Porting cylinder heads to optimize engine performance | Hagerty DIY

Engines need air (and fuel and spark). Moving air efficiently through the combustion chamber has a huge effect on power and porting your heads is one the best ways to accomplish that. Hagerty's Davin Reckow walks you through the ins and outs of how to port your heads at home with some fairly basic tools. Is it a bit scary? Sure. Can you screw up your heads pretty bad? Absolutely. But with Davin's instruction and some time and patience, you can squeeze a few extra HP out of your engine.
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[@Hagerty]

This head ended up on our Tri-power Pontiac Redline Rebuild. Check out the video to see the whole process and hear the engine run! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqGoq5awfdGgeLM

[@guzforce]

** ATTENTION **, this link will take you to the one of the most epic engine resuscitation video ever! MUST SEE !! You deserve an OSCAR! 1000 x Awesome!

[@tonylavinder1403]

Your show has pushed me To the point of working on Countless numbers of Engine's to not get 100% But 1000%. I think I will Rebuild any kind of Engine fly to the moon Then to Mars and back. You keep on going and People who look at Your show on U-tube Will prosper in so mini way's Thank you

[@tonylavinder1403]

This day and time we have got to make things last. Reduce ware inprove Mileage. Every time I Look at U-tube I learn how to fix, improve, modify to get more out of any item You buy

[@scotthsiao1231]

We use a 5 axis machining center to perform a head porting job. Very high precision, reduced the manpower labors involvement.

[@davidhughes4728]

Really like the video men keep up the good work

[@FarmAlarm]

I have ported several sets of heads over the years. Definitely is an art that takes patience. And well worth doing.

[@CorruptInfinityOfficial]

Where do you start? Just do it?

[@MrTheHillfolk]

@@CorruptInfinityOfficial I like to start at matching gaskets , and if there's a big lip you need to remove,you can blend that back into the port to smooth it out. Check the manifold that bolts to that port also. Keep it simple , take off any sharp edges and it's probably best to stay away from the bowls for a while unless there's obvious lumps and bumps, it's easy to nick a valve seat and it's easy to take out metal in the wrong area. As you progress in the craft you'll get more comfortable with it. Haha I had an old timer tell me to become an air molecule 😆 For whatever reason i stuck with that and it's worked for me.

[@zvonimirskvorc3006]

Which ones do you port, both intake and exhaust or just one of two?

[@onlythetruth883]

Farm Alarm So why would engines not come ported from the manufacturers?

[@onlythetruth883]

@@MrTheHillfolk So why would engines not come ported from the manufacturers? As you can tell I am a complete novice. Although I am very interested in the chemistry and physics of air molecules.

[@Hoaxer51]

When you said “just use your common sense” I had to chuckle thinking about how a lot of people don’t seem to have any sense, let alone any common sense. I didn’t let it go there, I thought about it a little more and realized that most of the folks that watch this channel actually have a lot of sense when it comes down to it. If anyone doesn’t think so, just read the comments! Thanks Davin for a good video to watch, happy grinding!

[@OldGriz708]

Common sense is listed as a super power these days 😅

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

Feeling with your finger as the air flows is actually really helpful IF you have a feel for this stuff. Some people just never will, and that's ok. For beginners, stay away from the short radius.

[@WPXTacoMan477]

You said you weren’t gonna go there but you did when you typed it out and hit send..? 🤷‍♂️

[@Hoaxer51]

WPXTacoMan477, I didn’t say “I wasn’t going to go there”, I said “I didn’t let it go there”, I still had more to say.

[@marlihars5375]

I think people that came here and watch till the end is already know what that "common sense" In this topic area

[@tias88]

This man is pure gold. We need people like this to teach us, amazing content! Thank you!

[@ElBlingo]

I always put a vacuum cleaner in the other end of the port I’m grinding, helps keep things clean removes any debris. Makes it easier to see what you’ve done, a good head light helps too.

[@robertogitassi966]

good tips

[@rechtsgelijkheidvooriedere9419]

@@robertogitassi966 Must be a quite small vacuum cleaner ;-)

[@paulsdavis3025]

Or make up a negative (vacuum) near the rear of yer porting bench.

[@paulsdavis3025]

Negative pressure

[@paulsdavis3025]

Good video! You have good control of yer die grinder especially with the long carbide while doing the SSR.

[@MrJacksjb]

Davin would make a good dentist. Just needs a smaller grinder.

[@Hagerty]

😂

[@tiredagain6722]

My teeth hurt listening to this...

[@302hobronco]

No offense but i'll need nitrous for sure lol

[@niteshsandhu438]

Then our teeth will start pulling out exhaust gasses more efficiently.

[@Chris-yy7qc]

Depends on the grade of caries. For some people the burrs used in the video would be just fine. xD

[@dcrahn]

A good tip when porting heads is to occasionally dip the burr in Johnson's Paste Wax. It helps keep them from clogging up with material especially aluminum.

[@HavokTheorem]

Soap also works well

[@kyleolin3566]

Thanks for this info. I will be sure to use it while porting my heads and aluminum intake

[@wil8115]

i use blue Boelube. works awesome.

[@vengeanceizmine9878]

On aluminum only. NOT needed on iron.

[@paultennant2593]

Aluminium .........learn how to spell it ..learn how to pronounce it

[@thecelticprince4949]

I was real surprised at both the toque and power gains I got out of my Honda Civic 1.6 16v head after I ported it, 3 angled the seats and backcut the valves. People said I would use up a lot more fuel. Rubbish I only loose about 1 kml. But now accelerates going up hill in 3rd gear. Not bad for just a daily driver.

[@HFSIR]

Did you ever get it dyno’d? do it n give us the results I’d like to see how much improvement it would be compared to stock

[@Chris-yy7qc]

@@HFSIR Hill Dyno! :D

[@nighthawk0077]

@@HFSIR The man said it accelerates up hills now. Before he had to make a running start. 'nuff said...

[@HFSIR]

Engage RC you got a point. Just seeing the real life numbers behind something like this is great, it’s not something from a million dollar shop trying to sell you something it’s just a normal dude tryna make some gainz 💪🏼

[@daryllect6659]

It's amazing the power increase you can imagine...

[@samsonian]

Another option along the lines of a Dremel tool: the professional’s version of a Dremel...the Foredom flexshaft grinder. They sell a handpiece with a 1/4” collet, perfect for burrs. Used one many times for ski boot fitting, nice part about them is they come with a foot pedal speed control.

[@davidstair8936]

Keep this guy. He has a great voice, super clear, and engaging.

[@ilovehotdogs125790]

Thanks! This video is amazing... pure information here. No BS/garbage, straight to the point with tips and pointers that only an experienced mechanic would know. Keep up the good work!

[@vettekid3326]

What's fun if you have access to a bench flow tester is what the numbers are before and after deburring the ports and if you want to know the percentage difference polishing effects the flow also you can check it.

[@chubbychicken5585]

You are correct VetteKid, and realistically without doing that you are just guessing what improvements you have made/ causing each cylinder to have different amounts of flow rate

[@hotrodray6802]

Chubby You are exactly correct... Sort of. Flows vary from the carb to the valves. Any and all improvements are beneficial. Years ago I saw a home porting job that made me cringe. That became a wicked fast SBC350. Unless your doing $2500 the flows will vary.

[@vengeanceizmine9878]

Unfortunately, bigger numbers do not guarantee more power. Surface texture on a bench is pointless because it is just air. Surface texture is not for the air, especially due to the boundary layer within the port..

[@coachwhitford7315]

Flow is not as important as velocity. Flow bench results are impressive but also deceiving if you do not understand the physics involved. Achieving flow is one thing, achieving higher velocity is far more important in the equation.

[@mikespeck8642]

@@coachwhitford7315 so my question is, where do you start and stop when porting your intake?

[@natesteiner5460]

Slide a short length of vinyl tubing onto the shank of the long burr to protect the valve seats

[@hanshoogendyk5783]

I have ported many old school heads with great results. One thing i did after the first porting session was to wear a mask , the taste of cast iron will last for days and so will the rusty spit

[@pvtdynamite]

think its funny that the insurance company that refuses to insure cars with modified engines is posting vids on how to modify your engine for performance

[@stanmack1]

they charge you more if you add more than 100 hp. that is what they told me. i insure my challenger through them.

[@tylerwiedenfeld2626]

They’re also the only reason I was able to afford insurance on my muscle car in high school so win some loose some dude.

[@georgecroney6168]

Anyone with a brain would simply not tell them... they can't come and pull your engine to bits or force you to put it on a dyno can they?

[@aeroflopper]

@@georgecroney6168 if for some reason they need to investigate they will.

[@vr6prodigy]

That's why I buy vws. I tell my insurance they are just your average shitboxes lol. They believe me. Hahahaha

[@jasonepperly7041]

You are the first person I have watch with a diy. That explains that you can mess them up. And you can get more performance for taking it somewhere. Very nice diy!!

[@--OpT.OuT--]

You sir are the one that majorly improved my understanding of head flow and porting. I watched this video years ago but just now found it again. Thank you for all you have taught me with only this one video. Oh and I have no clue why I didn't subscribe years ago.

[@bravofoxable]

As always, professional advice from Davin. Thanks

[@johnlewis8156]

I really just appreciate you Davin and the team. It keeps me motivated to get back to the shop and do all the little things to be able to enjoy my cars! Keep up the great work

[@Tygereyepickle4067]

Two thoughts after watching this. First, I’m assuming you’d want to knock that sharp edge down that you created on the intake side? Thats a sharp corner for the air coming in to climb over. Second, when using that long carbide bit, you could always use a small wet rag around the shaft to put your hand on and guide closer to the end, so you won’t get that chatter because you can apply more even force close to your work, and the wet rag would lube and prevent friction. Overall, I’m new to these videos, great work, and of all people on the internet, this guy is near the top of my list of people I’d love to have a few beers with

[@daos3300]

holding a wet rag on a bit spinning at 10,000rpm.. try it and let us know how it goes!

[@Tygereyepickle4067]

Da Os oily rag, greasy rag, whatever. Something with a lubricating property of your choice

[@woodyTM]

Amazing video! I know how challenging it can be with recording the tiniest of details whilst still being able to work on it and show us what you are doing. I believe you did an excellent job on showing us the fundamental basics to the process in such a digestible manor that a beginner could easily understand and would be able to replicate the process exactly as shown.

[@tazzygeoff621]

I did this then polished the ports as well myself on my Chrysler slant 6 in 1976 as well as the headers. It took a while but awsome results. 🇭🇲🦘🐨🇭🇲

[@richardmiller3808]

I've done this process to several small OPE engines in the past. It makes a world of difference in the aspects of overall performance. Never done this on a automobile but I do have a set of heads I pulled off my Subaru and a block that I want to build up for a spare engine :-)

[@brandongross3448]

My dad is an engineer at Ingersoll Rand, so every-time I see a car show or some sort of famous car company using or representing IR, it's awesome.

[@constitutionalrepublican1611]

theyre good tools, what do you expect? some harbor freight unbalanced chaos?

[@NickLoecke]

Great mini-tutorial for folks that have heard talk about porting and polishing the heads but only had a vague idea of what it really meant. Thanks again for the high quality content!

[@KP-qh8je]

You've given the best video on head porting

[@zacariasblanco9738]

Im going to practice with an extra head before i start my build ..great info thanks

[@OldGriz708]

Buy a cheap used chainsaw from Craigslist to practice on 👍

[@zacariasblanco9738]

@@OldGriz708 naa my truck is 4 stroke not a saab sonett

[@ironpanther2420]

If I could offer some advise, start with a sanding wheel and once you're comfortable with it, then use a carbide burr. The carbide gets away from you so fast, you can make a mess before you know it. Sanding wheels are very forgivable.

[@zacariasblanco9738]

@@ironpanther2420 o ok thanks

[@MasterSheep598]

I would never try this on my own but my biggest takeaway from this video is that trick with your flashlight. Absolutely genius.

[@KingJT80]

just use some garbage heads and practice then take it somewhere to get flowed and look at the airspeeds and port volumes etc rinse and repeat

[@modeverything1]

Also listen to the sound of the cutter when grinding so you don't end up with liquid cooled ports! The sound changes the thinner the metal gets!

[@martindworak]

Mod Everything, I’ve gasket matched and knocked off all casting flash on my old build. However, because of the possibility of cutting into a water jacket I was to afraid to do a port job with no experience. I’m guessing cutting in to a water jacket is the worst thing that can happen during porting.

[@modeverything1]

@@martindworak yes that is one of the worst things. Some cases you can have them repaired if that happens, by welding them up and carefully blending the weld back in. I always tell people to start with a scrap head to practice on, usually can get one from the wreckers for cheep or out of the scrap bin at the machine shop! Lol

[@RawSauce338]

@@modeverything1 Would it matter what type of filler metal to use? What type of metal are cast iron heads made of?

[@Rj-tz5kb]

Love these longer videos, indepth and well explained!

[@lordieshepherd]

You would make a great lecturer in mechanics. Thanks again.

[@LVREC]

yeah i mean i pretty much have all that in my toolbox already. By "all that" i mean the flashlight. and the batteries are dead.

[@jasondk5127]

Finally something not fake!! Thanks for the great video! Sure beats watching the news feeds! I like all your productions their educational and entertaining. Thank you, I recommend them to everyone.

[@lichking3711]

It's also recommended (and required for a machine shop) to do the porting first, and only then the valve seats. This way you don't have to worry too much about damaging the seat, which is a precision machined piece that must seal 100%. As an example of time, I ported a set of sbf heads without prior experience in about 10-12 hrs and lapped all 16 valves in about 5 min per valve - again, no prior experience so it took longer.

[@stevehammel2939]

What I like is your no B.S. approach to porting and the tips are those from an experienced engine builder. Thanks

[@michaelcoulombe4319]

I've done several heads cleaning them up it said it has been working on now is on A 318 I figure it'll take me at least 2 days to get them all ported out but just like you said patients I intend to do so I'm going to help make my motor run even better I'll send you comments when I'm finished with it thank you for all the advice

[@thelongranger55]

Doing it yourself is the best feeling . Some people can see & feel massive gains . All it will cost you is your time & the price of Dremel kit if you don’t have have one already laying around . even just detailing the ports with a sanding wheel to smooth the casting surface & removing the ridge in the bowl next to the valve seats can give you a few CFM if your careful. Changing the shape changes the flow obviously so you can’t get carried away during the detail job unless you can get them flow tested to confirm your helping/hurting performance. ✅.

[@robertingram4562]

Davin , I am going to work on an air cooled vw . Your time to show and explain how to do this, was a great help to me .

[@wolfparty4234]

Yup, you said exactly how to port the head. I’m glad that you weren’t over the top and making it seem impossible for DIYers to try on our own! So thank you 🙏🏻 well said and well done 👍🏻!!!

[@louisthibault555]

Oh wow, that last bit about shaving off the casting to help oil drain is a gem. Thanks for the tip!

[@1MrR]

Definitely an eye opener and great instruction to a novice and or pine that's curious. I'm in to doing it yourself more than paying so this tid bit helps. I always feel it's better to know even if you pay for work. Knowledge is far less costly just time consuming yet a greater satisfaction. This helps greatly in building my own motorcycle engines abd racing them. Thanks a bunch

[@spotthedogg]

Someone I know who builds motorcycle and Indy car race engines started finishing his ports with an old burr, it judders and bounces and gives a nice texture which results in better volumetric flow and port velocity. 😊 Perfectly shiny smooth port walls aren’t all we once thought

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

My understanding was that texture was preferable on the intake side in order to help keep the air/fuel mixture turbulent and thus well mixed. On the exhaust side I believed that the smoother the finish, the better. I'm not an expert, I've never even done the job, but I'm here to learn.

[@spotthedogg]

@@davidbrayshaw3529 I believe a textured surface reduces the boundary layer impact on flow

[@liamdtraxxas2011]

I love porting. You get so much satisfaction from doing it and good free power that makes a difference, porting with a cam is the best. The exhaust side is the best but the longest to do when it's all polished up nice and shiny

[@willodonnell2274]

This would have to be the best video regarding how too port heads I've found! Cheers man

[@boboshop55]

Invest in an American made die grinder. Henry & Dotco are some of the best. Thousands of hours of work in these!

[@boboshop55]

@Willy Wisper Nope, made overseas.

[@SonOfDrTito]

1960's and 70's heads have huge amounts of casting material left over inside the heads , by the 90's they got better.

[@AlfDagg]

what about the 80s

[@SonOfDrTito]

@@AlfDagg they got a lil better rough edges inside but nothing like the 60's, my big block caddy had a intake runner almost completely blocked .

[@davidparker9676]

@@AlfDagg The foreign cars didn't seem to have the casting quality issues these domestic castings do. Modern Japanese and German engines are typically hurt by porting, the factory developed them so well that there aren't any street gains to be made. BMWs in the 1960s were making about 1hp per cubic inch. Domestics were far lower than that, usually under a half horsepower per cubic inch. I don't know why people spend so much money polishing turds. Swapping a well engineered engine is a better use of money and time.

[@codenamecordon]

What about 00’s truck heads (Chevy)?

[@SonOfDrTito]

@@codenamecordon you'll only know once you open it up , but as time passes tech gets better , castings become smoother with less waste , better MPH and performance.

[@igorschannel]

Always learning something new here. The details that make all the difference. Thanks!

[@nancysmith9487]

Thank you for your tutorial and explainations of... clean is smooth and smooth is faster

[@chriswenkle2635]

Love it - DIY head porting 101.

[@kevinnoble5988]

I ported and polished a number of heads almost 45 years ago at my first job out of high school. I did have one Chevy head I blew through the push rod hole. One customer decided to do his own port and polish on his heads "AFTER" we had done substantial work cutting new bosses for his valve springs and new valve guides. He had to buy another 351W head and pay us to port it AND do the machine work that was done on the original head. He also paid me to polish his aluminum intake manifold at home.

[@karlmullowney998]

I ported a Vauxhall Astra and had head skimmed . Then I noticed the car had been stolen :-) It was an old car , I didnt think anyone would want it . Nice video I can tell you are a decent guy . THANKYOU.

[@sergkotoff3096]

Хорошая речь, и грамотные термины. Хотя все это мы знаем давно. Однозначно жирный+! Спасибо.

[@REAPER0D]

"YOUR GONNA HAVE TO USE YOUR OWN COMMON SENSE" lol i laughed harder then i should have. working in auto parts you find quickly common sense died when schools stopped teaching shop class

[@bigolfordf1502]

Yeah I find it funny when I go to the auto parts store and ask for a clutch kit for my 5 speed and the person behind the counter asked if my transmissions is an automatic

[@mikespeck8642]

@@bigolfordf1502 have you tried porting your f150

[@mikeherbst1825]

When I use a long burr i'll make a wooden handle to help control & guide the cutting head. (Lubed with bee's wax).

[@graham2631]

I've had great success in smoothing out and enlarging the intake valve pocket. Air behaves like a fluid think water flowing. I think the larger the valve pocket the larger the initial volume of air initially drawn into cyd pulling more down the runner creating better flow. I don't think it's a good idea to touch the runner unless you have a flow bench. You may end up with a head only good at wot fine in the 1/4 mile but that's it. Another thing is make sure there are no sharp edges or lumps in combustion chamber as they will get hotter and promote detonation. Lots of room for improvement in all factory sbc heads.

[@mikespeck8642]

So are you saying that volume out weighs velocity?

[@hogey74]

That moment at the end when it cut to Davin laughing and I was laughing the same way ... awkwardly awesome!

[@MOTubulous]

THANKS! Your guidelines and showing the process translate to lots of different porting jobs.

[@dinonaccarato2989]

rookie diy'er here, thanks for the info I thought it was awesome info. Thanks for using a flashlight too when demo'g your porting. cheers

[@daveyelmer3222]

This is an excellent video ! Lots of useful information concisely presented, with demonstration, without added "theater".

[@daveyelmer3222]

Oops. I didn't remember commenting earlier.... still good.

[@ApprenticeGM]

This is a great video for a DIY'er like me. Exactly what I need to know - the "low hanging fruit" that is quick and easy (well, my time, maybe a small $ on tools) but gives appreciable performance gain, vs the high fruit of big dollars for a pro shop to do it (not worth it for me). Thanks a lot for a clear and concise video!

[@benjaminrojas3166]

Good ins company we in a csr blew up and they paid the claim quick and efficiently great video

[@david9783]

Now I know what the Beach Boys meant in their song, "Little Deuce Coup" when they said ..."she's ported and relieved, and she's stroke and bored...". I always wondered what it meant, and now I even could try it on my 1965 Kohler K 241 single cylinder cast Iron engine block when the machinist bores it .20 over. Thanks for the VERY informative video!

[@rogerharrelljr1935]

@1:06 look at those intake bowls, that ole d port Pontiac head has already been ran through! 😂 nice work!

[@johnelliott4521]

Did a set of 318 heads, glass smooth exaust side slight texture to intake side amazing difference, did sring for new valves and guides.

[@popswrench2]

Did similar back in the late 80s with 2.3L simple 1980 mustang 4spd , standard overhaul and original head . 28mpg decent power for TALL rear gears . 55mph ; 2100 (+/-) rpm STIFF . did similar porting to second stock head and changed over later in same year . no tire squeeling , but the TORQUE went wild . fewer shifts , hill climbs without shifting , loaded at hiway speeds .... mileage dropped to 24 , but it was FUN and more controllable . winter driving in northeast much easier when can leave a gear higher and slowly "walk up" to speed . miss that old pony . 2lane passing was a BREEZE ; just GO!

[@thefrefdood4775]

It helps to slightly dimple the intake like a golf ball. If the intake is to polished the air and fuel mixture does not mix as well resulting in a less efficient burn. But polish the heck out if the exhaust.

[@IHadToMakeThisAccount]

You can also “over port” it, especially in naturally aspirated applications, it’ll make tuning it hell. Modern day CNC porting has air flow examination to properly flow. So if you’re going to do this I recommend just polishing it.

[@wackydriver]

I have no experience in porting but I spoke with one person that does. What I am missing in this video is the port throat (the thinnest point), air goes through a tunnel, if you don't touch the thinnest point you won't improve air flow (significantly because you only improve air speed a bit). The road heads have throat of ~85% of inlet, the racing heads ~90%. Good way to have it consistent through port is to use some ball which diameter is e.g. 88% * inlet

[@shadvan9494]

one other thing that didn't get mentioned is the combustion chamber. I like to use dykem around the edge of the combustion chamber and then put a head gasket on it and use a scribe to lay out the area the head gasket covers. I then lay the edge of the combustion chamber back on the side of the valves to improve air flow between the valve and the chamber. I also remove any casting flash in the chamber a polish them up as much as possible. this helps keep carbon deposits from forming in the combustion chamber. I will also put a spark plug in it and see how far in to the chamber it stick, some times there are threads in the combustion chamber that are not used by the sparkplug, these can become hot spots when the engine is running and can lead to preignition or dieseling after turning the engine off on high compression engines and modern pump gas. I grind those out as well.

[@vengeanceizmine9878]

On the right track. Use the bore, not the gasket, as the gasket is often bigger. If you open the chamber bigger to the gasket, it'll overhang the bore which hurts it even more. It is also a popular misconception that carbon doesn't stick to polished surfaces. It does. Mirror polishing is a waste of time and energy. Does nothing. Chamber modifications can hurt power by just opening them up just as much as a port. Flat roof and wall chambers like these are tough to modify, the valve job becomes critical and more beneficial.

[@robertpronovost3839]

Funny coincidence. I’ve never know anything about porting and polishing. However I did thing of the oil flow back you mentioned last when I watched JPCycle big bore kit how to.

[@ssarkees]

Awesome lesson bother! Im going to get my dentist friend to do mine.. lol. Thanks! Love your skill and teaching ability.

[@daveponder2754]

I use online photos of heads (when available) that had been sawed in pieces showing the water jackets, various views of the ports and also advice (by phone and online) from porting professionals. A homemade flow bench (easy to make) shows improvements or not. Then I use a "throw away" head, and valves to try different curves.The valves are drilled with small holes close to the outer circumference. Threads through holes can be used to see turbulence, or smooth air flow! Using the best port I made templates to get consistency from port to port. Sorry, but this guy is full of it. I would not even rank him with good hobbyists or amateurs. He is a rank hack... sorry but true.

[@fuknmovin]

From someone with literally thousands of hours on the porting bench, this is a good tutorial for a beginner that wants a decent gain.👍🏻🍻

[@johnschutt9187]

Very helpful video. I remember my brother doing this to his 70 1/2 camaro 350 heads back in the day. I now understand better what he was doing and why he was doing it. Thank you!

[@jimjames1757]

Thank you. I am putting my 400 motor back together and i'm thinking about can i port my heads my friend said too dangerous and its not worth it . now after watching you piece of cake.

[@robertwillis4061]

I assume that you also ported the inlet and exhaust ports? I was taught to match to the gasket. Then on a cast iron exhaust manifold to try to burr off any molding ridges. I found that an air powered drill was preferable to electric. It didn't get as hot and was easier to hold for longer. Remember reading the magazine about 30years ago were a guy ported the head on a 2stroke 50cc scooter, he doubled the power output. As you are engine building, did you do porting to the oil pump and the water pump. Can help make the engine more reliable and cool easier.

[@aaronmahanga7635]

Thanks davin for the info I can imagine the performance you will get from just porting cylinder heads, thanks nicholas.

[@guzforce]

CNC, flow bench, CFM digging are insane, but those only exist because of Pure roots, technic and hands-on like this great video!... And we all know the difference between drive/ride a car/bike we did by hand versus a machine-made.

[@Mechaniclyfe]

I would have loved to see a none ported heads flow tested then , these head which were light key ported and polished to see the flow improvements. 🙏🏻

[@ThePaintwurks]

I took a Dremel and removed all the casting defects in a 250f motocross bike and did an overall mild port I polished the exhaust side and just did like you said thought about how the air naturally wanted to move and guys in the forums made fun of me one guy offered to “fix it”but I sent photos of my jetting and Dynojet numbers to the admin of the forum and proved that anyone with the balls and patience can do it ,,,,,,I took a brand new casting and cut into it most guys buy used heads because they want to save money ....and here I am cuttin one up but it worked great and that Kawasaki kx250f has a stock compression forged wiseco piston running pump 93 making just as much power as the guys running 110

[@paulsdavis3025]

You can make a good porting lubricate from a blend of W-40 and auto trans fluid or what I use is fork oil left over from changing fork oil on Harleys. You want kinda a light pink color. Then put it in a spray bottle and spray it on the port liberally. This keeps yer carbides from clogging up. Works great when doing aluminum heads!!

[@douglorimer5985]

Excellent video .For a beginners. Now get into advanced porting.

[@TheFrogfeeder]

I wonder what the results would be on my 1962 Evinrude 2 stroke? Is it even possible to port and polish 2 stroke heads?

[@knutbjornlarsen4435]

Buy a book. It's not the HEADS you want to port, it's the cylinder PORTS !! You can "mill" the head on a lathe, for higher compression, but go easy here, most 2 strokes have pretty high compression stock. Use all the Diechem you need, should be your second purchase.

[@pereldh5741]

This was a good pointer, doing Alfa 24v Busso heads.

[@stevenbongiorno9277]

Great video! I’ve ported heads before, but this shows the basics, and you explained it clearly. Kudos!

[@nickma71]

Nice video. It makes me think why sometimes you should get a different cylinder head. Take my beloved 5.0. It had a 1985 truck head on it. So bowl work and port work were both needed.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I was getting my car repaired and just watching the shop and they had this crazy contraption that had a cylinder head clamped and was rotating it in all three axis. I went over and checked it out and it had all the ports taped up and was half full of steel shot. This thing just peens over all the surfaces the shot can reach. He showed me a completed head and it was smooth as glass. But the thing has to cycle for a full 24 hours. But man was it nice. He said that it won't get it all, but it takes about 80% of the hand work out of the job

[@ALXG]

Hagerty, Awesome DYI! One small request from me and I hope from some of your viewers as well. In a video like this, it would be nice to see the end result with some close-up shots. Also, idea, to reflect how things change performance-wise. Something like before-after.

[@WarpedSpeed]

my recommendations for a first time DIY porter is to start as far away from the valves as possible. Get use to the tools and bits by cleaning up the castings, work on a water passage, then do the gasket matching, passage, then bowl. A lot of damage can be done when the bit starts to "chatter" which you never hear about or see when watching a "pro", also over reaching can bring the collet into contact with the seat, not good. A list of things not to do is a good starting point as well.

[@improvisewitme]

I've got an extra set of Chrysler 906 heads. I'm thinking I might try this on those. Wish me luck!

[@bdjm8595]

Nice work, I might try a little porting next time I have a head off !!

[@josephpetito1351]

Seeing this just in time--will be into that aspect of rebuild very soon. Thanks!

[@thomasm8699]

An artist always makes his art look easy. This man is an artist and his extensive experience comes pouring as he works.

[@1978Rolla]

Effortlessly and selflessly.

[@tonylavinder1403]

"Master!". When you are Porting and polishing the Block and head's what is the best way to measure the thickness of both Head and block?.

[@bruh_machine]

Great video, head gasket blew on my 2.3T Lima so I may as well get in there!

[@grdstudios]

I've been using a flexible shaft Fordham with a pedal for speed control. But it's collet is 1/8" like a dremel. Also matching the ports is less work and adds more then porting on some engines.

[@klampykixx]

I like how you explained what you were doing and having done this a few times now, I appreciated following what you were doing. I have two questions tho. First, is there a difference between porting for power vs porting for efficiency and fuel economy? And how much benefit is there to back cutting the valves at a low lift while at low rpm 1500-2500 say. Both these questions aimed at a jeep 4.0 0630 head im gearing up to work on.

[@erneststorch9844]

With the coming of CNC tool and cutter grinders a lot burrs are made on those machines. But still a lot are and reground by circle grinding the shape on a machine with a diamond grinding wheel. Then all those little teeth are cut in by hand looking through a magnifying glass and a strong light. Didn't do any myself but I saw it done . One thing when you stop for a moment don't throw the grinder down . Be careful you can bend the shank of the burr and you won't be able to use it after that. The shanks are stiff but not unbendable .

[@Domonkos89]

put a bearing thing on the neck of the longer one grinder and you can hold it without wobbling

[@WPXTacoMan477]

Domonkos Komáromi that’s freaking genius !

[@jasoncampbell4723]

Or if it’s too long you can shorten it? A bunch of my 6” burrs are more like 3.5” burrs now.

[@fiddibelow]

i like this guy no nonsense straight to the point and useful info along the way