Why is it I see people talking about buying high compression pistons for hundreds of dollars when you can simply have the head cut for a fraction of the cost?.....is there something I am missing?

 

I think it's just that people are a little uneasy about making a mod where you cannot go back, such as "cutting" or "shaving" the head. It's usuallyno worrieswhen changing the pistons. Plus,it provides an opportunity to look at the condition of the internals.

 

you do realize if you mill the head to achieve compression numbers that new pistons achieve you really have to worry about your timing belt not really sitting right? You will throw off timing if you mill that much off, just get the pistons.

 

Well put. When you shave the head, it moves the cam gear(s) closer to the crankshaft. This tiny distance will change the timing a little. If you have adjustable cam gears, you can adjust them to make up for the difference.

 

the only time i would recommend shaving a head is if its warped. After its shaved thats it, pistons you change anytime and even stroke your motor and can always go back to stock