Can anyone tell me CFM flow through the stock heads versus what you can get by opting them? I have a pair of 62 from a 69 400 and Pair of 16 from a 68 400?
What does it usually cost to do a good job of porting and polishing versus getting a good set of aluminum after market heads?

It will cost a lot less getting a good porting then getting a good set of alum heads. Just depends on what you wan out of the heads!!

The number I have heard is about 210+ stock from the factory. A good cleanup job will get them to about 230 or so. I paid around $500 to get my 16's fully prepped. Flow numbers were 232 CFM at 0.500 inches of lift. I didn't ask to have anything special done just prepped to put on my car. The gentleman who performed the work said that he was mainly trying to get the flow back to as designed versus what comes out of casting.

Numbers vary from bench to bench, there are other factors to consider. I personally have tested dozens of pontiac heads. Everything from small valve d port heads to super duty and H.O heads and edlebrocks.
In stock form the typical d port is only 185-195 cfm @28"

Okay,
So here's an interesting one someone might be able to comment on. I am in the process of wanting to rebuild my engine with a local builder. So far I have talked to a few. Pontiac Engineering is basically gone, talked to Bruce Fulper but very bad feedback but today I was at our local high performance swap meet and saw a builder there called HPS. Asked about doing my engine. Talked about head work and asked him about porting and how much flow I could get. He mentioned to me that I wouldn't want to port them 2 much (not sure if he sad the intake or the exhaust but it was one or the other) or you could actually lose power. can anyone comment on it?

Oh, Also mentioned that they could get me 400 HP and the cost to do my engine would be around $2,800.
They show a website on their business card but the only place I can find them is on Facebook. I have seen them at this swap meet before but I wondered if anyone in has ever used them.
They claim they also do a lot of marine engines
Thanks

$2800 is impossible if that includes parts and machine work.

you should go for it then you can intertain us with stories about how badly they screwed up your motor

you get what you pay for

I though it was pretty funny myslef!!! I just was wondering more about the head question I mentioend LOL!!!

The key with cylinder head port flow is to keep the velocity high. When the volume of the runner becomes the limiting feature, it can be opened up. Once it is opened too much that the velocity slows down, you will lose power.

Thanks Daryl!!! Theres my answer!!!

The scary thing about porting is casting shift. It only takes a little bit more and you blow a hole in the side of the runner then your head is toast and the porter says "hey it's not my fault, you should have had them sonic tested before. I told you". And there you go out looking for another to replace it. Of course now you're sitting there with one head all hogged out by someone that is a borderline moron and has no idea what a ported Pontiac head is supposed to look like. So you may as well start looking for two.
Now there are some in the industry that know what they are doing but you pay a premium for that kind of expertise. In the end unless you absolutely want to keep the look of originality and are willing to pay through the nose for it, it really doesn't make sense to port a set of Pontiac cast iron heads.
My 2 cents.

Pay more emphasis on camshaft selection

Thanks Firebob and BigChief!!!
Good info!!

I think maxed out you can get 240 out of iron heads but you have to be real good and pretty lucky. The Eheads are 267 out of the box. Hard to justify spending nearly the same money and still have inferior parts. But then I'm not much of an originality guy.

There are competent head porters out there who aren't borderline morons who don't charge through the nose and work mostly on Pontiac stuff. Plus they tend to have reasonably good turnaround times.

I guess I will have to take your word for it because I don't know of any. How much to one man is too much to another. Go to SD Perf website. They have their porting prices listed. From what I've heard they do excellent work and Dave is a great guy. When you add it all up it just doesn't make sense for me.

Maybe it is a difference in marketplace. I was in Ohio when I was looking for someone local to work on my cylinder heads. Still lots of people in the area that worked for GM when the Firebirds and Camaros were still being produced in Norwood. The gentleman who worked on my heads (and who I saw at the Co-vention) has been porting heads for 30+ years. He doesn't have the reputation of others, so that is likely keeping his prices down.

Looking at SD Perf pricing, it is high to me.

Average prices for port work around here seem to be $300 for port match and bowl cleanup and around a thousand smackers for a full on port job. That's if you can find someone you trust. Add on the initial cost of the bare castings and another $650 for valve job, new guides, hardened seats, new ss valves and another $100 for a good set of springs and anyone can add it up for themselves. Those out of the box Eheads start looking pretty good for $2200 + another $125 for bolts.

Daryl is correct, larger diameter will result in lower velocity.
Everywhere you read it's bigger this and bigger that. OK if you have 497 cubic inch displacement, tall single plane long runner
manifold, deep pockets and run at 7000 rpm. Then the vast amount of air moving needs larger ports. But for regular Joes not so much.

my SD #16 flowed at 254 cfm at .550 lift, and my nose wasn't the orifice that hurt when I paid for them.

Those guys really know what they are doing. I'm not sure anybody else could do that with iron heads. Of course then there's the weight savings with aluminum too. About half I think.

Made tons of power on my 406 with #16 d ports, it's more than just heads.

Well so far the block I checked out as really good right down to the bore (Stock Bore). The crank has already been done (10/10), it was out of the engine and in a box when I bought it. Rods are good and I had both my 16's and my 62's checked. Decided to use the 16's as they have a head start as far as work goes.

Waiting on pricing for the heads, the engine was apart when I bought it. The heads already have new hardened seats but they still need to have a 3 angle cut, stainless valves, new springs etc.

Waiting for the complete quote back on the heads before proceeding, they did not quote the port and polish yet

3 angle Valve Job
Isky valve springs (8005)
347-ST Retainers
Stainless Steel valves
ARP Rocker Studs (heads already set up for thread in)

So far $745.00 with out bowl blend / porting that quote I will have on Monday.

Shop is local to So Cal and have a good reputation per some people I know that use them

Shop is L&R in Santa Fe springs CA

www.lnrengine.com

Now I need to pick out a cam!!! Not sure what to use