Port/polish/match stock intake system

[ZR8ED]

I'm not entirely sure which forum this should go into, as this is may end up more of a theoretical type discussion.

 

I am currently working on a Non Z, but the principals are the same. I am working on low budget modification that I can perform that require little $ investment (tools/equipment not included as I am already well equipped to work on the car) but may require much more extensive knowledge and skills. I have currently pulled off most of the intake system on the car, and have noticed that the afm does not perfectly line up with air box, it has casting marks and poor transitions, the tb doesn't line up/match the intake manifold, and the intake manifold does not match the cyl head ports, and is rougher than a 5 o'clock shadow inside with thick casting marks through out. Some of the gaskets don't match the ports either.

 

I brought out my die grinding tools, and smoothed out the insides of the manifold as far I could practically reach (70% of the manifold is now polished up (not too smooth to hurt flow ie not shinny/mirrored or anything like that) I then matched the ports on the tb to the manifold, and smoothed out the transitions, and removed excessive roughness, and sharpend the leading edge of the tb, (the connecting pipe fits over this, and this edge was very thick and blunt). I did this same work on all connecting pipes and afm where appropriate.

 

Am I crazy? (I'm told that it was a waste of my time) but I feel that every small tweak can only help. I imagine that this would not be a cost effective modification if you had to pay someone to do this (race cars excluded) as any gains would be minimal. The car was rated at 150hp, so I think we would be talking 1-2 hp at best, maybe more in the top end. I am not quite finished as I have a spare manifold that I have been working on so I can take my time, and not hold the car up for what little driving season I have left this year, but the other modded components are installed and in use. I'm not sure I can feel a difference yet, but I only have a butt dyno so no dyno charts to check on the effects.

 

I plan on doing the same thing with the exhaust system when I replace it. I will make sure rough casting/welds are cleaned up, and the ports match (and gasket)

 

I'm keeping the system stock, and am not interested in installing custom/aftermarket parts in this car, so if I can eek out a few more hp "while I'm at it" cleaning and refreshing the engine bay with relative ease (easy for me anyways)I can accept that.

 

Anyone else doing these kinds of small details to stock engine components? Its easy to go aftermarket these days, but I'm sure some of the racers that are "rule limited" must use these little details to improve all that they can. Anyone have any comments on their results? Engine builders?

Edited November 11, 2011 by ZR8ED