Speedmaster Small block porting tips and results Part 1

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i know there was a post about this somewhere...but there are so many junk posts in all these threads i'm gonna just ask.

these speedmaster heads (and therefore, sidewinder and edelbrock) can use an 11/32", 4.911" long "chevy" valve right???
 
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i know there was a post about this somewhere...but there are so many junk posts in all these threads i'm gonna just ask.

these speedmaster heads (and therefore, sidewinder and edelbrock) can use an 11/32", 4.911" long "chevy" valve right???


Can and should, 2 diff things.
Sure they could, if you use all that stock oriented crap and limit the whole thing.

Are you lost?
 
I finally picked up a new thickness checker (sonic checker) last week and calibrated it for steel, cast iron, and aluminum. When I finish up my 408 shortblock I will do some testing to see if the Speedmaster heads have less water in them (floor) than the Edelbrock heads do.
 
I finally picked up a new thickness checker (sonic checker) last week and calibrated it for steel, cast iron, and aluminum. When I finish up my 408 shortblock I will do some testing to see if the Speedmaster heads have less water in them (floor) than the Edelbrock heads do.


What did you buy?? I should probably have one at home.
 
What did you buy?? I should probably have one at home.



TM8812 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge 1.2-200mm,0.05-8inch


I paid 220.00 for it from Amazon. Its listed on ebay for 160.00 but the guy had some VERY bad reviews, the shipping date was very open ended, and his ad said you may have to pay import duties. I ordered it on Tuesday and had it on Friday. I will at a later date order a smaller 6mm probe. Amazon doesn't list it at times. I started a post on Yellowbullet asking for suggestions and was told this one was rated highly by the members of Speedtalk.
 
interesting, let us know how accurate it is. Such thing is on my wish list….really like to know about wall thickness when doing an engine.

Michael
 
I finally picked up a new thickness checker (sonic checker) last week and calibrated it for steel, cast iron, and aluminum. When I finish up my 408 shortblock I will do some testing to see if the Speedmaster heads have less water in them (floor) than the Edelbrock heads do.

John, does it have a place to select which metal you are checking? The reason I ask is the guy that did my block said he calibrated to the metal he was checking.
 
John, does it have a place to select which metal you are checking? The reason I ask is the guy that did my block said he calibrated to the metal he was checking.



The meter has cd01-cd11 to set from for anything from steel glass pvc copper etc. trouble is when setting it that way you have a cast iron setting, gear cast iron, modular cast iron. Using those settings I think the closest I got it was .020-.030 and who would really know. Heck the one iron setting was .100 off. Using it manually I am setting it to a part of a know thickness. I plugged in the cast iron setting I programmed in three days ago and checked the motor mount on my engine block. There was .002 difference between the checker and my Harbor Freight digital calipers. That’s close enough for this guy. I found the manual setting to be.
6350 aluminum
4950 engine block
5890 steel

That may save someone some time. I don’t really have a lot of time to play with it now but wanted to check it out in case it didn’t work. It has a .198 steel button on it to calibrate to for steel.
 
Just for example I put in the setting for aluminum that I set from check a piece of aluminum bar stock. It read .250 exactly like the other night. But checking an Edelbrock Head that setting is way off.
 
Aluminum bar is extruded and a head is cast. Different alloys too. Makes sense they are different because the densities are like night and day between them.

Love to have tools like that but can be hard to justify. But if I don’t have to drag the block to a shop and pay them it may be worth it.
 
That's really cool Pittsburgh, so much speculation can be eliminated keep the post coming!
 
Just for example I put in the setting for aluminum that I set from check a piece of aluminum bar stock. It read .250 exactly like the other night. But checking an Edelbrock Head that setting is way off.
You have to grind a "flat" in the area you want to check...sonic testing ports is difficult.
 
You have to grind a "flat" in the area you want to check...sonic testing ports is difficult.


Ohhh I hear you. There are very few times I even worry bout it, until I want to do some questionable blending. That 6mm probe would probably come in handy.
 
The meter has cd01-cd11 to set from for anything from steel glass pvc copper etc. trouble is when setting it that way you have a cast iron setting, gear cast iron, modular cast iron. Using those settings I think the closest I got it was .020-.030 and who would really know. Heck the one iron setting was .100 off. Using it manually I am setting it to a part of a know thickness. I plugged in the cast iron setting I programmed in three days ago and checked the motor mount on my engine block. There was .002 difference between the checker and my Harbor Freight digital calipers. That’s close enough for this guy. I found the manual setting to be.
6350 aluminum
4950 engine block
5890 steel

That may save someone some time. I don’t really have a lot of time to play with it now but wanted to check it out in case it didn’t work. It has a .198 steel button on it to calibrate to for steel.

That's what my guy did, he set it up on the main web on my R1 block. He also said that the material that it it was calibrated on could change the accuracy. If it was calibrated on something like a normal production block and then used in a high nickel content block the measurements would be off. That's why he calibrated on the block he was checking.
 
That's what my guy did, he set it up on the main web on my R1 block. He also said that the material that it it was calibrated on could change the accuracy. If it was calibrated on something like a normal production block and then used in a high nickel content block the measurements would be off. That's why he calibrated on the block he was checking.


Like I said after you get used to manually setting it, it’s not that complicated or time consuming.
 
0C50454B-CC5A-4A12-B549-2FA939A12DEF.jpeg
 
Ok now numbers as they came right after the valve job. Like usual good and bad results and I will be doing some seat blending and a few other changes later down the road but was to curious to set them on the shelf with flow testing them. I could hear stalling at .500 and checked some airspeed. Pinch was perfect. Shortside needs some work as it was to fast in the 400fps area. These will now easily go over 300cfm after that is addressed. Low numbers took a hit needing the 60 degree edge smoothed and a better 15 degree top angle.

.100——-59
.200——-127
.300——-191
.400——-245
.450——-263
.500——-272—-fast shortside
.550——-278
.600——-286
.650——-291
.700——-293
.750——-296
 
PBR, how do ur Eddys Compare? Kim


Same same. Same tricks, same effort. 2.08 valve steps me up to 315-318cfm. Moved pushrod gets me 325 so far. I’m just out of area. Unless you have countless hours, porting knowledge, and a flowbench a 2.05 is your best investment.
 
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