I need a little education on the importance and effectiveness of machine work during an engine build. I am currently building a 350 from the block up and was curious what machine shop work i need to have done (if any) if i buy all new parts for the engine. Im pretty sure i will have my FIRST intake system ported, but im not sure what else i should do. My issue is my budget. I have about $5000 for the build and dont want to waste a large chunk of it on machine work, unless it is really worth it. So i guess im asking 1. Is machine work worth it and if so what should i have done? 2. Should i buy old heads and have them ported or buy new heads with little to no machine work done?

I guess i just need a little knowledge from an experienced engine builder on what machine shop work is all about, what are the benefits, and what would be most cost effective for my build? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

Head porting is labour intensive, so it's rarely worth it to pay someone else to do it. It's not really a "machining" operation, since it's done by hand.

The only machine work worth doing is the work that needs to be done to correct problems.

 

So i can build a motor from the block up and it will all fit the way it is supposed to, no "hand" work required? Also, if i port the intake, will i have to do any other work to the heads, ect.?

 

id at least have your block rehoned or board out

 

It probably wouldn't make any sense to port the intake, and not touch the heads, whether you ported them or used suitable aftermarket ones.

The purpose of machining is to fix any problems with your parts to make sure they'll all fit and work together properly. If there aren't any problems with your block, then you can buy the parts to match your block's dimensions and everything will work. There's a lot of measuring along the way to make sure, though.

If you're just talking about the top end, tolerances up there are so loose that you won't need any machining at all, unless you start doing exotic things like angle milling your heads. Otherwise the gaskets will handle all the mismatch.

 

Thank you for your expertise! Speaking of heads though, do you have any suggestions on head selection for me. Ive been looking at rhs, dart, and afr. Would you suggest any of these or are there other heads that might suit me better that i have overlooked?