I'm curious, what are some tricks for getting the most out of your engine? I'm talking about things most people wouldn't think of, like knife edging the crank to reduce friction in the oil pan.
index the plugs
open the bearing clearances up .005"
tighten up or loosen up the valve lash if you are running a mechanical cam
synthetic lubricant
adjust drum brakes shoes to where they just touch the drums
set your timing between 10 and 14 degrees initial
get your mechanical advance all in by 3000 rpm, and taylor the advance curve to your engine's needs
a lighter flywheel will allow the engine to rev freer
same with a lighter clutch
lighter weight oil, instead of 10w30, use 5w or even 0w20
use a low tension piston ring
lighter valves
lightweight pushrods
There are entire books on the subject! Many were written before good heads were available. Some of the things done in the "pre good head days" were bandaids for poor ports and cumbustion chambers. Cams needed different profiles to fill a cylinder with restrictive ports. Long rods were used to help also. With modern aluminum heads, long rods and indexing plugs are hardly worth the effort. Everything matters and has an affect on everything else.