This is a common question that many people looking to get more performance out of their car find themselves asking. There are many benefits to getting ported and polished heads, which we will discuss here and the costs associated with this modification. First, it is important to understand what is done when heads are ported or polished. In this article, we will discuss what entails porting and polishing heads so that you can understand it better. We will also look at the costs and what can increase or reduce the prices. Read through to the end so that you can learn more.
Contents
What do porting and polishing involve?
Ported and polished heads involve machining away the material around the valves inside the cylinder head with a precision tool called a porting kit. This leaves room for more air, thus increasing performance. The benefits include increased throttle response, which leads to more power. This is because having a greater engine response means less time between the accelerator pedal is pressed and the engine starting to increase RPM.
Having a higher RPM for a longer period means building more power before shifting into higher gears. Another benefit is that since ported heads allow the valves in your head to move more freely, the engine can run on a higher compression ratio without detonating. This results in a more powerful engine.
How much does it cost to get heads ported?
The cost of having heads ported varies. According to an article on the Five Star Ford Performance website, a set of cast iron heads can be sent out for a full porting job and come back anywhere from $300-$2500. This does not include other necessary modifications that may need to occur to achieve maximum performance gains from having your heads ported. Cast iron heads are not nearly as expensive to have ported, but porting aluminum heads can run much more.
When machined, aluminum heads require a lot of care because the head has to be very smooth to seal properly after being ported. This means that you will have to purchase new valves if your current valves were previously polished (because the old ones may not seal properly, allowing engine power to escape and decrease performance.) Aluminum heads can also warp very easily during the porting process, so we must take great care to ensure that the head will still be flat after being machined. Aluminum heads range in price from $400-$1500 for a full porting job.
According to the website Auto Authority, this price should be divided by how many valves you have in your head to know how much it will cost to port each one individually. For example, if your car has four valves and you want them all ported, this should cost $200-$750 per valve (a full porting job.)
How much does porting and polishing heads help?
The benefits of having your engine ported are not to be taken lightly. There has been a lot of research done by other car enthusiasts and professional mechanics that have proven the results of this modification. Having ported and polished heads can result in a safe increase of anywhere from 15-30 horsepower, which is a significant amount of power gained for just a few hours’ worths of work.
Is it worth it to port and polish heads?
The answer here really depends on who you ask. Some people say that the benefits do not outweigh the costs of doing this professionally. On the other hand, those people find that the money spent is well worth the power gained. The decision depends on how much importance is placed on having a more powerful engine, and for some, this may not be a deciding factor in whether or not to have your heads ported.
How much does it cost to port?
The price of having your heads ported depends on several different factors. The time required to complete this job, the materials required (valves, gaskets), and what type of head is being worked on can all play into how much money will need to be spent to get your car up and to run at its best performance level.
According to the dealership website Auto Authority, the price of having your heads ported can be anywhere from $250-$2000, depending on what type of head is being worked on and how many valves you have in each head. The more money put into this job, the better results you will get in power gains, so it might be worth it to do this job correctly the first time around.
If you are not convinced whether or not to have this done, try searching on different auto enthusiast forums for more information on what people think about getting their heads ported. Many engine fans out there might give insight on what they have experienced firsthand, so it would be best to ask around and see what different people think about this topic before making a final decision.
Summary
According to Auto Authority, porting and polishing heads can increase engine power by 30 horsepower. Other benefits of having your head ported include increased gas mileage and decreased harmful emissions. The price of having this done varies depending on many factors, such as the number of valves you have in each cylinder head, what type of material your head is made out of, and how long the process takes to complete.
If you are on a budget or do not want to spend money on having your head ported, then another option would be to have a technician check over your engine, and if it is in good shape, then there may not be a need for any further modifications.
If you are still interested in getting your head ported, try searching on different enthusiast forums for more information about the benefits of doing this. Many other enthusiasts might give their personal experience with this modification to get a better idea of what to expect when they decide to go through with this process.
