[Douglas Willinger]

http://www.sdperformance.com/listPro...?categoryID=53

Cast Iron Pontiac Heads

SD Performance no longer is CNC porting or building cast iron cylinder heads. Sorry for the inconvenience!

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Does anyone have any further information on this, particularly a source for such services?

Was looking forward to eventually having some #12s done for this.

Why would they discontinue this service, considering the investment in the machinery and programming? Saw a set of their ported iron heads - #48s on a 1969 2 bolt main Ram Air III- they looked quite excellent. Hopefully, they would reverse this decision or at least have the programming used by someone to provide this service.

[Jack Ferris]

There’s plenty of people out there to port your iron heads. I’m definitely not taking anything away from Dave and his crew because they do superior work. But I’m guessing there is a bigger demand for aluminum heads vs ported iron. And there’s only so many hours in a day. So going where the demand is while looking at what’s most cost effective in only makes sense. Maybe Dave will chime in and fill in the details.

[tom s]

This was in another thread on this site awhile back.Tom

[Dave Bisschop]

Stepping away from CNC porting and building cast iron heads wasn't an easy one for me. I'm personally very passionate about reworking the factory pieces to make a bunch more power over stock but it basically comes down to time.

The machine time involved along with the labor from start to finish on a set of cast iron heads is over double the amount of time it takes to CNC port and finish a new set of aluminum heads. On top of that I have a lot of machine work coming my way that generates 3-4 times the $$$ in the same amount of time it takes to build a set of cast iron heads.

I'm not getting any younger and it's getting a bit old working long days 6-7 days a week just to make a living (I'm a little burnt out to be honest) especially when you consider the hundreds of thousands of dollars we've invested in equipment. It's time to make some changes so I can free up some time to work on some of my own projects and enjoy life a bit before my time is up on this planet.

We've also just bought a used SuperFlow engine dyno that will be up and running in a week or two so I'm going to build a few more engines than I have been for local pickup only as well will be investing a bunch of time into R&D (my real passion!!) to continue my never ending search for better ways to produce more pure Pontiac power!!

I still have a pile of cast iron heads to finish, once I'm completely caught up and as time allows I'm sure I'll build a set here and there especially unique projects.

I hope this helps people understand why this decision was made. I'm always available via. e-mail techsupport@sdperformance.com if anyone has any other questions or concerns.

[Half-Inch Stud]

....hire a Teen to run the Iron through!

[Skip Fix]

Dave doing any Eddy 409 heads still?

[tom s]

I think this makes a opportunity for someone to invest in a shop,buy a CNC machine,pay Dave a percentage for his program and do the iron heads himself!How to make a million dollars in the pontiac HiPo biz!Start with 2 million!JMO,Tom

[Dave Bisschop]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

....hire a Teen to run the Iron through!

I only own one 5 axis CNC machine for porting and the heads don't fall of the machine done. Finding qualified help that actually doesn't cost me money has been a challenge that I've given up on.

[Dave Bisschop]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

Dave doing any Eddy 409 heads still?

Yes sir, although not a lot of demand.

[Dave Bisschop]

Originally Posted by tom s

I think this makes a opportunity for someone to invest in a shop,buy a CNC machine,pay Dave a percentage for his program and do the iron heads himself!How to make a million dollars in the pontiac HiPo biz!Start with 2 million!JMO,Tom

You nailed it Tom!!!LOL

[Skip Fix]

Originally Posted by Dave Bisschop

Yes sir, although not a lot of demand.

Hey I push you over on that forum-but 348-409 guys are cheaper than Pontiac guys! Take a look at Carl McQuillen's Z-12 409 heads!

[joe'sgto]

This is a big bummer. I wanted to use my factory #16 heads. Any one else doing the CNC to Factory heads?

[blueghoast]

I wonder what Dave Bisschop thinks of the speed master heads.
Or if he has had a chance to inspect or do any work on them

GT

[Douglas Willinger]

Originally Posted by Dave Bisschop

You nailed it Tom!!!LOL

That software investment ought to get used somehow.

(Was waiting for such for the round port heads, 722, 614, etc.)

Perhaps Butler or someone else could make arrangements with SD Performance for such a licensed use.

[Drag Star Le Mans]

Hope I can slip a set of 670s in before total cast shut down? If not will you at least flow a set of 544127 SD heads?

[scott70]

Hey Dave,,You did a cnc job on my #64 heads a few years ago,,,,you still doing the iron intake cnc port job?

[Jack Ferris]

The heads can still be hand ported.

[mgarblik]

Hand porting a set of iron heads to get close to out of the box aluminum head flow is allot of work. Also, if paying typical shop prices would be $1500.00-2000.00. Before CNC porting was a thing, Joe Mondello , (RIP) had approximately 40 employees hand porting iron heads in three locations up and down the CA coast. Hard, dirty, noisy work, very hard on hand and arm muscles and nerves. Having 80-90% of this done by CNC really changed the business. I don't blame Dave one bit for only working on aluminum. Easier on machinery, cutters and less time consuming because the heads are so much better before you start. So for the millionth and one time, this is why we need an IRON replacement cylinder head that would eliminate the need for this CNC process in all but the most extreme performance applications. Carry on,.

[Drag Star Le Mans]

I first met Dave and Lisa at their shop in Abbotsford, BC when he was hand porting cast heads back in the mid/late 90s. The head porting room was buzzing with activity, there were a few guys working away. That did not look the work I would ever want to do!!! I can't blame him one bit for stopping cast head porting. If anyone thinks it's easy go for it!

[Dave Bisschop]

Originally Posted by scott70

Hey Dave,,You did a cnc job on my #64 heads a few years ago,,,,you still doing the iron intake cnc port job?

Absolutely I'm still doing the CNC plenum and runner porting on factory iron intakes. I have no plans to stop doing them.