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gn1 heads, valve job?

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skew

Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2007
Messages
183
Just took my brand new gn1's to the machine shop to get assembled and I was told the radius valve job on the intake is no good. They are wanting to do a 5 angle. Without saying names this machine shop has a very large amount of talent and are top notch guys. This is definitely not a back woods machine shop. They said everything else on the heads look great. Just no radius on the intake, they will pick up flow with the angles there. Also said if I wanted to the could do a very small amount of port reshaping, very minimum. Any input?
Thanks
 
radius valve job on the intake is no good. " - sounds to me like they are looking for some cash ...::: just my two cents.
 
radius is what champion puts on them. The guy I have on them has alot of talent, so not a question there. Just wondering if anyone has there gn1's gone over and a good valve job done?
 
You asked for input, so here is my opinion.

I have not known any quality engine builder/porting guy, locally or around the country, that has ever wanted to do a 5 angle job on the turbo Buick head unless it is for only all-out racing, and NOT for street use. A 5 angle job will end up melding into a 3 angle seat after a few WOT blasts, and actually will gain you almost nothing on the street except shorter life of the valve job.

In a race situation heads are removed often, so they have a "touch-up" done often.

Additional porting follows the same track. EVERY shop can improve on the existing port job, but will you ever see any gain?

"Just no radius on the intake" is what I was told recently be a shop on a set of heads I was having done, but since the car/engine was NOT a max, all out HP performer, it made no difference. We could always add a pound or 2 of boost if needed. :)

Will you see any gain, probably not unless it is proven on the track. Flow bench numbers, like dyno numbers, do NOT tell you absolutely which is best, or even better, unless mods and changes are proven in the car under actual operating conditions. At least that is what the pros have stated.

You stated "brand new GN-1"s, so if the valve job is "no good" then you need to have your supplier make them right.
 
if your asking is there room to clean up the radius on gn1's out of the box.. yes ,
but they still flow as good if not better than a great ported set of irons
if goals are well into the 9s ..port away or just up to the gn1-r or the TA heads
and no on the 5 angle with the egts we run at
 
The unported gn1's ran 9.30's. The race ported ones flow way more air than just about every engine they were ever bolted to. The low lift flow on the ported ones is tremendous when compared to a ported iron head. Even with the best seats out there 3 angles is all that's needed. More time should be spent thinking about the cam, turbo, and torque converter and the rest of the valvetrain not including the valves themselves. That's where youre going to find power. Chasing after 8 cfm on a valve job is like chasing after pennies when you should be chasing after dollars.
 
Anyone else doing anything for a valve job on there gn1's?
Multiple angles depends on the type of head and the chamber shapes. On the buick heads I like to use a 35/45/62/75 on the intake and never a radius on it. Keep in mind those angles are the last thing the fuel will see to help them stay suspended and atomized.The longevity of the valve jobe will be determened by the width of the primary seat angle and not by how many angles. On the exhaust I use a 32/45 with a radius bottom cut. I have seen over the years using a radius on the intake will show improvement on the flow bench but will actually hurt horsepower. Like Bison said the few cfm gain will not make any HP difference . This is just my opinion .
 
Most head porters do not radius intake seats. Not to say that it doesn't work. A turbocharger covers a TON of mistakes. As Nick illuded to, just turn the boost up a notch or two if you are down on power. I agree with the statement above about the primary seat width being most important for longevity. The only way to quantify results would be to swap heads at the track and see if there is a power gain. But even a small change in density altitude will result in a noticable cange in power. Really hard to quantify any change in valve seat changes. And we don't race flow benches or dynos. I'd run the heads as is. When it's time for a re-build, THEN change the seat angles and see if it makes a difference. Just lap 'em and run 'em.
 
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