Yes,without back to back actual testing there is no way to know for sure what really goes on.On something like a SBC the thousands of comparison tests of various setup shows what's the best bang for the buck.And many time extensive porting increased top end power a bit and destroyed power elsewhere in the powerband.Other than McGurk's 50 year old testing there's little to no reliable real world info.
You can flip over the 235 head and easily see the short comings.You can grind away and increase flow on the bench. But only actual testing on a dyno ,dragstrip or road will tell if it's worthwhile.
