GM plugs, extrude hone and port matching

[Seth]

This isn't really the arena for this, so I will keep it short.  We at the 
VRI had a 3.3l chrysler minivan intake extrude honed.  The head was 
ported.  The exhaust was Jet hot coated.  On the Superflow 901 dyno we 
got one less horsepower than stock.  For about 600 bucks.  Now the 
restrictions might have been elsewhere, and this is just for that engine 
on that day, but I would have at least expected one more horsepower.  
Incidentally, like most motors that go on our dyno, it was about at about 
85% of rated HP from the factory.  Th engine had about 32,000 miles so it 
was broken in.

As a not for match porting-- I don't use a gasket to port by, as a gasket 
engineer is probably not an intake port engineer.  If you want them to 
match up, once they are assembled, then you can use machinist's layout 
fluid, like DYEKEM, paint the parts, assemble them, themn pull them apart 
to see how bad the mismatch is. Iterattion and patience is the key, with 
several steps of metal removal, until no part comes out without layout 
fluid on it. If you haev a motor with circular ports, you can use tubular 
hollow dowels as alognment tools and pass the air thru them.  Supposedly 
used on some racing ford or Cosworths in the '60s.

One last thing, several people suggested NAPA as a place to get GM plugs, 
thanks for the input.  I might be able to get them at a deep discount, 
with a big purchase.  Maybe this is worth a group buy plan like eif_332?  
Or through efi_332?  I will check on the price first.

Seth Allen