I tried to cc my cylinder heads using a 60ml suringe and a piece of plexiglass. The heads are 063's that I had 2.18/1.88 valves put in. They were milled by the previous owner and I was trying to find out how much was milled off. I haven't finished yet but on one head the two chambers I've done came out to 101cc. ON the other head the three chambers I have done came out at 98cc for two and 97cc for one.

Does this sound within reason? Any suggestions?

Yes, only b/c maybe the head wasn't quite FLAT when it was mocked up and cut......

And just maybe a plunge cut stone or cutter wasn't used to unshroud the vlaves but rather a hand-held grind job which could vary valve to valve vs the identical plunge cuts...

Plus, just maybe the valves aren't installed at the EXACT same height which again, will vary the cc's ever so slightly too...

And to compensate for this the valve job was done to finish it by grinding the valve tips a schosh such that they would be the same height up top under the valve cover??

Do they go small to big end to end??

pdq67

pdq67, I'll have to finish the cc'ing tomarrow. But the one head was 98, 98, 97 so far in that order. What were you thinking?

Absolutely, combustion chambers can vary by +/- 1 CC, especially on reworked heads. When you realize that it only takes .005 cut to remove 1CC, you can see that just having to grind the seat that little extra to clean up the seat from wear will set the valve down deeper. Also, if you are a novice, it is easy to miscalculate and be off a CC. If you are off =/- 1 CC, it won't really hurt anything. 1CC shows up as about .03 in CR. It's the difference in say 9.5/1 as compared to 9.47/9.53. Ideally you would like them to all be the same, but given cylinder head flow characteristcs, other than a using well prepped race head, the individual cylinder pressure can vary within 10% and be considered normal anyway.

O.k. I double and triple check the chamber volumes and I'm pretty confident that my results are accurate. Here is what I came up with:
1. 97 -------2. 97
2. 97 -------4. 97
3. 98 -------6. 97
4. 98 -------7. 97

If it did take .005 cut to remove 1cc, Then it looks as if these heads were cut .020 [(101-97) X .005].
Looking at "How to Build Chevy Rat Motors" by Ed Staffel, it says I should cut .014 off the intake manifold sides and .038 off the bottom. In "Engine Builder's Handbook" by Tom Monroe, it says to cut .028 from manifold bottom and .020 off the sides. Which is correct? Or does it not make that big of a difference?

I certainly wouldn't be taking any cuts off that manifold until there's a mock-up assembly and see how the manifold actually fits. Those heads might have been like that since new. TRhat's not that much, a few cc.

I should mention: I had the motor together for 2000 miles and it kept burning oil. I'm looking at the manifold to head fit to verify I'm not sucking oil that way. I recalled when I first put the manifold on the bolt holes did not line up corrctly, although I could still get the bolts in. When I took the engine apart I noticed the impresion,left on the intake gasket, by the heads indicated that the maniflold (RPM Air-Gap) ports were not lining up correctly with the head ports. The manifold needed to sit lower on the heads.
I have another thread going about everything else that I discovered in the motor. http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87762

The other thing to realize, it takes a .020 cut from the heads just to get back to the original dimensions due to the .022 original head gasket thickness, assuming here you are using either the .039 or .041 FelPro type.

GRN69CHV,

GOOD point if he is using composite headgaskets vs stock type steel shims!!!!!

And they look cc-wise, about right on the money.. (Please read over what I posted earlier AGAIN if you want to....)

pdq67

O.k. lets see if I am following what you guys are saying.

Originally motor had .022 steel gasket and heads were not machined.
Now - heads cut .020 and use a .041 or .039 gasket brings you back, or close to original height. (Is this correct?)

I was using a .022 steel gasket. If I go to a .039 or .041 I should not have to cut the manifold. (correct?)