Port matching.

[TurboDave]

Ok, now it's my turn to learn.
This winter, I will be putting my original "numbers matching" engine back together. I hope to be able to re-use the original slugs (IMHO there's nothing better).
The crank is almost perfect, just needs a polish.
Here's my question.
I'll probably get the heads "massaged", and would like to do some port matching, heads/intake.
How does one go about marking where to take material off??
Where do I start? What do I do?
Have a complete new Pneumatic air system and tools, so that'll help

Thanks in advance.

 

[ALBERTAN]

http://www.sa-motorsports.com/diyport.htm

Hopefully this will get you started in the right direction. HAven't been through it much yet myself as it's one of my yet to be accomplished Winter projects as well. Good luck Dave.

 

[Nashty]

Done most effectively, you need to pin the head to the intake and exhaust with the gasket you plan to use in place.

Drill a small diameter reference hole for a drill bit to pass through the intake into the head in a non-critical area. Then you take the gasket and place it on the head and scribe off the port opening. Do the same for all of them. Grind off all the material to the scribed line and blend it in. You can also blend in the seat area and taper the guide. Can't get into much trouble doing these as well if you're careful around the seat.

When you install the intake align everything with the pins (drill bits) Now everything is the same as when you ported it.

Only downside is you will have a new hole in the intake and exhaust manifold. If that bothers you on your numbers matching mill, then this method isn't for you.


EDIT: Added directions I forgot the first time.

 

[UNGN]

Find a reputable shop that will do a three angle valve job. It should cost less than $200.

After the three angle valve job, blend in the machined throat cut of the valve job into the cast surface of the port. It doesn't take much to improve the transition, a 2 to 10 hours max.

Now find the "pushrod pinch" in the intake ports. Turn this sharp rough angle into a smooth curve don't take off too much material as you could break through into the pushrod holes.

Smooth out the roof of the intake port. And match the head port with the intake port (you may need to open the intake slightly)

If you stop right there, you've increased the HP potential of your motor by about 10%. Not Champion Heads by any stretch of the imagination, but 40 HP on a 400 HP car isn't too bad for a little work an a couple hundred dollars.

 

[TurboDave]

Since I have NO experience porting heads, I'm going to leave that to a Turbo Buick Expert (probably Merkel(sp) or someone of equal stature). Proper head porting is hard enough to learn, let alone, these turbo heads. Sure don't want to ruin a set learning. And where I now live, there aren't any junk spares to go find.

I just want to make sure that once the heads are done, I can port match the intake to them.

 

[Jimn8or]

I covered the heads' intake mating surfaces with 'Prussian Blue' machinists dye. Very carefully place the intake on the heads, apply little or no pressure and equally as carefully remove the intake. Kind of a drop-on, straight-off movement. Where the Prussian Blue is transferred on the intake is where the head ports are...where there's no Blue is where you can remove/smooth/blend the intake to match the ports. Upon permanent intake installation, be sure to leave the doghouse off so you can line up the intake and eliminate any edges/ridges showing, thus taking advantage of your port match work.
Good Luck,
Jim

 

[boostx]

The buick power source book has some good info on doing this

 

[JToups386]

That is all good advice above! TurboDave, I will throw something your way, just to humor you.
You've heard me mention before that "bigger is not always better", well; when I did my first set of Buick heads and the intake, I thought that I needed to hog them out large enough to pass a small barnyard animal through em'. I ended up having to buy a replacement intake, and as for the heads, after we stuck them on the car and ran them, it was discovered that per my HUGE openings, they would no longer seal correctly on the intake gasket. #@)$*@%t!!! The heads have now been the anchor for a friend's DSS satelite dish in his backyard for the past few years. We still laugh at it, or rather, they still laugh at me...

Point is: being conservative on the grind is safer and best! I think you are wise to leave the real headwork to an experienced pro, as it is certainly an art and a science. As for matching the intake, the Prussian Blue ink advice from above is a good way to go. (things we learn after our mistakes...)

I can't imagine what a rarity it must be to still have one in such a virginal state. Just try to resist the urges to test the abilities of all those new pneumatic toys!!!

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by JToups386
That is all good advice above! TurboDave, I will throw something your way, just to humor you.
You've heard me mention before that "bigger is not always better", well; when I did my first set of Buick heads and the intake, I thought that I needed to hog them out large enough to pass a small barnyard animal through em'. I ended up having to buy a replacement intake, and as for the heads, after we stuck them on the car and ran them, it was discovered that per my HUGE openings, they would no longer seal correctly on the intake gasket. #@)$*@%t!!! The heads have now been the anchor for a friend's DSS satelite dish in his backyard for the past few years. We still laugh at it, or rather, they still laugh at me...

Point is: being conservative on the grind is safer and best! I think you are wise to leave the real headwork to an experienced pro, as it is certainly an art and a science. As for matching the intake, the Prussian Blue ink advice from above is a good way to go. (things we learn after our mistakes...)

I can't imagine what a rarity it must be to still have one in such a virginal state. Just try to resist the urges to test the abilities of all those new pneumatic toys!!!

Thanks, and trust me, I do know (from the experiences of others) how easilly it is to really screw up Buick heads. I wouldn't dream of trying it myself.

As for the pneumatic tools, I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW I'VE DONE WITHOUT THEM FOR THIS LONG!!!! Best tool money I've ever spent, hands down.

 

[JToups386]

Yes, air tools are great! It's just a common joke with me and some of my friends, to always keep them out of my hands when only minor grinding is required, since I had the tendency to create the Lincoln tunnel out of my ports. However, after costing myself that money, I have learned (been taught) to be conservative and safe. The last intake I ported, I was careful, and was able to perfectly match it to the head ports, by gasket matching. If you're paying someone to do the heads, you should be able to line them up with the intake and be able to match the ports, per the suggested methods from the others above. Be sure you get some nice carbide bits for grinding the aluminum, as well as the sand paper roll sets for finishing. It's really kinda enjoyable and relaxing, once you start...

 

[Mac in SD]

Dave, what're you gonna do with the engine that's in the car now? Use it in your snow-plow?

Just a little warm-weather humor, heh-heh-heh. I'm sure the arctic landscape will have its charms. I watched Doctor Zhivago last weekend. It's really beautiful how the ice forms those crystals on the windows...when the snow-drifts are low enough to let light in, anyway.

Seriously, why not send the intake out to be port matched by whoever does your heads? I port-matched my old stocker, and found that you're essentially gasket-limited, so you could use the gasket as a template.

Back to Doctor Zhivago...if you get lost in a blizzard, follow the railroad tracks.

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by Mac in SD
Dave, what're you gonna do with the engine that's in the car now? Use it in your snow-plow?

Just a little warm-weather humor, heh-heh-heh. I'm sure the arctic landscape will have its charms. I watched Doctor Zhivago last weekend. It's really beautiful how the ice forms those crystals on the windows...when the snow-drifts are low enough to let light in, anyway.

Seriously, why not send the intake out to be port matched by whoever does your heads? I port-matched my old stocker, and found that you're essentially gasket-limited, so you could use the gasket as a template.

Back to Doctor Zhivago...if you get lost in a blizzard, follow the railroad tracks.

I'm not looking to get fancy, or try and make 600 HP. So, I might just do like you said and use the gasket. It is after all, the limiting factor.

As for snow, if we don't get any more this year than we did last year, there won't be much to see. The entire year's snow fall last year wasn't over 18"

 

[RobV6]

You've helped me so many times. I'm glad I can re-inforce what was said. Use the blue machinest ink. By using a quality gasket.
As a scribe guide. My father was a machinest so I've done this many times.

Best way is to just cean up area on the scribe line going in about a half an inch. I would always look to blend into the original casting. Any flashing for a smooth flow. For the intake I would samething do the same. Your looking more flow. Bowl work I usually just do a three angle valve job. Found more street troubles than worth.

This should give you much more power. Hope I explained it right.
Hope I helped some.........

 

[qtr@atyme]

Being an automotive machinist and knowing several head porters
And doing some myself I'm here to say that porting is an art.
When it comes to buick heads there's alot of work to be done.
For instance the short tun radius and cyclinder wall side of the
ex. port a critical to flow. As for matching the intake to the heads there are many ways to attempt this the best way I have found is toinstall the heads temporaly with the gaskests in place using only one or two bolts (do not torque) glue the gasket to the head with a small amount of weatherstrip adhedsave blue the intake with layout fluid, put the intake on the the motor using a few bolts to alighn (not tight) , use a scribe to trace around th out side of the gasket between the head and intake , the remove all.
Using the out side line of the gasket you will be able to scride the ports.
Doing it this way insures a proper match incase of improper dowell pin holes or changes in block height. A porter that has done several can get extremely closewithout this. but this is perfect. To get the heads done try LUALLANS CYCLINDER HEADS @ (812)951-3027 I think he gets about $1000 for a full ported st with stainless valves, Bronze guides, the works tell him Damond told you to call. Good luck