[Prototyper]

Hi,
Started cleaning up my 197 heads. scope is gasket matching, bowl blend, port cleanup and chamber polish.

Can/should the material below the intake guide as pictured be completely removed and blended back to bowl diameter?

Regards,
Jarrod

[Jack Ferris]

My .02. 197 is a valuable head as I'm sure you know. If the heads have not been already treated to the grinder, leave them be. I also say this because what you described will net you little, if any performance gain. That is all.

[b-man]

Originally Posted by Jack Ferris

My .02. 197 is a valuable head as I'm sure you know. If the heads have not been already treated to the grinder, leave them be. I also say this because what you described will net you little, if any performance gain. That is all.

Agree 100%.

Don’t touch them, almost a miracle they’re survived this long without being molested.

At the most a port match but even then personally I’d leave them alone and run them.

Once someone and especially an amateur takes a grinder to the ports the value plummets and your pool of potential future buyers shrinks considerably.

Back in the day before aftermarket aluminum heads were on the scene everybody sought out the factory round port heads and ported them, now it’s best not to modify them and buy some far superior aluminum heads instead.

[PAUL K]

No it should not! Not sure how to say this but if you needed to ask you have no business touching that area of the port. I'm saying that from seeing dozens of round port heads being completely screwed up by folks (including professional shops) going into round port heads with their grinders and messing things up forever. The material they removed in the wrong areas can't be put back. Secondly if you had to ask the chances of you making a worthwhile improvement are slim and the chances of you screwing them up are much better.

IMO..... If you want to improve the head apply a 20° back cut to the intake valve. Perform a gasket match on the intake ports and make all the pushrod bulges uniform with the thinnest. Clean up any obvious casting flaws and call it a day. If you're really feeling froggy fill the exhaust crossovers with aluminum.

Your valve job looks good, I'd leave it as is and there is no power to be found by working the combustion chamber. Smooth every thing with a fine sanding roll or Scotch Brite and you are done.

[Prototyper]

Hi All,
Advice noted and appreciated.
Regards
Jarrod

[Prototyper]

On another note with these heads, previous builder had cut valve spring seats down approx 0.120" but only 1.380" diameter as pictured. It had Comp 995 springs fitted which at 1.437" OD obviously didn't seat well in the 'pockets'.
Makes a spring choice challenging....would the consensus be to shim back up to stock height as I can run a 1.6" installed height with my likely cam choice, machine the ridge off flat or find a spring under 1.380" OD? Current IH with the stock retainers minus the splash shields is 1.75".

[PAUL K]

You could probably purchase a spring seat cutter ($70 approximately) and straighten those out using a drill. You will most likely have room for a spring locator which is the better way to set up the springs.

Clearance the pushrod holes for use with 1.65 rockers while the heads are apart.

[Tim Corcoran]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

You could probably purchase a spring seat cutter ($70 approximately) and straighten those out using a drill. You will most likely have room for a spring locator which is the better way to set up the springs.

Clearance the pushrod holes for use with 1.65 rockers while the heads are apart.

As Paul said I would install a spring locator and any shims needed put under the locator.