Port Fast With Stock Heads ??
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12,094
Likes: 197
From: Colorado Springs, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
How much extra HP/TQ can be gained from a FAST w bolt ons VS a FAST that has been PORTED w Boltons ?Cameron bought a FAST and had it sent to me for all of the above issues to be fixed. Total work time for the mods were about 4 hours including a mild port. The manifold was to be used with his stock heads which I wasnt able to convince him to swap out at this time. Porting an intake manifold includes port matching the opening of the manifold to match the shape and size of the intake runners on the heads they are being used with. Since this FAST was being used with his stock unported heads there was little porting needed and doesnt make any sense to pay serious money to have it ported especially if one day you were going to install heads with bigger intake runners and need it ported again.
I guess at times since I dont pay for services from tuners and doing it all myself, that the logistics of mods would be expensive for others. For me it was a simple porting kit from standard abrasives and pictures of ported intakes to learn what not to do. I guess for a guy that plans on having the heads ported, the FAST porting would be best served after the heads are installed.
The runners are port matched to the stock heads but the majority of the work is definitely seen on the mating surfaces being smoothed. If your finger feels a trasition, there is a flow disrupton that would benefit being smoothed. I think that anyone with common sense can run their finger over the surface of the runner and feel the uneven bumps where the cover meets the bottom part. Most of the gain comes from smoothing that. I have seen a H/C car gain 27rwhp at peak and more in the midbad with a ported intake manifold. A stock manifold is closer to 12rwhp at peak.
If you have to port twice, and you are getting certain heads, then get the porting from that tuner or head manufacturer such as Tony Mamo when using the AFR 205's. Personally, I would get the heads first.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,891
Likes: 1
From: NJ..."the way I saw it, everyone takes a beating sometimes."
I would say the gains for porting will equal what you would get from and UD pulley.
I guess at times since I dont pay for services from tuners and doing it all myself, that the logistics of mods would be expensive for others. For me it was a simple porting kit from standard abrasives and pictures of ported intakes to learn what not to do. I guess for a guy that plans on having the heads ported, the FAST porting would be best served after the heads are installed.
The runners are port matched to the stock heads but the majority of the work is definitely seen on the mating surfaces being smoothed. If your finger feels a trasition, there is a flow disrupton that would benefit being smoothed. I think that anyone with common sense can run their finger over the surface of the runner and feel the uneven bumps where the cover meets the bottom part. Most of the gain comes from smoothing that. I have seen a H/C car gain 27rwhp at peak and more in the midbad with a ported intake manifold. A stock manifold is closer to 12rwhp at peak.
If you have to port twice, and you are getting certain heads, then get the porting from that tuner or head manufacturer such as Tony Mamo when using the AFR 205's. Personally, I would get the heads first.
I guess at times since I dont pay for services from tuners and doing it all myself, that the logistics of mods would be expensive for others. For me it was a simple porting kit from standard abrasives and pictures of ported intakes to learn what not to do. I guess for a guy that plans on having the heads ported, the FAST porting would be best served after the heads are installed.
The runners are port matched to the stock heads but the majority of the work is definitely seen on the mating surfaces being smoothed. If your finger feels a trasition, there is a flow disrupton that would benefit being smoothed. I think that anyone with common sense can run their finger over the surface of the runner and feel the uneven bumps where the cover meets the bottom part. Most of the gain comes from smoothing that. I have seen a H/C car gain 27rwhp at peak and more in the midbad with a ported intake manifold. A stock manifold is closer to 12rwhp at peak.
If you have to port twice, and you are getting certain heads, then get the porting from that tuner or head manufacturer such as Tony Mamo when using the AFR 205's. Personally, I would get the heads first.
Back when I was cam only, I was debating whether to do heads, FAST, or both. Some people said to just do the ported FAST because the gains would be similar to just doing heads and it would save me some $$. Some people said do the heads and port the stock intake and save some $$. After a lot of research and mulling over various contradicting advice I had an honest talk with myself as to where I was going with this car. Last year I made the mistake of convincing myself a cam only would be good enough, and I opted to not do the heads. Well if I had been honest with myself I would have saved $1200-1500! I was not about to make that same mistake. I decided to do it right this time. I went with heads and ported FAST. I saved myself time, money, and aggrevation by doing it all together. If you think that sometime in the near future you may want heads, I say do it now (if you can) along with a ported FAST. If you are absolutely sure you're going to stay with your stock heads, you might as well port the FAST.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 12,094
Likes: 197
From: Colorado Springs, CO
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
I realize the myth that heads only arent a good mod but maybe the people who say that should post up the source of the info. Heads only with the LS3/L92 heads are 30rwhp and 30rwtq. A 224 to 228 cam is usually 420-425rwhp and the L92/LS3 heads bump that to 465-475.
There is a bigger benefit to doing a cam too as far as the gains from heads but I fail to see why the myth that heads alone arent 'worth it'.
