Do Ported heads really help any?

[Pollock]

From looking at peoples sigs who have cams... Lets say for example the texas speed 231/236 cam seems to make 480 rwhp with or without ported heads.

So do the ported heads really help? Or are you netting 5 to 10 rwhp for 900 bucks?

[Parag]

They will get you 5-10 alone but they improve the eficeincy of the cam and combined is the added power, with a cam they will get you 15-20

[blk5genss]

Try looking up Darin Morgan on here he is cheaper and I believe does a better job porting the stock heads than the others on the market. Once you get to this level of mods power enhancements won't come cheap and the gains will be smaller bc the big gains have been made with the other bolt ons!! Gotta pay to play!!!

[MikeOD]

You do have to understand...our 6.2 liter engines...are not a LOT bigger than older small blocks that guys have been playing with for years, but our LS3 heads, bone stock already out flow a LOT of older ported heads...GM castings as well as aftermarket.

There are people who can do an excellent job porting these heads, and you will gain a good amount of power...but you need to find the right people...there are a lot of them who aren't really doing much other than smoothing out the "as cast" walls without changing port/chamber geometry at all.

[DietCoke]

The stock ports are already so big, the gains are really realized on larger motors that benefit from more flow, versus port velocity.

[briancb1]

My TEA LS3 heads and the others I've seen do not increase the CSA to affect velocity. The porting on LS3 heads is typically minimal than say ported 243 heads. Majority of the porting is just narrowing/smoothing the valve guide boss and blending the bowl to a 5 angle valve job.

You will pick up little power if its a stock motor.

[DietCoke]

They do increase CSA, by the nature of porting itself, they have to, even if its only minimal. On a stock cubed motor, good CNC heads are still worth around 20-25hp.

[FTI-EDC]

Originally Posted by MikeOD

There are people who can do an excellent job porting these heads, and you will gain a good amount of power...but you need to find the right people...there are a lot of them who aren't really doing much other than smoothing out the "as cast" walls without changing port/chamber geometry at all.

X2

[blk5genss]

So Ed can you pm me a recommendation on what to do? With 480/453 (m6) to the wheels @ 3920 with me in it and a 1/4 tank of gas stock gears and drag radials will I ever see 11's with this car? Or do I need gears and ported heads?

[SC2150]

Are you a A6 or a manual trans? If an A6 just the correct torque converter will pick up .5-.7 sec in the 1/4 mile depending on traction.

[Pollock]

Originally Posted by SC2150

Are you a A6 or a manual trans? If an A6 just the correct torque converter will pick up .5-.7 sec in the 1/4 mile depending on traction.

LS3 manual

[BLACK10]

you should be in the 11's with a good launch and drag radials

[Pollock]

Originally Posted by BLACK10

you should be in the 11's with a good launch and drag radials

Who me or someone else?

[briancb1]

Originally Posted by DietCoke

They do increase CSA, by the nature of porting itself, they have to, even if its only minimal. On a stock cubed motor, good CNC heads are still worth around 20-25hp.

Why do they "have to"? Some porters will add just as much or more material than they remove (Ford Cleavland heads for example).

Check out all the OE cnc'ed LS3 test put up by Hot Rod on a 700+hp motor. All heads (except the MAST heads) were with 1% power of each other (well within the range of the dyno's variances from pull to pull). So from that standpoint, take your pick for OE ported heads.