something a machine shops gotta do. You know of any tools out there for the at home mechanic?
04-22-2017, 04:20 PM
#4
the ecotec head (im quoting specifically the lsj head, but i know other ecotecs are similar) suffer from poor flow on the exhaust side when you start throwing the boost to it. there are better gains to be had by porting the exhaust side. when gm had the ecotec race parts out there they had an lsj head that was only ported on the exhaust side. not to say there arent gains to be had on the intake side, but your best gains are on the exhaust.
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Cobalt_noob (04-22-2017)
04-22-2017, 06:41 PM
#5
Member
Thread Starter
the ecotec head (im quoting specifically the lsj head, but i know other ecotecs are similar) suffer from poor flow on the exhaust side when you start throwing the boost to it. there are better gains to be had by porting the exhaust side. when gm had the ecotec race parts out there they had an lsj head that was only ported on the exhaust side. not to say there arent gains to be had on the intake side, but your best gains are on the exhaust.
Yeah ive got all but one exhaust port ported and when I get that one done ill be going through and polishing them up. I have to say you really gotta be careful as when youre porting it tends to easily get stuck in dips (which I guess is obvious).
Anybody know about the combustion area, around the valve faces, if they put a coating of some sort on it? Its like almost like a slight khaki color (tan) that comes off pretty easily enough when I'm going around the edges. I can take some pics but just seein if anybody knows off the top of their heads..
Now the heads that can def make some better gains. Get a 3 angle valve job and you'll feel the torque a lot more. This guy has a good post he did that I found a few weeks ago when just surfing to see what exactly I could do to mine to get the horsepower and torque. I'm a V8 guy who is use to carb or swaps and efi conversions like simple kits. I'd say check his post out to see the depths.
Found a valve seat cutter to do that 3 angle valve job. Watched several videos of guys at a machine shop doing it... I mean besides having a level surface, something to drill in a perfect straight line, this looks really doable! The question is, can it be done on existing valve seats?? I think it could be as long as theyre in good shape. What are your thoughts?
04-22-2017, 08:00 PM
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Hey I mean its not perfect but I'm working on it.. Patience being the key here.
I'm trying to figure out what the tan coating is around the combustion area. I havent hit it too much, I don't want to mess with static compression but is that tan stuff just normal build up from gas or something?
Last edited by Cobalt_noob; 04-22-2017 at 10:15 PM.