Anyone any opinions on the best kit for porting and grinding jobs? Dremel ok or better off with an air grinder??

I want to use it to tidy up and smooth off the steel inlet manifold I've made and maybe use it to trim fibreglass??

Steve

A powerful dremel type tool is adequate. I used one with a flexi shaft to trim all of my bodywork holes and edges with. They also make light work of cleaning up steel welds and edges when fitted with emery drums.

The one I use is a 140W 240volt type, so has a good bit of power.

An air die grinder is good for heavy duty metal removal, not really suitable for GRP.

David

Air is the way to go if you are shifting loads of material as they spin so fast, but they do require a large CFM to work.

Although only costing £25 new you may new compressor to run it.

Regards Mark

I used a dreml with a metal cutter to open out ports on a pair of v8 heads - being alloy it is doable but I dread to think how longit would have taken on cast iron heads. The dreml got so hot I could no longer hold it iun my hand so ther was a fair bit of time waiting for it too cool down.

I haven;t found the stones to be particulalry effective or durable.

What I have done in the past is to use a metal file (MGB head) and if you can get that in , then use that, you be able to remove more metal in a shorted time.

Hmmmm, depends on what you are trying to do!

A die grinder is great for many jobs, but air ones EAT air and get freezing cold.

I have a makita variable speed electric die grinder, which is FAR better than the air ones and also runs anywhere from 7,000 to 27,000 rpm.

It will knock the socks off anything else when it comes to porting, and is great for grp work too with appropriate sanding drums. I used it to cut out the exhaust and filter holes in my grp bonnet, with no problem at all.

For fine detail work around valve seats on porting jobs a dremel can be useful, but even there it is very slow (comparison-wise, the electric die grinder can remove a desertspoonful of cast iron from a port in the time that a 250 watt dremel takes to remove a large matchhead's worth)

I have a Bosch 50,000rpm air tool for fine work, but never really use it.

PS, reading some of the above posts, I think maybe a trip to see somebody actually porting a head rather than just tickling it could be needed. Sometimes a LOT of material needs to be taken out, usually if removing valve guide bosses. On a Ford Pinto or Opel CIH these can be completely removed in a minute or so each with a decent electric die grinder...........................

wouldn't want to try it with a dremel!!!!

PS PS!

The electric die grinder with coarse sanding rings on expanding mandrels is great for shaping chassis tube ends when doind round tubing fits as well!

A lad on the Practical Performance Car forum was looking for exactly the same thing, I pointed him the way of this:





Here's the spec:

• Intended for the serious carver, modeller or pattern maker
• 190W continuously rated motor
• Variable speed (0-20,000rpm) controlled by foot pedal
• 970mm long flexible shaft
• Five optional handpieces
• Wall mounted hanger

THe drive's £64.92, a handpiece that will take 2.4, 3.2 & 6.4mm collets is £17.63 and if you wanted a bench mounted wall hanger it's £13.63.
You'll find more details http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-Heavy-Duty-Flexible-Drive-Unit-20091.htm

i have a 2 hr long video tape of dave andrews of DVAPower
explaining how to port a k-series cylinder head, very interesting, he uses a makita electric die-grinder with special large fluted burrs for aluminium.

very interesting

quote:

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Originally posted by liam.mccaffrey
i have a 2 hr long video tape of dave andrews of DVAPower
explaining how to port a k-series cylinder head, very interesting, he uses a makita electric die-grinder with special large fluted burrs for aluminium.

very interesting

---

Will this be OK?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/130-watt-die-grinder-and-flexishaft-in-hard-carry-case_W0QQitemZ130052140431QQihZ003QQcategoryZ22664QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem

Cheap enough to buy use a couple of times and throw away???
All i want to do is tidy up a steel inlet manifold I've made and shape a few holes in the fibreglass side panels.

Steve

I got one of those from Aldi for £12.99. It's a step up from a 12v dremel type but it's not got a lot of torque. It will grind welds down if that's what you are doing to the manifold. I use some coarser stones I had in the toolbox which fit one of the larger collets and take my time as I only have a half share in it (my wife uses it for miniatures) The flexy shaft is a real boon, worth the money for that.

[Edited on 27/11/06 by Peteff]