What does porting a head do?

Cylinder head porting refers to the process of modifying the intake and exhaust ports of an internal combustion engine to improve their air flow. Cylinder heads, as manufactured, are usually suboptimal for racing applications due to being designed for maximum durability.

Does porting heads add horsepower?

To properly analyse and validate the job, a head should be tested first on an air flow bench which measures the volumetric flow rate (how much air is getting in and out of the head). This will give a base figure to compare to once the head has been fully ported and polished, leading directly to a gain in horsepower.

What are the benefits of porting and polishing a head?

But for those of you who don’t know, porting and polishing your heads is beneficial for power and efficiency of the engine. In a lot of cases, because of the increased CFM of the heads, as much as 30 horsepower is typical with good port work.

How much does porting heads cost?

What’s It Gonna Cost Me? That could be a $1,000 question, if you go the fully ported route. On the low-end, you’re looking at around $200 for a professional three-angle valve job with the existing 1.94/1.50 valves. Add bowl-porting and a set of big valves and you move up into the $500-$700 range.

Do aluminum heads make more power?

Aluminum heads will dissipate heat faster. This allows for higher Compression Ratios with less risk of Detonation. The cooler head also delivers a cooler air/fuel mixture to the combustion chamber. Cooler air is denser and can make more power.

Is it worth porting 706 heads?

Now, porting the 706 heads will definitely help power. We have seen ported versions of these heads from sources like Total Engine Airflow unearth flow numbers that exceed 300 cfm, so flow potential was not a problem.

What temperature is too hot for aluminum heads?

This poses a significant challenge on existing cast aluminum alloys for high temperature performance. Over the past decade, the maximum operating temperature of components like cylinder heads increased from approximately 338F (170C) to temperatures exceeding 392F (200C).