906 head porting

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73440abody

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Hi guys, decided I'm most likely gonna go with my 906s for my current build. Looking for some ideas of where to go for my porting. I'm located in south east michigan and would like to stay within a driveable distance if I can. I will assemble the heads myself. I ran into a booth at mopar nationals in columbus, a company by the name of KG engines I believe. Seemed like quality work. Is there anybody that has dealt with them or if you have any other experiences with anybody else I'd love to hear some feedback.
Thanks
 
Listen, we port 906 heads but we are in Idaho. Too expensive! I don't recommend porting 906 heads unless your rules require iron heads or you just love to spend money 'cause you think 906 heads are cool, OR unless you port them yourself. With the quality of aluminum heads out there now it makes little sense to run ported iron heads.
 
I know a great guy to do them right near Detroit Metro Airport.

He can port, polish, mill, replace guides, etc. He's good and reasonably priced. I've recommended him to others and they were impressed with him...

He can do just the heads or a whole engine. He's going to build a 440 for my uncle.

PM me if you want his number.
 
IQ52 said:
Listen, we port 906 heads but we are in Idaho. Too expensive! I don't recommend porting 906 heads unless your rules require iron heads or you just love to spend money 'cause you think 906 heads are cool, OR unless you port them yourself. With the quality of aluminum heads out there now it makes little sense to run ported iron heads.
Click to expand...

Best way to port 906 heads.

Take the heads to the scrap yard. Take that money and apply it towards a set of aftermarket aluminum heads


OR

IQ52 said:
you just love to spend money 'cause you think 906 heads are cool
Click to expand...
 
Engine set up, hydraulic roller
Stock crank, ly rods, speed pro forged dome pistons. I've considered the rpm's or possibly the stealths. Was told I could get the 906s done for around 1000. And they'd be comparable to the eddys.
 
Something to consider - if you've got the domed oldschool pistons, the RPMs may not work. The angled plug puts it in the wrong spot. Stealths should be fine.
 
I was thinking the same thing about the pistons. They are l2295's I believe. That's why I was leaning towards the stealths or porting the 906s
 
Makes sense if you're bound to them. I'm not sure how much value I'd put in a set of $1000 906s though. It costs me more than that to go from cores to ready to install performance heads - nevermind porting them.
 
Stealths are $1100, plus the valve job, plus the springs, retainers, and locks. Plus the bolts. Plus the right head gaskets. Works out to $2100 or so for me ready to install them.

But- walking in with a set of iron core heads will cost $1300-1400 just for the heads refurbishment and new valves, seats, etc. Then the porting which if it had to be paid for I'd say another $250-300 for something up to a stage II level. Asuming reusing bolts and the head hasgets in the gasket set.
 
The Sidewinders seem to be the best deal going for budget BBM heads unless you need/want them to look stock, which is the big selling point for the Source heads IMO.

There's enough "diaper wipers" and guys stuck with iron heads due to rules that you can sell the 906 heads for more than scrap value, but not a lot more. If you can't do the work yourself, it's not viable paying to get it done IMO. S/F....Ken M
 
Every time the topic porting iron heads come up it gets side tracked into a get your wallet out aluminum head discussion.
It cost nothing but a little time for a guy that can run a burr or stone. The gains are well worth
the efforts.
Even if you have never done this before you can send away for templates from Mopar
to get you familiar with where to remove metal.
For the most part a good gasket match and unshrouding the valve will get you the biggest
gains. Stay off the short side of the port. Leave the intake ports with a slightly rough finish
to break up fuel droplet's. Exhaust ports can be polished smooth if you wish and advised
if nunning a blower. The valve job is important to making all your grinding efforts worth while.
Your machine shop should know to back cut the valves.
It don't take much work to run with the standard port aluminum heads and they can be made
to flow more with some porting experience.
Used to be it was just something you did or you got beat by the guy who did.
 
if u want maximum horsepower go with aftermarket race heads. I had my stock heads magnafluxed, head gasket surface cut .010", 11/32" steel guides, 4 angle valve job for larger valves, backcut intake valves, did not need any new seats, cut for positive seals. blended ports and chambers and set springs and assembled myself. less $ than aftermarket and running great 20 years later
 
ssba said:
Even if you have never done this before you can send away for templates from Mopar to get you familiar with where to remove metal..
Click to expand...

I had my first set of heads done with these templates and they leaked in 5 out of 8 cylinders. They had to be epoxied. I had so much money into those heads. What a waste.

Be weary of those templates.
 
ssba said:
Every time the topic porting iron heads come up it gets side tracked into a get your wallet out aluminum head discussion.
It cost nothing but a little time for a guy that can run a burr or stone. The gains are well worth
the efforts.
Even if you have never done this before you can send away for templates from Mopar
to get you familiar with where to remove metal.
For the most part a good gasket match and unshrouding the valve will get you the biggest
gains. Stay off the short side of the port. Leave the intake ports with a slightly rough finish
to break up fuel droplet's. Exhaust ports can be polished smooth if you wish and advised
if nunning a blower. The valve job is important to making all your grinding efforts worth while.
Your machine shop should know to back cut the valves.
It don't take much work to run with the standard port aluminum heads and they can be made
to flow more with some porting experience.
Used to be it was just something you did or you got beat by the guy who did.
Click to expand...

Do you have access to a flow bench?

I ask because I do, along with a full machine shop, and I'll be damned if can make iron heads flow with standard port aluminum heads "without much work."

I'm going pretty balls out with a set of 452's right now. Why? Because I'm bored and curious. And I have a devious scheme for a sleeper car with iron heads. I'm talking 2.19" inch, 7mm stem titanium intakes with a 55 degree seat, stuff that is unacceptable for a street car, and I will tell you, it's going to be bloody hard work coming near what you get with out of the box aluminum heads, be they 440 source , E-brock or whatever.

FWIW, opening up the valve seats for a 2.19" 55 degree seat, a 75 degree bowl cut and blending that into the bowl achieved flows of approx 235at .500, 255cfm at .600 lift. I'll post more, possibly in a month or two, as I'm having fixturing made to consistently and positively locate the head on the flow bench. S/F....Ken M
 
moper said:
Stealths are $1100, plus the valve job, plus the springs, retainers, and locks. Plus the bolts. Plus the right head gaskets. Works out to $2100 or so for me ready to install them.

But- walking in with a set of iron core heads will cost $1300-1400 just for the heads refurbishment and new valves, seats, etc. Then the porting which if it had to be paid for I'd say another $250-300 for something up to a stage II level. Asuming reusing bolts and the head hasgets in the gasket set.
Click to expand...

The Mopar guru ,I worked for: will do 906 heads if requested,prefers newer aluminum castings.. Porting on steel ,sucks..( done a few amateur sets, myself. So hard on physicality)
 
EchoSixMike said:
Do you have access to a flow bench?

I ask because I do, along with a full machine shop, and I'll be damned if can make iron heads flow with standard port aluminum heads "without much work."

I'm going pretty balls out with a set of 452's right now. Why? Because I'm bored and curious. And I have a devious scheme for a sleeper car with iron heads. I'm talking 2.19" inch, 7mm stem titanium intakes with a 55 degree seat, stuff that is unacceptable for a street car, and I will tell you, it's going to be bloody hard work coming near what you get with out of the box aluminum heads, be they 440 source , E-brock or whatever.

FWIW, opening up the valve seats for a 2.19" 55 degree seat, a 75 degree bowl cut and blending that into the bowl achieved flows of approx 235at .500, 255cfm at .600 lift. I'll post more, possibly in a month or two, as I'm having fixturing made to consistently and positively locate the head on the flow bench. S/F....Ken M
Click to expand...

Interesting work, you have going on. Please post,when you're done. Takes so much time,even with knowledge & tools.
 
The last set of iron I did were 346s (for me, and those are my favorites). IIRC, with about 1.5hrs in each intake port they average 284cfm at .600 with a 2.14, 3/8 stem perfomance stainless intake. That's a 28" Super flow, 1/4" clay radius, and 4.25 test bore. With a 1.81, 3/8 stem performance stainless they averaged 190cfm with no pipe. They were not flowed by me and that was the bore he had...lol. Exhaust took about 25 minutes per port. So all in all decent numbers, but one head had core shift and I went through the bowl. So one head had to be replaced and started from scratch. these were by no means maxxed out, but it's as far as I would take iron.
 
IQ52 said:
Listen, we port 906 heads but we are in Idaho. Too expensive! I don't recommend porting 906 heads unless your rules require iron heads or you just love to spend money 'cause you think 906 heads are cool, OR unless you port them yourself. With the quality of aluminum heads out there now it makes little sense to run ported iron heads.
Click to expand...
Yep
 
roccodart440 said:
I had my first set of heads done with these templates and they leaked in 5 out of 8 cylinders. They had to be epoxied. I had so much money into those heads. What a waste.

Be weary of those templates.
Click to expand...

???Which templates were you using???I had used those on 906,452&346's w/o
ever being close to Breaking thru'.I broke thru' an Int.bowl in one 906 casting,but it was
the victim of extreme core shift,and I was working it for O/S valves.5 of 8 must be the worst
pair of castings ever.The real danger zone is raising the exh. roof,way too easy to find water
there,which sucks because the port really responds to that.But that's not part of the tem-
plate job so....
There is a sense of pride in making those old iron heads flow & go,and I love the
sleeper vibe,so I'm partial to them at heart.But unless that or practical considerations such
as piston fit on an eng. that has been built already,there is much to be gained by going to
fast-burn chambers and port flow close to a thinned out ported OE casting,w/o the worry.
 
moper said:
The last set of iron I did were 346s (for me, and those are my favorites). IIRC, with about 1.5hrs in each intake port they average 284cfm at .600 with a 2.14, 3/8 stem perfomance stainless intake. That's a 28" Super flow, 1/4" clay radius, and 4.25 test bore. With a 1.81, 3/8 stem performance stainless they averaged 190cfm with no pipe. They were not flowed by me and that was the bore he had...lol. Exhaust took about 25 minutes per port. So all in all decent numbers, but one head had core shift and I went through the bowl. So one head had to be replaced and started from scratch. these were by no means maxxed out, but it's as far as I would take iron.
Click to expand...

Decent numbers,and you don't know about 40-50 year old casting quality.
 
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