Am I hand polishing for nothing?

[95DsManiac]

Hey everyone. I hope this is in the right thread this is my first time posting here, so if it is not I am sorry.

Well, I have been porting my head for a couple weeks. I've been taking it real slow and making sure not to go to far. The head is off my 95 gsT and I am doing all the port and polish work myself. I know I know, trust me, I have had many people tell me not too, but how would I learn to do something I look to do for a career and for the rest of my life (Dsm performance shop) if I don't get hands on. I think it is going pretty good so far.

I have reached a point with the porting to where I feel like I don't need to go any further. For info, I am using a electric makita die grinder. Purchased it off amazon for a couple hundred and also some double cut carbide burrs. I also got the port and polish kit from summit with the tootsie rolls etc.

Now on to what I'm trying to get at hear. I have been hand polishing the ports for a couple weeks. Again, I am taking it slow. I have purchased and plan to do it with the following paper:

80, 100, 120, 220, 300, 400, 600, 800, and finishing it off with a 1000 grit. I rip little pieces off ( about a million so far ) and sand away. Only reason I am doing this much polishing is because I have nothing else to do with the car until I get the engine back from the shop. Anyhow I did a little preview just to see how it would come out and I was wondering what you guys and girls think of my hard work. I have nobody to appreciate nor criticize my work so have at it. Dsmtuners is like my car family where I get appreciated for my hard work because nobody I know gives two Fxxxs about how much work and dedication I have done to this car by myself.

In the pictures, one half is kinda what it will look like when done and the other half has only seen 300 grit. I only did one pass on each grit, but I think I will do it 2-4 times for final finish. I know it's not the best port work, but I feel good with it.

Thanks for all the tips, kind words, and constructive criticism. Those of you that want to say unnecessary things please don't even post.

Anthony B

 

[BogusSVO]

You can polish the exhaust side till it shines like chrome.

But there is no need for anything over about a 300 grit, after that you are just making it pretty for pics.

Shape, couture, and cross section mean way more that the final polish.

Check out the vid section, Viper has a few vids on porting. The search should pull a few threads on the subject too

 

[Lil' Shaun]

Toss it in a tumbler.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Looks really good to me in my opinion. Bogus knows his shit.

 

[viperlp01]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNT7IMxteDw]Force engineering Bending bowls - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwIfxEiTAMQ]Force engineering port work - YouTube[/ame]

Like stated in the video we can't give away all the secrets but focusing on how smooth the runner is, is completely pointless. It makes it easier to clean if the head has to come off but pretty much everything get coated with something.

 

[95DsManiac]

Bogus: thanks for the input. I have checked out vipers videos and have learned a lot. Even though they tell no secrets I think I know what to do for the most part. Thanks again.

Urban: thank you, for real I really appreciate the kind words. I wish my son was already here and old enough so I can show/teach him these things. (Wife is 5 1/2 months pregnant ). But yea, I have been working so hard on this project alone and have been doing everything myself down to the porting polishing, welding (just got a AC DC 200a tig welder and welded for the first time a month ago) and ripping the engine trans etc out without a cherry picker and the works. Just that little comment you made makes me feel good about what I'm doing even if it really ain't that good, so thank you again.

Viper: thanks for the link to the videos. I actually have them saved on my I pad and watch them every time I go to my garage and mess with my head. I also fallow your build which is inspiring to say the least. Good luck on it and before you know it you'll be in the 8's. while I'm only trying to run 11s at cmi .

Thanks again to everyone. I will keep up the hard work and hopefully I can get some pictures of the final product after I take it to the machine shop and have them clean it and deck it.

Anthony B.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Nice dude congrats on your son!! I'm in thensame situation with my daughter. She comes in late october, and shes gonna be my little dsm helper buddy some day. And I'm gonna try and make it happen by the time she is 16 to get an evo3 and pass it down. Unless i like it too much, she cpuld end up with a 2g of some sort

I also wanna have a dsm shop some day, more aimed toward the fabrication parts for dsms. I'm a certified welder. So maybe something like Magnus or jmf or front line fab does but without the actual wrenching on cars like
Magnus does .

 

[phr0st]

As Bogus said it won't mean much especially on the exhaust side after a couple thousand miles. I can say that the runner blending looks better than a lot of shops I've seen but without before/after flowbench or dyno numbers the actual gains would be hard to determine. Also congrats on the soon-to-be new addition and be prepared for everything else to become near meaningless (included you DSM). I have two little helpers myself and if they aren't in the garage with me I'm not working on the car. Pic included for reference and cuteness =)

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[bastarddsm]

porting a dsm head is pointless. I've not seen any gains at all from a stock junk head to a nice ported one. The flow-bench does however.

FWIW, I run an untouched head and make 600plus whp on a 54mm turbo

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Thats pretty damn good

I also run an unported 2g head

 

[95DsManiac]

Urban: thanks bro. I can't wait to have my little junior running around . I'm not a certified welder, but I just purchased my tig welder and love every bit of it. I learn more and more everyday and some welding supply stores say I'm actually good . Who woulda thought. Our babies will be burned a couple months apart. They told us jan 1st and now it's Xmas. So well see. The shape I want to open in the near future would consist of fabrication on anything from x member, cages, manifolds, supports brackets etc the works to full machine shop engine builds and dyno tuning. I want to make this a very successful career and will be teaching myself anything I need to know along the way and I will go to school to get the fancy paper saying I know . It's crazy because I know a lot of places that won't hire me because I'm young (22) with no paper saying I know how, but yet these guys are 30+ and can't weld, wrench on cars, or tune worth a sxxx. I had a couple guys tell me I know a lot more than people they work with and actually have a lot more hands on then some of there best employees. It sucks that I can't work in a shop because of the fancy paper part, but oh we'll ill go to school for it no problem.

Phrost: I already know that my son will be priority over my Dsm, that is why I am balls to the walls trying to get it done before he comes . Very beautiful children by the way. I'm hoping I can still race a little hear and there after the baby comes. But who knows. Thanks on the compliments on the blending I did. I know the flow bench tells all but I'm pretty confident with the work I am doing to this head. After all, this is my first time ever touching a die grinder and porting anything ever . Honestly speaking, I would be happy with gaining 15hp from it. You must think I'm retorted for putting so many hours and weeks into something to be satisfied with that, but I always make the best of everything. Now I would be damned surprised to gain 35-50hp but I will never know without the flow bench and some dyno time.

Anthony B