Steiger Performance Universal Cylinder Head CC Kit

• 6" x 6" x 1/4" transparent acrylic deck plate
• Mini level
• Fluid injector (medical grade)
• Tub of petroleum jelly
• Cylinder Head CC worksheets
• Compression Ratio worksheets
• Illustrated, step by step instructions

General Info

What does it mean to CC a cylinder head?

Essentially, "CC'ing a cylinder head" is a process which measures the volume of the combustion chambers in the head. Typcially this figure is listed in cubic centimeters, or CCs, hence the term, "CC'ing". When purchasing aftermarket cylinder heads, the combustion chamber volume is usually one of the specs listed. For example, the big block aluminum heads for the Mopar B/RB engines from Edelbrock are available in both 84cc and 88cc versions. This number refers to the number of CCs in a single combustion chamber. (Therefore, an "84cc head" for a standard V8 engine is actually 4 chambers of 84 CCs each, for a total of 336 CCs.)

Why would I want to CC my cylinder heads?

1. To determine your compression ratio. You cannot compute your compression ratio if you do not know the size of your combustion chambers. Although you can sometimes find the combustion chamber volumes for stock heads and you can usually find them for aftermarket heads, the only way to be certain is to check it yourself. The "advertised" numbers are often inaccurate, can vary from cylinder to cylinder, and of course things like machine work to the heads can change the volume. If you want to compute your actual compression ratio, you must CC the heads you are planning to use - there is simply no way around it.
   
   
2. To ensure that all of the combustion chambers in an engine are the same size. If they are not, then each cylinder will have a different compression ratio and you will either be limited by the cylinders which aren't making as much power as the others, or you will be hindered by pinging or detonation from cylinders with higher than intended compression ratios. Quality control and CNC machining has greatly reduced this problem with recent aftermarket heads, however stock, cast heads are notorious for combustion chamber volumes which vary from cylinder to cylinder.

How do I CC my cylinder heads?

Generally, you must pay someone to do it, usually an engine builder or machine shop. Rates for this service seem to average around $10 per chamber or $50/hr. So, to have a pair of V8 heads CC'd you could expect to pay around $80-100. If you are porting and polishing the heads and are looking to equalize the volume of the chambers, you'd have to do some work, then take them back to the machine shop and spend another $80-100 to get them CC'd again, and so on. If cost is an issue this is obviously not a very attractive route!

The alternative of course, is to CC them yourself.

What are the benefits of CC'ing my own cylinder heads?

• It saves money - You can CC your own heads as often as you like and/or CC the heads of your friends and club members for a quarter of the cost of CC'ing a single pair of heads at a machine shop.
  
  Speaking of which, you may be wondering how many times you will be able to CC your heads with this kit. The only part of the kit that is "used up" as you CC a head is the petroleum jelly which is used as a seal between the head and the deck plate. Its not really possible to give you an exact number here since your jelly usage will depend on the size of the combustion chambers you are measuring and how liberally you smear it on the head. However, a generous amount of jelly is included with the kit (around 3oz) and should last you quite a while. Of course, getting more is as simple as making a trip to the local department store, pharmacy, or the bathroom medicine cabinet.
  
  
• It saves trouble - No need to cart the heads to the machine shop and back umpteen times (or even once). You will also eliminate worries such as, "What if I don't get my own heads back?", "What if they are damaged or stolen?", etc. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of fine machine shops and engine builders out there, but some folks live by the credo, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
  
  
• It saves time - No need to fit the job into someone else's schedule. You can do it wherever and whenever you like, on your own time, at your own pace, and as many times as you like!
  
  

What are the drawbacks of CC'ing my own cylinder heads?

Somewhat reduced accuracy. A machine shop or engine builder with a large investment in tooling and equipment along with an experienced staff may be able to give you readings to the nearest tenth of a CC. With this DIY kit, the accuracy will probably be closer to a quarter of a CC. For the vast majority of applications, the accuracy afforded by the DIY method is more than adequate. For some, engines built to live on the bleeding edge, it might not be. However, someone building such an engine is probably not going to consider doing the CC work themselves anyway. This kit is aimed at shadetree mechanics, rodders, hobbyists, trophy/bracket racers and folks with street/strip vehicles in general. In other words, normal folks with normal vehicles.

When I installed Edelbrock's 84cc aluminum heads on my 440 powered '70 Barracuda, I used one of these kits to CC the heads and each combustion chamber came out to exactly 84cc. That's accurate enough for me!

What benefits does this kit have over other "DIY Head CC Kits"?

• It isn't necessary to ensure that the head is perfectly level before injecting fluid. Most kits assume you first level out the head, then you inject fluid into a hole in the center of the combustion chamber. However, this is very difficult to do with many heads because the quench area is just small enough that capillary action causes the fluid to resist flowing into this area. You will usually end up tilting the head, tapping on the plate trying to get the air bubbles out of the quench area, etc. Also, even without this quench area problem, it is very difficult to completely fill the entire chamber through a center hole. The air bubble breaks up and bubbles like to hang to the edge of the chamber, instead of going out the fill hole.
  
  By contrast, this kit is designed for a "vertical fill" with a hole right at the edge of the combustion chamber. You basically stand the head up such that the deck plate is at an angle and inject the fluid into a hole at the top near the spark plug. The fluid will flow straight down into the quench area, filling it immediately. As you continue to fill, the air bubble will stay at the top, and work its way towards the fill hole instead of sticking to the chamber sides. The head is only placed horizontally once the entire chamber is nearly full. This makes filling the chamber without leaving stray air bubbles inside much easier!
  
  
• Price! This kit is easily $100 cheaper than most of the generic kits on the market. The main reason for this is my use of a syringe style fluid injector rather than a burette. Although a burette would no doubt be somewhat more accurate (because of the finer graduations), the increased accuracy in my opinion is simply not worth the price. Plus, the burette is cumbersome to handle, easy to break (expensive to replace) and would be very difficult to use for a "vertical fill" style operation as described above.
  
  
• Its the little things. For example, I provide you with a generous quantity of petroleum jelly so that you are ready to go right away. I have not seen another kit that does this. I also include a small mini-level just in case you do not have a level handy but would like to level the head. I also provide illustrated instructions and a few copies of my easy to use worksheets; one that you fill out during the head CCing process and another which makes computing your compression ratio simple. Essentially, once you receive my kit, you are ready to go. All you need to provide is the fluid. (water, windshield wiper fluid, antifreeze, light oil, rubbing alcohol, etc...)

Applications

SP90005 - Universal Cylinder Head CC Kit $16.95