Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) hwhat results have you got from porting the head or custom cam

[LVJUNIOR]

what results have you gotten from porting the head or custom cam

What kind of results have you seen from head porting or custom cam? I am looking for personal experience on your own rig.

 

[CodySanders]

in my opinion until you reach the high hp numbers a port job is a waste of money. by the looks of your truck you use it not race it at least not for a living. i think porting should be left to the race track or pulling competitions. i have a 06 with everything done to it and it is just not a daily driver kind of truck (yes it has a cam and port). the port job didn't really give me any kind of feel it power at all. the cam came when i put in the third engine and i really didn't notice much but its hard at high hp to determine any kind of power increase by seat of the pants. milage was a little better tho.

my truck just likes to eat transmissions for breakfast and then has a turbo for lunch and a engine for dinner. mabey i have bad luck mabey it has too much crap done to it but i have had 4 motors 8 transmissions and i can't tell you how many turbos and intercoolers and other parts i have broke. when you push the limits you pay big time. as for the cam is it to much i dont think so but does it pay for itself not really. if more power is what your after better to spend it on a set of bigger injectors or mabey a bigger turbo. i have the same setup on my 98 and it is as much as i will go and still use this truck to work play ect. even at our hp levels i have to watch it or i will blow up the nv4500 pulling my 18k toyhauler. you have a great truck and a great setup if it runs great in my opinion i would leave her alone. if egts are a issue for you a spearco intercooler has helped me alot for about 100 to 150 drop in temps. just my 2 cents worth. good luck and how did the new head gasket job go or are you in the process now?

 

[LVJUNIOR]

Thanks for the $0. 02 I have not got to the head gasket yet. That's why I posted I want to fix as much as I can while I have the motor opened up. I am looking for EGT reduction and mileage. I want to fire ring the head while it is out also

 

[Mishkaya]

Thanks for the $0. 02 I have not got to the head gasket yet. That's why I posted I want to fix as much as I can while I have the motor opened up. I am looking for EGT reduction and mileage. I want to fire ring the head while it is out also

Haven't done anything with my 12V yet (lack of funds), but I did install a cam and springs in my '01 and saw slightly better spoolup, lower EGT's , and a broader power curve. To me it was worth it, having the front end torn apart anyway. I didn't see any noticeable gain in mileage with it in my case. I would also suggest o-rings over fire rings if your truck is a daily driver. I think fire rings should only be for competition trucks.

 

[LVJUNIOR]

I thought orings would be better too but industrial injection told me fire rings were the only way to go even for my daily driver. Why should I go with o-rings instead?

 

[Mishkaya]

I thought orings would be better too but industrial injection told me fire rings were the only way to go even for my daily driver. Why should I go with o-rings instead?

Most everyone I have talked to seems to think that fire rings tend to leak no matter what and will need constant retorques. I am no wizard when it comes to some of this performance stuff, but I spent a lot of time doing research before working on my truck, and the consensus seemed to be that the drawback of o-rings is that you are limited to around 70 PSI (depending on application), whereas fire rings you can achieve over 100 PSI handily, however it seems to come at a more of a price with the risks of coolant contamination from repeated heat cycles. I do know that o-rings are not recommended for the CR trucks, but ours are a bit different. Whichever way you decide to go, make sure your shop KNOWS what they are doing, as there are many proven setups out there, but trial and error can get very expensive...

 

[DCreed]

I was always told fire rings were comp only as they have a short service life. I have a H2 cam 110 springs and HD push rods studs and Orings and . 020 gasket (from Maumau) and the truck idles very smooth and revs right past redline without sounding like its coming apart. power comes in sooner and stronger. I have only a light valve job for porting but lots of bolt-ons for flow. I'm looking for an intercooler next, but only because I dont want to blow the factory one up with the boost I'm capable of.

 

[CodySanders]

my experiance is II is a great company but as with all proformance shops they sell you everything to compete with and not to work with. i have fire rings in my 06 now but had o rings in before. as mishkaya said find a shop that can get the grooves lined up as the one i went to first couldn't of matched up a pair of shoes. from what i understand orings are really only for gas engines a little to much heat in our diesels. learned that after i did mine but the blame for my oring failure lies in the builder in my opinion. they only lasted 7000 miles. the fire rings on the 06 have made it 20k and its been a hard 20k (towing with 60psi of boost up a hill and long 13 14 hour days pulling around 20,000 lbs).

 

[LVJUNIOR]

Maybe I am confused. I have had people describe o-rings and fire rings the same.

To me an o-ringed head has a circular give cut into the head around every cylinder and you use a special head gasket that has a steel ring that seats In the head groove.

A fire ringed head is similar but the groove in the head has a stainless steel wire pressed into it and you use a slightly thicker more traditional gasket.

Is my view of the two types correct.

Also would still like to hear other peoples experience with cams and porting.

Thanks for all the posts so far you guys have been very helpful.

 

[Mishkaya]

Maybe I am confused. I have had people describe o-rings and fire rings the same.



To me an o-ringed head has a circular give cut into the head around every cylinder and you use a special head gasket that has a steel ring that seats In the head groove.



A fire ringed head is similar but the groove in the head has a stainless steel wire pressed into it and you use a slightly thicker more traditional gasket.



Is my view of the two types correct.



Also would still like to hear other peoples experience with cams and porting.



Thanks for all the posts so far you guys have been very helpful.

I could be wrong, but I was told with o-rings you have a groove cut in the head with steel rings pressed in that clamp on the metal ring portion of the gasket. And fire rings have grooves cut in both the head and the block with rings pressed in and a purely metal gasket between the two.

Maybe someone can enlighten me?