Headgames also does plenty of development work for the aforementioned V8 engines, as his cylinder heads in all forms can be found in organized competition engines all over the world. The exhaust is still 86 percent of the intake, which is where we want to be,' says Headgames’ Localio. We picked up 70 cfm of flow on the intake and 60 cfm on the exhaust side without even doing a valvejob. 170-inch of material out to maximize performance. 'The bowl area of the head’s really choked up from the factory. Intake and exhaust ports on the aforementioned EcoBoost project, along with a shot of it on the Headgames flowbench. We’re in the process of determining a proper course of action for a project car on one of our sister magazines ( StangTV) that will focus on EcoBoost performance, and Headgames’ reputation for multi-valve small engine performance speaks for itself. In fact, we briefly touched on those here and will be back to the shop soon to build a dedicated article on the castings as Headgames’ EcoBoost program moves further along. Localio’s meticulous nature has led him into the burgeoning Ford EcoBoost and Coyote market, as he is currently working with one of the leading race shops to develop cylinder head profiles that will help the new EcoBoost to hurt plenty of feelings. One thing to note about the work performed at Headgames – there are no CNC machines here to port heads as the best CNC machines are only able to replicate designs created by the human hand, Localio believes that his porting packages are best tailored to the goals of the individual competitor. Localio hard at work on a customer’s GTR cylinder head – you can see the process in the video above. In addition, that expertise has led him to work on the following platforms with great success – Honda B/D/H/K, Hyundai GK4F, Mitsubishi 4G63, Nissan’s VQ35/GTR and VR38, along with the Porsche 996/997TT and Subaru EJ 20 and EJ25. Headgames is known as one of the kings of the Toyota 2JZ engine, having performed work for numerous well-known competitors in that marketplace. Unlike some porting facilities that specialize in particular engine platforms, Localio’s experience lends itself well to the traditional small and big-block pushrod V8, but also to the newer generation of overhead cam engines that have been the foundation of the company’s major successes to date – an arena that has the company well-positioned to stay at the top of the heap in the future as engine technologies advance and multi-valve cylinder head arrangements become more popular at the OE level. There are no machines jammed in on top of one another each workstation has plenty of room for the operator to perform the machining processes with room to spare. There’s a Superflow SF600 flowbench, multiple Bridgeport mills and lathes, a Sunnen DCM surfacer, Sunnen SGM1500 seat and guide machine, and numerous other tools of the trade spread out around the facility. Tiffani (left) and Sara (right) hard at work in their respective areas.Īlong with the investment in his people, Localio has also invested heavily into the proper equipment so that each of the employees can perform their duties consistently and quickly. In addition, Localio is teaching Rich Dembowski his way around the grinder. Localio and Edward Turnier are the main head porters– each and every race-winning cylinder head that comes out of the Headgames facility has been massaged by their capable hands. Tiffani Habel is the machinist – she does all of the valve guide and seat work, shipping, and runs the daily workings of the business, while Sara Brothers is responsible for disassembly, head cleaning, and flow testing.Īmy Stires is responsible for machining the heads for lash (import heads often use buckets or other shims where you have to tip the valve to achieve desired lash). Our reputation is our title bout, and we are committed to becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of our craft.”Īs each one of the ladies has learned their craft at his direction, they have defined duties within the organization that play to their strengths. “We train like there is a championship on the line, because in reality it is. Our turn over rate is nearly zero – this is really unheard of not only at a machine shop but any type of business,” says Localio.

An environment that makes you happy to go to work. We have created an environment that breeds quality, cleanliness and organization. I am blessed to have such an awesome group of tenacious, hard working, loyal, interested, no-ego visionary employees. ‘The bigger the dream, the more important the team.

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