Alright, I was considering getting PDM-racing cams for my car, but they're $500 themselves, w/o installation (I might be able to do it myself, I've heard its a rather straight forward installation.) The reason i'm wary of cams is because of emissions...the ones that PDM sells are supposedly pretty streetable and not really extreme, and with "tuning" don was able to pass BC emissions, but I don't know how mine would fare against CT emissions, not even sure how strict they're going to be (CT is in the process of changing them..) My dad has some serious porting/polishing/valve work done on his 1962 Bug Eye sprite, (check out his website, I can't resist bragging...200 RWHP and 1490lbs = crazy acceleration/handling... He claims 170hp, but if he calculated horsepower the way a lot of us are guilty doing, he'd have 250 lol... http://members.cox.net/formeister/index.html) and the porting and polishing did wonders to his engine. Anyway, any idea how much HP I could get out of a pretty good, full port/polish job, including both intake/exhaust sides. (around $500?). Maybe 15 hp? Especially since its a 91k mile engine? I'm wondering what would be better, to get cams, which get 10hp to the wheels, or to get a good port/polish.

Is it worth it to port/polish if I don't have cams yet? What about increasing the compression by installing a thinner head gasket (any idea where I could get one/who makes them/how much it would be to install? Are the stock ones metal?)

I'm surprised I haven't found anything on horsepower increase from professional, high-quality porting/polishing on the KA24DE...

Should I just get the cams and hope for the best in emissions?

ThanksMarc

I'd do the port and polish first because you'd have to pull the head off to do that. And if your going to build up your car, might as well do the internals and the disassembly first then do the bolt ons.

Lost_To_A_K-Car wrote:There's nothing sadder than a bastardized Healey.

Are you kidding me? I'd take that car over any other car I can think of any day....

K-car..did you even take the time or bother to read the specifications of his car? It's a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder...miniscule relative to the 240 engine, certainly not a "MONSTER" engine, and nothing like a V8 (except for the exhaust note...)His car is a purpose built-street car that has race car braking, handling characteristics and acceleration. Practical? No. Fun? Most definitely. That car will hand 90% of the cars on the street their AS.S. in a straight line acceleration race, and almost indefinitely once the road begins to turn. Don't judge before you read.Do I know what its like to ride in one or drive it? Of course I do, my dad's had it since I was born. I "grew" up around and in it, and I've driven it plenty of times to realize how much better of a car it is than anything I could dream of affording. It's relatively comfortable and, ironically, has less rattles/annoying vibrations than my 1995 Nissan...hmmm....I know damn well what the interior is like, and I don't have a problem with it on long rides (over an hour...). What I do know, is that I've never experienced being thrust so far back in the seat during acceleration, nor have I experienced any type of G's such as that car is capable of handling...Even compared to my car, it can take almost any corner 25% faster, and brake much later as well...and mine certainly doesn't have stock suspension. His car is what I dream of having my car handle like. Don't belittle it just because you're jealous. The post had NOTHING to do about Austin Healeys, nor did anyone give a damn about your opinion...but you gave it anyway, and you had to insult something a fellow 240 driver loved...out of bitterness? Maybe....perhaps your being tumbled around in the back of a 3000 the first 2 years of your life explains something.I asked about porting and polishing, and you try to personally degrade something I hold dear. You're a mod, set the example.Again, I don't know why you chose to bring up a "frog eye," or a 3000, because his is neither. It's a bug-eye sprite...10 Second 0-60 time? My dad's car does it in about 5 seconds flat....not bad for that "monster" 4 cylinder it has under the hood, huh?Don't compare the car to a 3000, they're nothing a like. I know, my dad also owned one up until a few years ago. The 3000 was bigger, heavier, less agile, but more comfortable...That's not what I'm into, I could care less about comfort or "value," or "prestige" from a car---If I could, I'd get a bug-eye over a 3000---the 3000 is a gentlemen's car.Of course the Healey's were perfectly reasonable enthusiast cars straight from the factory...they were just underpowered, much like our 240's. So what if he has an engine putting out 180 hp? It's still on the same frame of the original 1962 sports car.I never had anything against you, K-car, until you tried attacking something that I covet, in a most irrelevant fashion. If you can't answer my question, don't respond.'nuff said

Lost_To_A_K-Car wrote:Originally posted by MarkEmark "]K-car..did you even take the time or bother to read the specifications of his car? It's a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder...miniscule relative to the 240 engine, certainly not a "MONSTER" engine, and nothing like a V8 (except for the exhaust note...)

The stock engine in that car was a 43 HP 948cc. Compared to that, a 1.8 liter engine is a monster.

Do I know what its like to ride in one or drive it?

Actually, that one's my bad. I wasn't paying attention to who I was responding to.

Even so, if you've only ever been in your father's Frogeye, you don't have any idea what it's like to be in a regular one. He's changed it so much that it's not even remotely similar to the car on which it's based.

Don't belittle it just because you're jealous.

Yea, I'm jealous, that's it.

I'm not belittling it. I'm sure it's very nice. However, it's not a Healey any more. It's shaped like a Healey, but it doesn't drive like one.

The post had NOTHING to do about Austin Healeys,

Hey man, you're the one that brought it up.

nor did anyone give a damn about your opinion...

For someone who doesn't give a damn about my opinion, you sure have your panties in a bunch about it.

I asked about porting and polishing, and you try to personally degrade something I hold dear.

I didn't degrade it, I made a remark. I made no statement about the inherent "goodness" of your father's car, only that heavily modified Healeys make me sad.

Again, I don't know why you chose to bring up a "frog eye," or a 3000, because his is neither. It's a bug-eye sprite...

You're demonstrating your ignorance, Skippy. That car was called the Frogeye everywhere but the States. Ask you Dad, he might know.

We are in the United States, correct? Last time I checked, RI was still part of the union? Therefore we call it a bugeye...don't try to make me look like a moron because I'm calling it by what every other peson in the U.S. calls it by...if I were in Europe, then yes, you'd have a right to slander me.FYI, I have been in a regular Bugeye sprite...my friends dad has a 1961 one, completely stock. So yes, I do have a basis on which to talk...The stock one feels slow, sluggish, and underpowered compared to my father's. Why does it make you so sad to see a heavily modified Austin Healey? I don't get it...They were pure enthusiast cars from the factory, incredibly light, RWD, and good handling--What's wrong with modifying a car that's already good handling, by giving it more power? Have you ever browsed through an SCCA magazine? There's a couple of fields (esp. H-production,) that are dominated by Bug Eye sprites, as well as autocross events---by your saying that you hate to see heavily modified healey's, you're going against what THOUSANDS of others have done to their bug eyes, just like my dad did to his--A lot of Healeys, esp the Bug Eyes, are heavily modifed and raced--They were introduced as sports cars...logically, the progression would be to race some of these sports cars...Do heavily modified Porsche 911's, Corvettes, BMW 318's, Ferrari's etc make you sick as well? Because they aren't as "pure" as the original one? My dad isn't claiming to have a stock Bug Eye--thats why he calls it an "Alfa Healey" Do all those people make you sick as well? Not to mention, it has an Alfa Romeo engine in it...Alfa's are also incredibly popular cars to race...or if not the car, their engines...I agree its not a healey any more besides the body/frame...but who cares, its not trying to be passed off as a Stock Austin Healey bug-eye sprite that's been restored to original condition. It's a purpose built street car, and I love it.I did bring up Austin Healey's, but only to ask about porting and polishing, not to get into an argument about their worth/your hatred of modifying these cars..Yes, I did find it personally offensive how you attacked his car for being modified. I love that car with my heart and soul, and its really the only thing I can honestly be incredibly proud of, and brag about...Let me have my moment of glory. Go to the site and listen to the .wav file of the car taking off from a start and shifting all the way through fifth...Don't tell me that its not music to your ears...

Back to my question...How much HP would I expect froma $500 port/polish job? As much as if I got cams? It seems like if I ported/polished it, but didn't get cams, that there wouldn't be much performance increase, as the cams would still be letting in the same amount of air.. Yes, my dad has done ALL of the work on his car himself, except the porting and polishing/valves..he left that to the pros at Sperry Valve Works.

I port matched my intake to my head with a dremal tool and several grinding stones. I also ported my exhaust side of my head to my header. Before I put the head back on I sent it to a machine shop to be bench flow tested and only two ports were not flowing the same so they fixed that to make all ports flow the same. I also had 10,000 shaved of the head for compresion of 10.5.01 this make nice power guys.

Well the casting and technology differences between the Healey head and the 240SX head are vastly different. Porting older heads often yields more power cause they arent tested or designed to the spec of a modern head. 240SX heads have essentially a 3-angle port job done to them from the factory... moving to a 5-angle would be better spent on a SR20 or a CA18.

I think its best on a KA is just to open it up a little. those ports are not small in the stock head just make sure they flow evenly and you will make some nice power...

I heard Gude makes cams for the KA24de as well

Porting is one of the best mods you can do. If you do it yourself, it's also very cheap. Just the cost of some fierce dremel bits, really...

When I had my Probe GT (I know, not a 240, but we're talking general porting here), I had to remove the intake manifold to replace the rear valve cover gasket. I used that opportunity to do a mild port to the IM and clean the hell out of it. Porting the runners just a tad, and the part that throttle body bolts to, gave a significant gain. Not to mention the large amount of carb cleaner I sprayed into it (and the throttle body itself for that matter) to clean everything out. Quite nasty seeing as the IM had never been removed before and the car was a '93....

Anyway. When I had everything put back together and took 'er for a test drive, the car felt like a whole different beast, and this was still with a stock intake. Sounded a bit deeper, too.

Never underestimate the power of porting....and cleaning. Clean that manifold GOOD, and putting small filters on vacuum lines running to/from the IM is also a good way to help preserve that cleanliness.

DOES IT REALLY HELP THAT MUCH TO CLEAN OUT UR PARTS.. I THOUGHT ABOUT DOING IT TODAY BUT I WAS AFRAID TO TAKE IT APART AND NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT TOGETHER AGAINLOLJOE

Yes, it does. I took apart my 90 240's throttle body and plenum about a month ago. I cleaned everything up and used a wire wheel and a whole can of carb cleaner along with many grinding wheels to port and polish it (mildy of course). The gain was obvious and could be easily felt. It took a long while do do it, but in the end it was worth it. Just make sure you label all the hoses with masking tape, or similar, in order to make sure you know where they go. Great mod to do if you've got a saturday to do nothing. Hope that gives you the assurance you need to actually do it. Good luck!!

I've been porting RB's for the past 3 years. I can this, if you do it yourself only port match it. Unless you have the ability to make sure your removing the same amount of metal from each port. Taking more from one port then another will change the volume of air/fuel. Causing one cylinder to run leaner/richer then the others.

You can smooth out the factory casting defects but thats as far as I would go.

On the other hand having a proffessional(ExtrudeHone) do it for you will work wonders. Just make sure they do the I/H/E at the same time to get a good port match.

There is no for sure way to say how much HP you'll get from a port job. There are just to many variables.

WD

Ohhhhhh K_CAr.... The website yougave contradicts your statement about not having more air/fuel going into the engine after a P&P job...I quote "Why is basic port work important to your engine's performance? It reduces the restriction in the engine's intake and exhaust tracts. Reduce that restriction and you let more air into the cylinders. If you have more air, you can add more fuel. The result is increased horsepower."Are they wrong? Are you wrong? Am I wrong? What's the deal?

sil80