ok guys im getting given a head that most likely will be stuffed so im thinking of skimming it and trying to do some port n polishing myself.What do you guys think and will it be relatively easy?

thanks
scott

stuffed? how so?
if by "stuffed" you mean "cracked", dont bother..

also, what type of head is it?

Practice on a small bore or head. I am sure there are plenty around that are cracked or totally thrown a valve or something.

I've seen it done many times, can't say it's a simple job

Not only that I hope you have some dosh as you will need some serious equipment. The die grinder is cheap in comparison to the tungsten carbide burs

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Just got a carbide bur from a trader on the UK eBay - $32.50 delivered. Thats half local price. Quality looks good let you know different after I've used it

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Turn swap meets into your friend, the last one I was at had some 12G202's there for as little as $30 - although they were rough looking and without valves and springs etc.

I agree with having a practice first cause if you take a little bit too much metal its pretty much a throw away job. David Vizards yellow bible has a few good shots of what to do in the chambers and precisely where to open it up.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Yeah, definately read up on it. My old engine, which died due to the high level of moronism of its mechanic, had the head ported... although, it was done on the completely wrong edge, so it did nothing at all except put the engine at risk.

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Jonathan
http://photobucket.com/albums/y64/FatMaserati/

When I started I used to pour a mix of oil/kero and WD-40 into the water jacket and swish it around a bit. Then while grinding I would watch for 'smoke', this means it's getting thin. Don't know if this would work as well when using carbide burrs, they don't seem to generate as much heat.

Don't be tempted to use a drill, they are not designed for side loads and will wear out if used this way.

Use a dust mask and put some sorbelene cream on your hands before you start to stop the carbon blackening your hands.

Daniel

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Videos - Turbocharged A-Series on Dyno & at Wakefield
Mafs waz not my strong subgeckt at skkol

Drill! forget it! it will take you forever and a day to remove anywhere near the amount of metal required. Grahams pro grinder does 24,000 to 30,000rpm. I doubt there are many home handyman drills that do anywhere near 5000rpm at best (that would be a good drill I'd say).

The cheapest die grinder would possibly be an air grinder which opperate at about 24,000rpm. Kev has one has has had good results, but I'll let him comment.

The tungsten carbide burrs that Graham uses are exy... tripple digit $$$...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Makita do an electric die grinder with 1/4" collets, does 4000-7000 rpm.
They also do a 4000 rpm electric pistol drill.
For cast iron you don't need to run it real fast anyway.

My die grinder does 24,000, but I throttle it back heaps for final finishing with a strip of abrasive cloth.

Air die grinders are cheap, but the stones (mounted points) in the kits are crap- a decent carbide burr will cost more $$ retail than the die grinder...

Yes DOZ, drills are not designed for side loads- but it's amazing how many A series heads I got off each $20 3/8" 2 speed Black & Decker, back in the 60s.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Agree, my first was done with an orange 2 speed Black & Decker, old school style with aluminium housing at the front that was my dads, but I doubt the current crop of drills from supercrap etc would be up to it.

I've got the older ProTool grinder (same as grahams) but the speed controller has gone so it's all or nothing atm, no good for finishing slotted rod that I use

DOZ

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Videos - Turbocharged A-Series on Dyno & at Wakefield
Mafs waz not my strong subgeckt at skkol

There you are, shows how much I know

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

After shagging about 4 or 5 B&D drills back then, I graduated to a vacuum cleaner motor, hung up above, driving a flexible shaft with a 1/4" chuck.
The bronze bushes in the F/S head used to cark it pretty quick, so I made them ball bearing.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Hey Doc,,,what`s with all the---> "Shagging,,, B&D,,, Vacuum cleaners,,,& Hung" stuff...a bit raunchy for this site don`t you think?



next you`ll be talking about that "little bit on the end of your tool"

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Just use a light dimmer//Rheostat. that will do the trick of slowing it down.

http://www.mondello.com/Catalog/grinders.htm

A lot of the top head porters use a very large grinder (1.3kw) and use a very long shank burrs at low speed. I just use a carbide cutter with very fine cut and use a dremel clone at half speed. for those how say it cannot be done.. i have ten + heads saying otherwise

no it is not ideal.. but it is perfectly doable

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no time to finish me bleedin car ..
1982 Blue-White Roof.

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