Porting the new Hamilton 12v head.
- Thread starter RonA
- Start date
DIESEL_POWER
NGM Diesel
Im sure anyone who ported heads before the hamiltons head came out will still be porting when there gone....
RonA
Active member
I was operating under that assumption myself Wade, but there were some concerns voiced about wanting to see a sectioned head before they attempted to port it. Of course it could just be that knowing I actually measure stuff before installing could be making them trepidant. I am sure you have run into that before.
Scooter's Roofing
New member
that's uninformed thinking
TMONEYDIESEL
Comp Diesel Sponsor
Ron this is a great question, the most optimal way obviously is if you had measurements of a cut-away head then you would know where your limits are. Obviously if someone is porting a head they have never seen they could go to far and damage the head.
Maybe Zach has a head that they could fillet and send out a picture copy of the wall thickness and how far you can go?
I would think that most shops that deal with a 12v head will have a quick grasp on this one and should do really well with it.
Maybe Zach has a head that they could fillet and send out a picture copy of the wall thickness and how far you can go?
I would think that most shops that deal with a 12v head will have a quick grasp on this one and should do really well with it.
GOT-Torque
is
I myself would be alittle concerned sending a newly designed head out for porting by someone who hasn't cut one of them up yet. However, with the right test equipment you could check wall thickness as you go too.
When is Hamilton shipping that first small batch of heads out?
When is Hamilton shipping that first small batch of heads out?
Scooter's Roofing
New member
Ron, a skilled porter with an ultrasonic tool to verify wall thickness can max out any iron head
DIESEL_POWER
NGM Diesel
TMONEYDIESEL
Comp Diesel Sponsor
This would be the best way, with so many diesel shops trying to do "everything" this is where they fall short.
RonA
Active member
Is this the type of thing I would need to supply?
Defelsko PosiTector UTG Std Ultrasonic Thickness Gage
RonA
Defelsko PosiTector UTG Std Ultrasonic Thickness Gage
RonA
Hamilton Cams
ignorant
Ron,
The head was designed to provide the maximum possible power output for people with engines that wanted a bolt-on piece. It is a bolt on piece which I am very proud of. There was a lot of engineering to make this a possibility. One of the things that Greg Young focused on was having a head that had a really well rounded flow chart, meaning it picks up flow over the stock piece at .100" all the way to .600"+. THis will allow the head to perform well in many different applications from daily driver all the way to extreme sled pulling applications.
It performs well in a street application, but the thing I am proud to say is due to design it can be quite a different animal. The deck is .100" thicker for better sealing in extreme applications. The exhaust has a much thicker wall so that a "D" port shape can be used. The weak areas that typically break on applications over 150 psi have been reinforced. The top has been reinforced which also makes the head more rigid in extreme applications but it also allows a one piece valve cover. This should allow for the aftermarket to come up with some really cool new rocker options. The port walls are at least .200" thickness with the exception of the area in between the intake and the exhaust port where is is around .130"-.140" on the exhaust side. And another exciting thing is that over the intake the casting is solid all the way to the top surface. This will allow major modification of the port for high rpm applications and individual runners.
Although we made a lot of improvements, there is still plenty of room for non street race applications or people like yourself Ron that bend the description of how much power can be used in a "street" truck.
Greg Young has a definite advantage with the modification of this head since he designed the ports. He has spent a lot of time in the last month on the flow bench with every option imaginable with Van's head. There has been a lot of progress with the seat, valve and back-cut angles even without touching the port. If you want the best now, that is Greg Young.
That being said, since this head has similarities to small block iron heads, a lot of the same things will apply. If you are looking for someone local to modify your head, look for somone who has experience with 18 degree or Vortec port modification.
A new update, the new head will come standard with a 1.850" intake and a 1.750" exhaust. We are sharpening our pencil and are looking at a little lower cost than we thought initially. Although it is not all in stone yet, we are looking at offering the head in bare casting, with a custom valve job complete with our springs retainers and locks, and eventually with different ZZ manifolds installed with trick port modifications.
On a standard bore the intake is .025" from the bore and the exhaust .035".
A sonic tester would be money well spent for anybody porting many of these heads.
Zach
The head was designed to provide the maximum possible power output for people with engines that wanted a bolt-on piece. It is a bolt on piece which I am very proud of. There was a lot of engineering to make this a possibility. One of the things that Greg Young focused on was having a head that had a really well rounded flow chart, meaning it picks up flow over the stock piece at .100" all the way to .600"+. THis will allow the head to perform well in many different applications from daily driver all the way to extreme sled pulling applications.
It performs well in a street application, but the thing I am proud to say is due to design it can be quite a different animal. The deck is .100" thicker for better sealing in extreme applications. The exhaust has a much thicker wall so that a "D" port shape can be used. The weak areas that typically break on applications over 150 psi have been reinforced. The top has been reinforced which also makes the head more rigid in extreme applications but it also allows a one piece valve cover. This should allow for the aftermarket to come up with some really cool new rocker options. The port walls are at least .200" thickness with the exception of the area in between the intake and the exhaust port where is is around .130"-.140" on the exhaust side. And another exciting thing is that over the intake the casting is solid all the way to the top surface. This will allow major modification of the port for high rpm applications and individual runners.
Although we made a lot of improvements, there is still plenty of room for non street race applications or people like yourself Ron that bend the description of how much power can be used in a "street" truck.
Greg Young has a definite advantage with the modification of this head since he designed the ports. He has spent a lot of time in the last month on the flow bench with every option imaginable with Van's head. There has been a lot of progress with the seat, valve and back-cut angles even without touching the port. If you want the best now, that is Greg Young.
That being said, since this head has similarities to small block iron heads, a lot of the same things will apply. If you are looking for someone local to modify your head, look for somone who has experience with 18 degree or Vortec port modification.
A new update, the new head will come standard with a 1.850" intake and a 1.750" exhaust. We are sharpening our pencil and are looking at a little lower cost than we thought initially. Although it is not all in stone yet, we are looking at offering the head in bare casting, with a custom valve job complete with our springs retainers and locks, and eventually with different ZZ manifolds installed with trick port modifications.
On a standard bore the intake is .025" from the bore and the exhaust .035".
A sonic tester would be money well spent for anybody porting many of these heads.
Zach
Last edited:
Scooter's Roofing
New member
jlibert
New member
^^Best news I've heard all day!
lenahan05
Comp Diesel Sponsor
Ron. this is just my opinion and i know im guna get bashed by someone one here who disagrees with me but ohh well. with a head flowing this much over a stock 12v cast and an enlarged port of this size on a stock or competition motor i would try to remove the least amount of material possible if your going to do portwork over whats already been fixed in this casting. without seeing what this casting looks like stock i could not help you but i would imagine there would still be some cfm gains picked up in the troat and seat of the port. cut your throat size (area just before the seat) 90-91% of your intake valve size and on the exhaust 89-90% smaller than your valve. this rule works well on any high rpm/high HP diesel. for example....your intake is 1.850 on these heads...1.850x.90%=1.670. and get as many angles on your seat as possible. it will always pick up cfm. if you remove to much area in the actual port and runners....you will lose port velocity which intern= lower rpm. i am guessing with a head of this caliber, many who are currently running high duration competition cams will want to get a smaller duration cam and will notice bigger gains from these heads with lower duration.....Ron...rather than me continue posting on here and getting bashed for my thoughts...if you have any questions just pm me and we can get in contact with each other.