Need new heads...Any recommendations?

mike93lx · May 3, 2008

So my Twisted Wedge heads are fubar and need to be replaced. The only salvageable items are the triple valve springs and titanium retainers.

I am considering:

AFR185
Victor Jr.
FPS Avenger
Twisted Wedge

The only other changes to what is listed in my signature is that I will be putting the stock cam back in for better street manners and in anticipation for a turbo next year and the flowmasters are being swapped for Magnaflow or Dynomax.

I would like these to be the last 5.0 heads that I buy, so some room to grow would be nice. Cost is a consideration but not the end-all.

What would you get?

347HO · May 3, 2008

If you do not get the new version Canfield 195s, IMO you'll be wasting your money. The best shop I've found to buy cylinder heads is Camshaft Innovations... believe it or not.
I also know a custom camshaft will give you considerable power gains across the band N/A or on boost.

5spd GT · May 3, 2008

I like the new AFR 185cc heads.

Now, you do have an 8.5:1 compression 306. What are your goals? RPM demanded?

Either of the cylinder heads mentioned will likely put you where you want to go.

superstroke17 · May 3, 2008

I've heard good things about afr. That'd be my route. I used systemax heads on my 306 and they make great power also.JMO

mike93lx · May 3, 2008

thanks guys. the 8.5:1 is an estimate. I will be measuring my piston dish a little later and will see how good of an estimate that was.

no rpm goals. I was thinking I'd probably keep it under 6000rpm with the turbo. I'm looking for somewhere between 500 and 550ish rwhp once I turbo. For now, I want a pretty fast car that is both fun and easy to drive on the street. I miss how driveable the stock motor was.

i'll definitely look at the canfields, thanks.

mike93lx · May 3, 2008

well, my pistons have a 12cc dish, so it looks like I am around 8.6 to 1 with 60cc heads, which I think is a good place to be.

Foxfan88 · May 3, 2008

so the heads that you posted pics of were messed up or did you run them and something happened??

the AFRs are a NICE NICE head, quality is great and people make alot of power with them.

the only thing that sort of bothers me about them is since they are CNC ported out of box, it doesnt seem like you can really do much to them to have them grow/get ported etc. i bet you can pick up some but not too much i would imagine.

wheras the TW heads flow great out of box and i have heard of people getting some killer flow out of them with some porting.

i love my TWs on my car and they just seem like a super nice head for the money.

mike93lx · May 3, 2008

they are messed up. valve job was dont poorly, 8 valves are no good, and they've already been decked. basically, I could keep the springs, retainers, 8 valves. I think I am going to buy assembled heads and get the springs off the old heads tested. If they are way better, I'll swap them and the titanium retainers out, but will probably just leave it all along because I am going to be running the stock cam.

I'm not too worried about future porting capabilities. I don't expect to ever outgrow what the 185's can do for me in this car.

Do you think I'll have the PTV clearance for the AFR's? obviously the TW's clear, but I know the valve geomoetry is different.

Foxfan88 · May 3, 2008

if your running stock pistons generally people get into problems with the AFR 185s with their 2.02 valves, they are inline and not canted, which helps clearance some. not sure on the valve angles on the 185s but i am guessing they are differenent than the TFS heads. may be closer to stock angles (20*) someone will need to chime in for exact info

the TW are different have the vavles rotated (canted) and the angles are steeper to create the clearance need for stock pistons, which is a good selling point IMO

but the only way to tell is to check, there are some variables. alot stock engines are know to have way different differences in the pistons deck height, some being deeper in the hole at TDC than others etc. which affects PTV greatly.

Fast63 · May 3, 2008

I would take a look at trick flow's CNC twisted wedge heads

http://www.trickflow.com/egnsearch....4294867081+4294867010+115+303946&autoview=sku

I said some flowbench results in an article once, and they flow a LOT. I imagine if I ever owned some, I would never get rid of them.

347HO · May 3, 2008

Just so we all "know"... TFS TW's are in fact "inline" cylinder heads.

95 Bullitt · May 3, 2008

Ed Curtis made 375 RWHP with AFR 185's, Systemax II Intake, and his cam design.

It's a proven power maker combo. Talk to Ed - he'll show ya the way

Obviously he had a little more compression though..heh.

347HO · May 4, 2008

95 Bullitt said:
Ed Curtis made 375 RWHP with AFR 185's, Systemax II Intake, and his cam design.

It's a proven power maker combo. Talk to Ed - he'll show ya the way

Obviously he had a little more compression though..heh.

What does "YOUR" engine put to the wheels?

5spd GT · May 4, 2008

Easy Dana, there is no need for that. That is just asking for trouble and you know it...

I am sure you have used other examples to try to prove a point.

Gee, my 302 was in the "300 RWHP" range, but I was completely happy with the results.

Power is not everything.

Foxfan88 · May 4, 2008

347HO said:
Just so we all "know"... TFS TW's are in fact "inline" cylinder heads.

what are you meaning exactly when you say inline?
my TWs valve are not all lined up like most heads, you look down the head and the valves are not straight, they zig zag...
i dont know if you are meaning something else when you say inline?

Grn92LX · May 4, 2008

95 Bullitt said:
Ed Curtis made 375 RWHP with AFR 185's, Systemax II Intake, and his cam design.

On what?

Mike93, i'd get prices to fix your TW heads. It'll end up costing less then buying new ones and sing the TW heads as a door stop. I had mine fully freshened last summer locally.

mike93lx · May 4, 2008

THe pistons aren't stock. it's .030" over and they have a 12cc dish, including valve reliefs cut for the TW heads (I'm assuming as they are not inline).
The pic below is of my shortblock. The dish is pretty substantial and I measured it at roughly 12cc using a syringe.

As far as repairing the heads I have, it would be approximately $600-800. It would make more sense to buy bare heads, and build from there, but I am sick of screwing around with this crap and want to just pull heads from a box and install them on the motor.

I have no chance of making 375 hp with this combo, and I know that. What I have a chance of doing is building a motor that will run on 87 octane, have a lot of low end torque and be fun to drive. just like 5sp gt said, power isn't everything.

Grn92LX · May 4, 2008

mike93lx said:
and want to just pull heads from a box and install them on the motor.

Unfortunatly its not always that simple. You still need to do the valve springs and have them set at the right installed height and then measure for pushrods.

If thats the quote you got from a good shop, i'd fix them. Its going to cost double that for new heads and springs/pushrods. Then you're left with twisted wedge boat anchors that no ones going to buy.

mike93lx · May 4, 2008

Grn92LX said:
Unfortunatly its not always that simple. You still need to do the valve springs and have them set at the right installed height and then measure for pushrods.

If thats the quote you got from a good shop, i'd fix them. Its going to cost double that for new heads and springs/pushrods. Then you're left with twisted wedge boat anchors that no ones going to buy.

That quote was from Trick Flow. To be completely honest, I want nothing to do with these heads and the history behind them. The most I will resue from these heads are the spring and retainers. The castings are not worth salvaging to me. plus I'll have something else to mount on the wall in Man Town.

Assembled heads come with springs, and they are already installed. I'm not sure where you are getting that they will need to be bought separately and installed by me?

New pushrods are a necessary evil in essentially any head install. There is certainly a possibility that I can resue mine, but I am not considering that a part of the cost of buying heads.

5spd GT · May 4, 2008

Time to sell and get some new cylinder heads, looking at your situation.

Need new heads...Any recommendations?

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