Porting is one of those areas of engine building that for most of us is shrouded in mystery. We've all heard of the gurus who can take a mundane chunk of factory iron and make magic. We've also heard all the warnings about overly enthusiastic but misguided efforts actually ruining a head's flow. There's truth on both sides here. What does it take to pull out some grinders and cutters and actually make a head better? Porting isn't a pursuit that's for everyone; it comes down to the left brain/right brain combination of a scientist's mind and a sculptor's touch. The science side is grounded in the physics of how air behaves, fundamentally based on fluid dynamics. Results are usually quantified through experimentation and flowbench testing. The sculptor's touch is the inevitable reality of having to carve a passage by hand with a high-speed grinder.

80% of an engines power comes from its head...think about it the pistons move up and down but its the process of getting the air and petrol mixed and combustion completed that creates the drive, the force in pushing the piston down.

The vast majority of customers completely over look the fact that a flowed head should form the centre of a well balanced tuning project. The valves open allowing air and petrol into the combustion chamber and then the exhaust valves open once the bang is completed allowing the process to start again.

Improving this process WILL give more performance. Air moving faster with fewer restrictions with a greater volume will give more power and torque. The inlet ports are opened but with keeping air speed high in mind. This increase in volume and air speed increases torque and power. The valves do not go un-touched...they are the largest restriction in the whole induction process and are almost never touched. Making these restrictions LESS restrictive is where the real gains are to be had. Its possible to make standard valves flow as though they were larger valves...and why not...think about the financial savings (not having to purchase new valves and have the seats moved).

Its rare that a performance specialist actually flows its own heads...they are usually farmed out to engineering firms. We do them in house ourselves and this allows you the customer to get involved. We like you to see what we are doing and understand the process...you are our best advert. For our part we get to "taste" the results of our work as a flowed head usually forms part of a package ( cams etc). Its great when the engine (now fitted with its flowed head, re-profiled valves and matched manifolds) is started for the first time...and it has a much deeper exhaust note...its flowing more air...as expected. Test drive next and the fun begins.

If this sounds like what you are looking for...great. please click on more info if you need some answers to any question that you might have, alternatively feel free to call, we are only too happy to help

THE VALVE JOB

Port work should begin with the valvejob. A performance valve job is worth horsepower all by itself, and the machine work lays the foundation for the porting to follow. Though some machine shops use seat-grinding equipment, a seat-cutting machine, such as the Serdi shown here, uses carbide cutting tools to remove and shape metal. Naturally, a decision needs to be made about valve size before the valve job is done. Larger valves do not guarantee an increase in flow or performance, but with complementary machining and porting will usually do both. For most engines there are established valve sizes which are readily available, and have been found to work in typical performance applications,

THE VALVE JOB

Port work should begin with the valvejob. A performance valve job is worth horsepower all by itself, and the machine work lays the foundation for the porting to follow. Though some machine shops use seat-grinding equipment, a seat-cutting machine, such as the Serdi shown here, uses carbide cutting tools to remove and shape metal. Naturally, a decision needs to be made about valve size before the valve job is done. Larger valves do not guarantee an increase in flow or performance, but with complementary machining and porting will usually do both. For most engines there are established valve sizes which are readily available, and have been found to work in typical performance applications.

A ported and polished head is centre piece of any serious engine.