Mudge Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 Its worth what someone will pay for it and flow numbers will help determine that. I know of people that payed $2400 for heads versus about $1500 for other shops, yet get worse flow numbers. Reputation often drives the price of work, not always results, so the value of something varies greatly on the buyer, and thier own knowlege somewhat as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 240hybrid Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 Mudge has it pretty much right, Sunbelt Performance can easily quote serious head work at $2500.00 . Flow charts will seriously add to your pricing. I dont know what kind of $ you'll get, but I know that If Im paying $2000.00 for heads, I like it to be from the shop that did the work. I think its a try and find out situation on seeing what you can get for them. Good luck on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deMideon Posted January 24, 2003 Author Share Posted January 24, 2003 I have an E-31 head I am planning on selling that has some major work done to it, it's been ported / polished, it's got the NISMO SI 44mm intake valves and the SI 35mm exhaust valves, ISKY springs with modified seats allowing longer travel to prevent binding. This also requires a special ground cam. I am getting it flow tested right now and the spring height/seat pressure measured. My question is how much is this worth?? Anyone have any idea? Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katman Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 And to muddy the waters a little, flow is just a partial indicator of power potential. How the intake port enters the combustion chamber, and the combustion chamber rework, also determine turbulence, mixing, flame propagation and hence torque, and have as much to do with power production as raw flow numbers. I can make big ass ports that flow great and the engine will be a pig. Unless I'm buying from a builder that can show me the dyno chart for a head/cam combo, then a "ported and polished" head means little to me. Heck, but put it up on Ebay- "ported and polished" is one of those terms that "sells" to a large crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deMideon Posted January 27, 2003 Author Share Posted January 27, 2003 Ugghh I thought it might be like that! I got the head on a roadrace engine for real cheap, but didn't have any info on who did the work. Thanks for the info!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 I bought two N42s, one stock one ported (how much I dont know) with new valve guides, stock bronze seats for a couple hundred bucks. If you use a good shop, get a fully rebuilt head and go the full 9 yards though yes, $1400+ is the norm, there are some shops that charge $600ish but often work can be suspicious, or bad at worst to the point where the head needs to be trashed. I once spotted a set of LT1 heads from a supposed 5.0 race porting shop where they opened up the PORT FLOOR of the head, WTF was that? I actually question if the heads were honestly pro ported or home ported, because you do not open up the port floors on those heads or any V8 that I can think of. I more readily believe someone looked at a couple pictures of ported heads and went right to town, doing everything upside down LoL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 Take the head to a good performance cylinder head shop and have it flow benched. Be sure to get the printout of the flow numbers on each port at various inches of mercury. Now you have some information to work from. You can talk with cam grinders and select an existing cam grind that would work with the head. Now you've got even more information. If you want to sell the head, your e-bay ad would look impressive with the head flow numbers and a recommended cam grind. If you want to keep the head and use it, you've got a good start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAD D Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Mudge, did you get the heads I sent you yet? and if so do you like them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Brad, I actually just picked them up today. The box was HUGE, the two women that pulled the box out to the car on a flat bed (once they somehow got it up there), said to me "as we walked by the smallest car in the parking lot, we both said I hope that isn't his car..." LoL The box could fit a washing machine I think We tore it down and I tossed the stuff in the car, I haven't really looked yet though and am about to pass out for a nap (boy do I sound old?). Took me awhile to get the stuff because I had to go to UPS or be home to sign for it, so I had to find a way to get down there before closin'. I'm sure everything is great, packaging was durable Thanks Brad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Brad, everything looks vera sexy One by one the heads are kinda light, 2 of em and they get heavy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michael_240Z Posted January 30, 2003 Share Posted January 30, 2003 ok i've always been pretty aware of head and head work prices and i have a question? is doing headwork ******* rocket science or something? i mean i can buy a whole ******* engine for some of the prices that you guys mentioned. $1500, $2400(would a price like that include rockers, valves and cam?). i didn't pay half that for my whole Z. i can understand the need to have some skill to do porting and polishing, etc. i don't think i'd be able to do something like that myself but damn. i also think that it may be who you know too. one of my friends talked to a head expert for me and said that he could port, polish and a three angle valve job for less than $400(that remains to be seen of course). i know this would be a hookup since most port jobs go for at least $500. as good a work as some people do, they do overestimate the value of their work, or they're just plain greedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudge Posted January 30, 2003 Share Posted January 30, 2003 Michael, a good set of heads can easily have 40-80 hours of work in there. If you find a top notch head porter that works for $5 an hour, and puts $500 worth of parts in the head for $20, let me know! Is it rocket science? No, some pro shops actually do very poor work, do not pressure check the heads, and send out dead products. Then you have middle of the road stuff, and then you have very impressive stuff, I've come across a little of them all. If you want the job done RIGHT and you want good results, you pay for that experienced hand. Getting that last little bit out of the head, is usually the most expensive. Pocket porting gives the most bang for the buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 240hybrid Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Michael.....the guy that quoted head work easily reaching $2500.00 makes race motors, hes not your local machinist. Sunbelt Performance is very well known in the southeast for work on Nissan/Datsun and other imports. If you want it done, I would recommend him. Hes doing work for me, though Im not going for heavy head work that would cost what I posted, I'm just having mild headwork done. It does take time and precision, so your not just paying for someone to start grinding out what looks like it needs to go ....they flowbench it. I would say theres an art to doing it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deMideon Posted February 1, 2003 Author Share Posted February 1, 2003 Thanks for all of the input. I really wish I knew who did the work though! That would help a lot! I really think it was someone that really knew what they were doing. In order to use the big springs, all of the spring seats are machined down. This is definately a full race head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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