Chevy Cruze Cylinder Head Porting: Worth the Effort?

[@dakotasutton2446]

Thanks for the insight in this. I'm currently making mine the same way 🤘

[@grahambate3384]

Holden Cruze here in Oz. Got 2013 hatchback. Gr8 video mate

[@cmattdabrat]

Thanks! I appreciate it. There’s a guy on the Cruze talk forums in Au that’s boosted his. Cool build.

[@km6832]

These are really good port designs, almost can see right through

[@cmattdabrat]

I think so too.

[@johnsnow1355]

The best part of a Cruze is the entire motor comes apart inside the car 😁 no engine stand needed

[@cmattdabrat]

You're right about that! You could build it in the car, minus pulling the crank which requires pulling the block from the bellhousing. However, you could still manage to sneak new bearings in, and pretty much build the rest if you dont need an overbore. Could even ball hone it sitting in the car.

[@adamlentz7528]

I really like the channel. For any port job you do make sure the intake is port matched to the gasket, but on the exhaust side you want a 2mm step or ledge. What I mean is the exhaust manifold needs to be 2mm bigger all the around than the head port. So if the exhaust was perfectly round port the head would be 4mm smaller in diameter than the exhaust manifold. The reason for this is the harmonics of the exhaust gas is a pulse. The edge reflects the pulse back towards the turbo instead of it traveling all the way to the back of the valve. This doesn't seem very important but make a world of difference.

[@cmattdabrat]

Thanks! I'm new to porting. From what I was told, with a turbo application it doesn't matter? Let me know. Still learning here.

[@Blacksmith1598]

dude you really know ur way around an engine good F ing work man I'm glad there's still channels like this around and not having someone else do the work for u

[@cmattdabrat]

I appreciate it! I wouldn't want someone else to have all the fun... and I used to po' folkin' it lol.

[@nathanlapp6369]

I just found this channel. I love it !

[@cmattdabrat]

Thank you!!! Welcome aboard.

[@termochiptr]

Great channel mate. Keep up the good work. Chevy cruze for everyone!

[@cmattdabrat]

Thanks, will do!

[@kyleboone8042]

BRO, I plan on cleaning my whole engine like this one day. (Gonna need a back up vehicle). This is great information.

[@cmattdabrat]

That's awesome! Yeah, definitely will take some time if it's your only ride.

[@jay1185]

I"m gonna go out on a limb and guess that you're gonna bore it .5mm over and use 81mm forged pistons. I don't expect an answer until a later video, but, that's my assumption. My next thought process is rods. Loving it, man! Freakin' awesome!

[@cmattdabrat]

jbeddingfield with as little wear as the engine has, its going in for a light hone and I’m just going to open up the ring gaps. The shop I’m taking the engine to has a cnc machine and can find pistons that are similar, and then they would machine it to the specs I need. Depending on the price. I’ll be sure to include my thoughts and kinda demonstrate in a future video, maybe after the next, how you could get away with using the stock pistons. I’ve found some rods and I’ll show those off next video!

[@jay1185]

@@cmattdabrat Yesss!

[@802Garage]

Nice job! A lot of work, but it should def flow better.

[@cmattdabrat]

Thanks! Definitely. I'm curious as to how it'll behave now. Top end, and just regular ol street driving.

[@charles26602]

Great job maxbore bored my throttle I had great response he's out of texas great turnaround

[@cmattdabrat]

Thanks! Nice. I've thought about porting my throttle body. That's something I'll tackle in the near future.

[@johnsnow1355]

Since our cars run fuel through the head and are not direct injection a super smooth finish can actually hurt the air flow and hp. A rough finish makes the air and fuel mix better not letting the fuel droplets fall out of the air flow.

[@cmattdabrat]

True! The current head I have on the car was simply a casting clean up. Didn't enlarge anything, but cleaned up the bowl, and casting areas. After watching Engine Masters episode on "Does porting make a difference with boost", they took a set of as is cast heads, dyno'd the engine NA. Then with a set of CNC port / polished heads NA. NA, the CNC heads made about 45 more hp (SBC). Then they added a procharger, the CNC head only made about another 3hp... Was really interesting to see.

[@robf.2585]

Good stuff thanks

[@cmattdabrat]

Thank you!

[@esxguru]

On the carbide bit clogging, just spray the part and the bit with a little WD40 every now and then and it wont stick. That happens when you port aluminum

[@cmattdabrat]

Awesome! Thanks for the tip.

[@greenvaepor]

Are you gonna replace all the valve guides. Stick you a magnet in the end of a deep 13mm socket, to remove keepers and locks, just place socket over valve lock and tap down on it with a hammer. Pops tthe lock and keepers get snatched up by magnet 😊. How do the exhaust valves and seats look?

[@cmattdabrat]

All the valve guides are in great shape, even after 120k miles. No play. The exhaust valves have a touch of pitting, but nothing a cut job won't clean up. The heads are at the machine shop as we speak. The head just needs decking because it has about .004 of warp. Great tip and I was actually going to do that, lol, but my magnet disappeared, so I did it the hard way. Luckily none of them got away.

[@aaronfuller881]

This is nice

[@cmattdabrat]

Thank you! There's a first for everything.

[@chasenk00019]

Pretty sure if you put your burr bits in lye if they get gummed up with aluminum to dissolve the aluminum out.

[@cmattdabrat]

I'll look into that. Thanks for the tip.

[@ProDigit80]

While porting the intake and exhaust, it's important to also shave off some of the cylinder head, so the compression ratio will lower a bit. Essentially making your 1800cc to an 1820cc or so. Necessary for the turbo to make boost, by lowering compression a bit.

[@cmattdabrat]

The head was decked to ensure its' flat and to clean it up. Decking the head will raise compression ratio, it wont increase the displacement. Only way to increase displacement is with a) larger piston / bore size, or b) longer crankshaft stroke. Increasing the piston / bore size and / or stroke will ultimately increase compression as well unless the cc of the cylinder head are increased, or a thick gasket, but you run into issues with not the right squish / quench area.

[@HOTRODRICO]

the way to lower compression is by pistons

[@cmattdabrat]

@@HOTRODRICO True.

[@charleslowe522]

Hey, I have a 1.4L Cruze. Definitely need to upgrade it to a bigger turbo, with supporting mods. A couple questions I have, as far as the bottom end does it have the main cap support for more power? Also what is the crank made out of? I read grey iron. I just want to be sure. I know the 2016.5 crank is forged. It would be nice if the crank was modular iron. Last is the block iron or aluminum?

[@cmattdabrat]

The blocks are cast gray iron for both. The 1.8 crankshaft is a cast nodular iron crankshaft.

[@charleslowe522]

Matthew Chevalier Wow I just went to GM authority to checkout the LUV engine. As it turns out the turbocharged engine only gets a reinforced cast crank and not a nodular iron crank. I’m a little surprised at that.

[@williampierce5615]

Bra. You should add piston return springs for more housepower.

[@cmattdabrat]

Maybe on April 1st.

[@brandonperry6698]

I wish I knew how to take my 1.4 turbo engine apart so I could upgrade the pistons and cams. I want to run a bigger turbo, but want the engine to be able to handle the extra boost.

[@cmattdabrat]

It's not too difficult. With someone guiding you that has a little experience, you could diy. Take your belts off, remove the timing chain cover, pull the cam cover, get a tool to lock the cams in phase, pull the chain, unbolt the head, drop the pan... You could dingleberry or ball hone the cylinder to knock off the glaze and so the rings will seat, install forged pistons and beefier rods, use ARP studs. Unbolt the cams, and gears / phasers, install upgraded cams, put the rest back together. If you use your phone, and look at a few "how to" videos on KZbin, you could pull this off with a minimal amount of tools. Good luck!

[@JB-sc3er]

Sounds like being at the dentist 🦷 office lol well done Matt

[@cmattdabrat]

LOL! It does. The time lapse parts even more so before I take the audio off the clip during editing. Thanks!

[@ralphmenta249]

Your carbide bit is gumming up from the aluminum. Next time try a bit more speed and go slower so the aluminum doesnt soften as much, close to melting. I am in NO way a professional port worker, but I am pretty impressed what you have done so far. You cant learn unless you push it too far, ya know? I am glad i can watch the whole series as one.

[@cmattdabrat]

Thanks for the tip! Part of the fun has been the learning process. I appreciate you watching. Lots more to come. Exciting times for the build.

[@jameshuffman8893]

You do know the opal 1.8l turbo is the same 1.8l in the Cruze. That the engine I used in my Cruze.

[@cmattdabrat]

Definitely! Made by Opel / GM division at the time.

[@kevinkev1530]

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@cmattdabrat]

Thanks!

[@Aaron-nl7iu]

Your using a carbide porting bit for metal only. You need an aluminum bit. Your using the wrong one. Lol

[@cmattdabrat]

Now Aaron tells me, lol. :) Worked out in the end.

[@Aaron-nl7iu]

Also instead of those sanding rolls your using, I found that 80grit flapper disc's work best. And for polishing there is 3m scotch bright balls you attach to your porting tool. Gives a mirror finish;)