So much fun with just a rod and a file Removing metal to get rid of sharp edges and ridges Got rid of some weight, too. They’ll be peened later, at HDS Smooth, and now they each weigh 640 grams Minimal work getting rid of sharp edges here, too Nothing drastic was done in the ports Just a little cleanup, imagining the airflow Modified intake manifold The original Ready to measure combustion chamber volume
Easily one of the most enjoyable parts of my rebuild was the file work on the connecting rods. I have read the stock connecting rods weigh in at 684 grams, which means I filed about 44 grams off each. My aim wasn’t lightening them, though, just wanted to remove any sharp edges, grooves, etc., that might be a point of failure by propogating cracks. HDS would restore surface strength with their peening process.
With the ports and manifolds, my goal was just to clean them up a little to aid the flow. I would advise being very careful around the valve seats… make sure you leave enough material to insert new seats and still have a nice smooth transition to the port with no big pockets behind the seats. I tried to be very conservative there.
In the combustion chambers, I was again just focused on removing sharp edges to eliminate hot spots and smooth things out a little bit. It comes at a very slight cost in terms of compression ratio since I was making the chamber a little larger in volume. I was asking HDS to lop .140 of the heads, so it was of no concern at all.