D/FW members: Good machine shop for 915 head porting?

Posted By: gts95

D/FW members: Good machine shop for 915 head porting? - 05/31/11 04:43 PM

It's been a long time since I've had any machine work done in the D/FW area.....can you guys recommend a local shop where I can take a set of virgin 915 closed chamber 440 heads for a basic cleanup and some port work? Somebody who knows Mopar heads. I don't need them hogged out, just something along the lines of the old Mopar porting template. And maybe enlarged for the 2.14 1.81 valves.
Trying to get a quick turnaround on this.....I'm running out of time to get it ready for Mopar Nats!

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: D/FW members: Good machine shop for 915 head porting? - 05/31/11 09:45 PM

Quote:

Trying to get a quick turnaround on this

this wont help your turnaround but read Dulcich's porting articles (3 iirc) (archived somewhere & avail on the 'net). You'll b glad you did & his take (which I highly respect his knowledge) is that the 915/906 are far more difficult to port correctly than the 902/452's which is why I am going to do my 452's (if they pass crack check) plus the extra trouble of machining the open recesses to level/equalize them. I gotta machine the KB 280's quench plateaus (451) for .035-.040 quench so might as well do it right all the way in the beginning as I'm a believer in the long block being spot on from the getgo then any additions/mods will only compliment my meticulousness

. Myself I'd port em myself rather than trusting a non Mopar shop that's prob not famil w them & I'd get the MP templates and section the top "bulb" part & use some of the laminate material to widen it .060" for the intakes (2.14-2.08=.060 in & 1.81-1.74= .070" ex). Bill Bagshaw did this decades ago & got 511 HP on a 9-1 440 (1&7/8 headers/sd intake/750dp & he used 906's

Posted By: feets

Re: D/FW members: Good machine shop for 915 head porting? - 05/31/11 10:07 PM

Remember that much of the template work was removed when they cut the heads for larger valves.

I'd cut for the valves then look at any template work.

Posted By: gts95

Re: D/FW members: Good machine shop for 915 head porting? - 05/31/11 10:48 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Trying to get a quick turnaround on this

this wont help your turnaround but read Dulcich's porting articles (3 iirc) (archived somewhere & avail on the 'net). You'll b glad you did & his take (which I highly respect his knowledge) is that the 915/906 are far more difficult to port correctly than the 902/452's which is why I am going to do my 452's (if they pass crack check) plus the extra trouble of machining the open recesses to level/equalize them. I gotta machine the KB 280's quench plateaus (451) for .035-.040 quench so might as well do it right all the way in the beginning as I'm a believer in the long block being spot on from the getgo then any additions/mods will only compliment my meticulousness . Myself I'd port em myself rather than trusting a non Mopar shop that's prob not famil w them & I'd get the MP templates and section the top "bulb" part & use some of the laminate material to widen it .060" for the intakes (2.14-2.08=.060 in & 1.81-1.74= .070" ex). Bill Bagshaw did this decades ago & got 511 HP on a 9-1 440 (1&7/8 headers/sd intake/750dp & he used 906's

My issue is I'm running a stock (sans cam of course) 1978 440 shortblock....so the 915s are virtually a must to get the pathetically low compression up a little. Otherwise, I have several sets of the later model 452s laying around, with the hardened seats. Just need a quick and easy boost in compression in the 915s.

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: D/FW members: Good machine shop for 915 head porting? - 05/31/11 10:57 PM

Here's some good reading but keep in mind there are other choices out there. I checked two stock ports on a set of 440source heads on my bench and they were around 267 cfm. With a little work they are much better. https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...e=3#Post2885759

Posted By: dogdays

Re: D/FW members: Good machine shop for 915 head porting? - 06/01/11 12:24 AM

Key to Fast68s writeup is his comment that to get a "new" set of 906s or 915s to flow like the heads in his test would cost a couple of hundred $ MORE than a set of E-heads.

So, you can spend the $ and get a 40+-year-old head that flows like the E-head, assuming you have a pair of 915s lying around. Or you can spend the money on your set of 906s and end up with good flow numbers but a lousy open combustion chamber. And like happened a couple of years ago to a board member your porter may find a casting flaw and all of a sudden your ported 906s are worthless except for what you have to pay the porter for work already done.

I have a set of 906s in my shop that are worn-out fresh off a 68 383 Road Runner engine and they will sit there until I find a screaming deal on a set of "quench dome" pistons for the long-term stroker. Anything else gets a head with a better combustion chamber.

R.