Aluminum Heads Expected Gains

GameCock5.0

Active Member
Jan 14, 2012
130
4
28
North Carolina
I am in the process of buying a '93 GT from a member on here now. It has a 306 shortblock, GT40 heads and intake, with a F-303 cam. Has intake spacer, hydraulic lifters, Ford racing pushrods, h-pipe, and flowmasters. Not really wanting to do a bunch to the car right now, just bump it up a little more than what it currently is. I've found a few different sets of aluminum heads for sale and was just wondering how each set would do with this current setup. I would end up porting and polishing the intake, and upgrading to 24# injectors as well. Now, on to the heads

-AFR 185's

-Dart 195's

-TF Track Heat Twisted Wedge (heavily massaged and what i'm leaning towards)

Just wondering is the gains I would see with each set is worth the swap, compared to the GT40's currently on it. And also how compatible each set is with the F cam and intake. Any and all insight would be helpful guys. Thanks!
 
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The heads will def. be better than the GT40's, as per how it will run with the intake and cam, I wouldn't know haha. I can tell you the they will be your restricting points and will not give you the full potential the heads have to offer without the matching componets.
 
End goals should determine your choices...how massaged are the TWs, and who did them? I'd venture to say ID89GT is right though...there are better cams available-especially with those heads. The F will work, but won't get the most out of it.

Something to keep in mind, the TWs will require different length pushrods than stock heads...they probably all do for that matter. What intake are you running? I don't recall seeing it in the post...
 
Many people on here will tell you not to buy second hand ported parts unless you know who/where it was done and there is paperwork to back it up. There is nothing stopping anyone from getting a wild hair and taking a die grinder to a set of heads thinking they are going to "hog 'em out" and trying to sell it as a pro job.

-cam - Since you are just looking to bump up the power, I won't say a custom stick is necessary, but if you spend enough time on here, you learn the letter cams are stone age technology and that there is better out there. Call Comp and tell them what you have and they'll help you out with something they have on the shelves.

The 24# injectors are a great idea, just get a MAF to match. There are used ones for sale cheap everywhere.
 
An honest 50rwhp gain is norm with most aftermarket OTB heads, personally I like the TFS head on a small cube, small bore motor....very efficent!

There is a set for sale in the classifieds that I can vouch for, the recent work was done by Rich Groh of RGR..top notch port work and components and they move a ton of air. Went 10.4 @ 127mph with them on a 10:1comp 310ci motor, 9.3s on a 345ci motor with 14:1 comp.
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-for...race-valve-job-by-ed-curtis-rich-groh.849875/
 
Back in the day I made 237HP / 241TQ with the stock heads and cam. Other mods-Edelbrock Performer Intake, 70MM Throttle Body, Pro-M 77 MAF, Pulley's, 14 degrees of timing, Equal length shorty headers, X-pipe and Flowmaster cat back. I switched to GT40X Aluminum Heads and Crower 15511 Cam with 1.72 rockers. The car dynoed at 289HP / 309TQ. That's a 55HP / 48 TQ gain. I then added a Vortech S-Trim V-1 and it made 455HP.
 
exact numbers is all speculation but you'll feel the power for sure. I would change out the intake and cam as well. Selling the heads, cam and intake will help pay for most of the new set up and you'll be happy you did. I remember my first HCI swap over stock....Whoa!
 
End goals should determine your choices...how massaged are the TWs, and who did them?

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-for...sted-wedge-track-heat-alluminum-heads.851819/
These were the TW heads I was talking about.

I learned my lesson about the GT40's and letter cams on the build i did on my first fox body. Was an 87 Vert and i added GT40P head, E cam, GT40 intake and 1.7 roller rocker. Given it was a significant boost of power over the stock, worn out motor, but it was nowhere near what i was expecting after all my work. with a few hundred extra dollars and the same amount of labor time, i could have had alot more motor for my money.

I haven't heard much about the F cam and was just wondering about its performance limitations with these heads and the current intake.

So I might end up just holding what i have (the guy i bought the car from said this top end has around 2,000 miles on it, and about 40 K on the short block), and wait for a new top end after i have my suspension where i want it. Then maybe some TW Heads, Custom Grind Cam, and good intake with 24 # injectors and matching MAF. With a set of heavily massaged TW heads, and matching cam and intake, i don't see any reason why i shouldn't be close to 300 HP at the wheels. ohh and i'll throw some pics on here of the car. My brother went and picked it up last night since i am currently deployed.

But here is the suspension i am planning on throwing under her.
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_67&products_id=1052

Now comes the hard part. Picking out a name for my new baby lol
 

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Nice ride 0n the exterior, the interior looks dirty or its a shadow. You can't go wrong with the MM stuff, it can pricey but it's good.

You pretty much summed up why I always recommend TW, AFR / Aluminum head over the GT40p stuff people get for cheap. Not saying you can't go fast with those parts but for the amount of work required there is so much better stuff out there. Sure you can port / polish / mill, slap a blower or turbo on those parts. I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about those who are going N/A and strictly use that stuff because of the cheaper price tag. I would recommend AFR 165's or TW 170 heads and custom cam over GT40p stuff with alphabet cam any day.
 
Nice ride 0n the exterior, the interior looks dirty or its a shadow.

I think its just a shadow or the way the fabric on the seat is sittin. ive got alot of other pics of the interior and that is the only one that the seat looks like that. I was mainly showing the dash. I plan on going with some type of aftermarket bucket seats in the future anyways.

You can't go wrong with the MM stuff, it can pricey but it's good.

Yea so ive heard. i'm really more anxious about the suspension than anything. ive been doing alot of research about different suspensions parts, and MM is one of the best ive found. yea, kinda on the pricey side, but if i've learned anything in my car owning days, it is that you get what you pay for.
 
Have you thought about keeping the gt40's and sticking a blower on it? A used blower is pretty cheap these days.

I actually wanted to add a small blower in the future. Not anything pushing 28 psi or anything but something around 5-7 psi would suit me fine. Only thing is that ive never worked with any kind of power adder. i know basically how it works, and what it consist of. but the small details here and there i have no clue.

how long would a 40,000 mile, cast 306 shortblock last with 5-7 psi on it?

Anyone ever run a blower with GT40's and/or a F cam?
 
Tons of people have. I ran a performer intake, world heads, F cam and a S trim at 11 psi it made 475 to the tire with a real safe tune. I am sure with the gt40's at 8 psi or so it would make around 400-420. Do you have head studs? It would last quite a while imo depending on how you treat it. All you would need to support it is 42lb injectors and a matching MAF(which it sounds like you were going to do injectors anyways) a 255 intank and a tune. The cost wouldnt be much more and the reward is much more.
 
And running 7-8 psi, with cast internals on a stock block, as a daily driver that will see the track one or two weekends out of the month, can i trust it to hold up to the boost?

And from looking at it, all this could probably be done with less than about $2,500 shouldn't it?
 
I ran an S-trim on top of GT40s on a blueprinted stock 5.0 bottom end with a Lunati 51014 cam...actually smaller than an F, but a split pattern and with the 1.7 rockers, put the lift up to .540" range.

Ran great...

edit: I don't endorse the idea of running cast pistons with boost, but I know there are people who do it...but, here's the problem-if you run 5-7psi, you'll get a wild hair one day for a little bit more...if you think you won't, you're only fooling yourself.