Do it yourself porting
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Do it yourself porting
I have a 72 F250 2wd with a 360.
I would like to replace with 360 with a 390 and I'm looking at the performance mods I can do myself and along the way I want to put a NV4500 into the truck. I do a lot of lightly loaded hiway driving with some heavy duty hauling. Mostly at lower altitude levels - 0 to 2000 feet.
Evidently, porting the heads seems to be a good way to get more power and lower end torque so at 60 mph the engine is loafing along around 2000 rpm and hopfully get good miles per gallon.
So, why kind of porting could I do myself. I am handy with machine tools.
-David
I would like to replace with 360 with a 390 and I'm looking at the performance mods I can do myself and along the way I want to put a NV4500 into the truck. I do a lot of lightly loaded hiway driving with some heavy duty hauling. Mostly at lower altitude levels - 0 to 2000 feet.
Evidently, porting the heads seems to be a good way to get more power and lower end torque so at 60 mph the engine is loafing along around 2000 rpm and hopfully get good miles per gallon.
So, why kind of porting could I do myself. I am handy with machine tools.
-David
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,562
Likes: 424
From: Long Island USA
Guys? No one?
What would I do? Remove the hump in the exhaust port, and maybe slightly smooth out the bowl under the exhaust valve.
Unless there's something obvious sticking out like a sore thumb in the intake ports, leave them alone for low-end torque.
Other than that, the FE heads are pretty good in the flow department if you're looking for low-end torque and heavy-hauling. The only problem is the bump in the exhaust ports for the air injection plumbing.
What would I do? Remove the hump in the exhaust port, and maybe slightly smooth out the bowl under the exhaust valve.
Unless there's something obvious sticking out like a sore thumb in the intake ports, leave them alone for low-end torque.
Other than that, the FE heads are pretty good in the flow department if you're looking for low-end torque and heavy-hauling. The only problem is the bump in the exhaust ports for the air injection plumbing.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 4
From: Mddl A MexCans
the intake side is best left a little rough according to several who commented when I was working on porting. Of course I couldnt wait for the response and had already cleaned up the slag LOL.. but the atomization is suppose to be better with the rougher port on the way in. The exhaust, took out the hump and worked at the edge of the valve guide, smoothed out all the port sides and polished them up real nice with a dremel and flap wheel 80grit to 150.. Also remove the slag from the piston bowls to prevent pre ignition issues from deposits.
Unless you have too much money ..just port your own if this is a daily driver. you'll be plenty happy with the extra cash lying around.
Search porting andenjoy the reading. My gallery has a few picts in it of the work on the porting...
Unless you have too much money ..just port your own if this is a daily driver. you'll be plenty happy with the extra cash lying around.
Search porting andenjoy the reading. My gallery has a few picts in it of the work on the porting...
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,562
Likes: 424
From: Long Island USA
Yup, leave the intakes rough - if there's any obvious big pieces of snot, grind them off, but for the most part, a little turbulence because of the port's roughness is a GOOD thing, keeping the gas mixed with the air.
The aluminum Edel heads are just that - aluminum. They dissipate heat better, let you run more advance/compression and not ping, and I believe they have the CJ-sized valves, but not sure. Disadvantage? Same as the advantage. They're aluminum
Polish the combustion chambers (without taking out any material) and the exhaust ports. It's been so long since I did it, I don't remember much of it, but the exhaust valve bowl can use some opening up (nothing big) and the intake valve bowl might have a restriction in it. Don't take my word for it.
ANYONE else on here care to comment? HMM????
The aluminum Edel heads are just that - aluminum. They dissipate heat better, let you run more advance/compression and not ping, and I believe they have the CJ-sized valves, but not sure. Disadvantage? Same as the advantage. They're aluminum
Polish the combustion chambers (without taking out any material) and the exhaust ports. It's been so long since I did it, I don't remember much of it, but the exhaust valve bowl can use some opening up (nothing big) and the intake valve bowl might have a restriction in it. Don't take my word for it.
ANYONE else on here care to comment? HMM????
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 4
From: Mddl A MexCans
Well since you asked LOL..
This fella had quite a little read going a while back..maybe you'd like to browse this thread ?
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...questions.html
heres a link to some images of his porting work with comments in his gallery
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=24688
This fella had quite a little read going a while back..maybe you'd like to browse this thread ?
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...questions.html
heres a link to some images of his porting work with comments in his gallery
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...&albumid=24688
Needsmorecoffee.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 2
From: CT
Keep and eye out on the net54 forum. Joe Craine will be posting some before and after pics of various heads ported. Also he'll list his flow number findings for each and the tech info involved. This might give you a good idea besides what the guys have said.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 0
From: Madison, SD
Unless you have a flow bench to check your work, I'd stick with a chamber and bowl cleanup, some match porting and blending, and of course get rid of any casting flash. Leave the intakes a bit rough and make the exhaust side as smooth as possible. Bigger is not necessarily always better on head porting. Too much flow will kill bottom end performance. On a truck used for towing at low rpm, huge ports that don't make power till 3,000 rpm won't do a bit of good.... The proper choice of cam and gearing will have a larger effect on low end torque and fuel mileage then porting. Also, it takes a good ignition system to burn the mixture efficiently, and a free flowing exhaust to get the spent gasses out of there..
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