what should be done to a nice set of new heads?

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,616
Reaction score
5,653
Location
Evansville Indiana
When I got my trickflow twisted wedge heads years ago I just slapped them on. I have been hearing more and more that even on a quality set of new heads that its not a bad idea to lap the valves at the least. What would you do at a minimum and if you had a few bucks to spend are there any machining upgrades that can be done on I think they were 170cc heads?
 

96blak54

Moderator
Staff
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Messages
10,030
Reaction score
2,874
Location
In the shop
Its bot a bad idea to get a machine shop to overview the heads. They may catch something wrong that the manufacturer missed that could have potentially caused you a headache. The machine shops constantly have their eyes focused for out of place components.

Its also not a bad idea to re-lap the valves after a bunch of heat cycles. Aluminum heads are notorious about the valve seats moving around a little bit before they actually take a seat.

Port matching to the intake gasket used isnt a bad idea. This does nothing for gained cfm within the port but doeas eliminates port mismatch entry and most commonly a problem with the older style engines. In a perfect world the ports would mate together in the right spots or the intakes port is bigger the the heads port or vise versa, in general not being a smooth transition. Port matching the head to the intake gasket usually make that port bigger entry than the intake exit.
 
OP
OP
ttocs

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,616
Reaction score
5,653
Location
Evansville Indiana
I noticed while I was going back over the car checking for loose bolts that I still have an oil leak on the top/back of the passenger side from what looks like the valve cover. I just replaced the gasket in an attempt to fix that same leak so it has me wondering if the valve covers or the head isn't flat now. While I am in that far I am considering sending them off to get checked out and if there was anything that they could do performance wise I would do it. Port matching I am not afraid to do myself but if they are in the shop I will might just have them take care of it.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,492
Messages
1,503,739
Members
14,965
Latest member
wbarter

Staff online

Members online

Top