Installing TFS Heads on an SN95 - HELP!

XR1stang · 05-20-2002, 12:17 PM

Ok folks. I'm about to install some TFS heads on a 94 GT and I have never done this before. Is there a tech article somewhere that covers this? Are there any hints that you can give me? Anything that I need to worry about?

The stuff that's going on this car are as follows:

TFS Stage II heads
1.6 FMS roller rockers
FMS unequal length shorties (ceramic)
TFS tall valve covers
1" phenolic spacer
TFS Street Heat Intake

Now I have installed valve covers, intakes, spacers, and even headers before, but I have never done the rockers or heads. I'm probably going to need a lot of advice, and I figured why not turn to you guys

The heads didn't come with ANY instructions, although I did go to www.trickflow.com and printed out their installation directions.

So, anyone care to try to help me on this?

drudis · 05-20-2002, 02:38 PM

I just got done with this job (FINALLY!!!).
http://www.dariusrudis.com/mustang/new_engine

TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS of the vacuum lines!
Do a search in the archives for rocker adjusting.
Look over my parts order, and be ready for $$$ getting all the nickel/dime stuff.

sn95gt19 · 05-20-2002, 02:52 PM

i dont know if you have thought of this yet but if your using the intake spacer, you will need to get a bigger hood, i tried using a 1inch spacer with my 95gt and it didnt even come close with my edelbrock intake, one thing that i had a real hard time with was getting the accessories off the heads. in order to get the power steering pump off you have to get the pulley off(next to impossible on mine) then you have to get all the bolts off that hold the brackets on (another P.I.A) but it will all be worth it in the end(KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT) GOOD LUCK

XR1stang · 05-20-2002, 03:15 PM

LOL, yeah I already have another hood on the car in preperation to installing the heads and spacer

I took a look at the site you provided drudis, and have made notes for the extra parts. A lot of the incidentals I already have, but there were a couple that I don't have just yet. Also thanks for the suggestion about taking pictures of the vaccuum hoses, a digital camera will come in handy for this I'm sure.

XR1stang

Grn92LX · 05-20-2002, 10:14 PM

I see a little mismatch in your combo. Why the #2 cam, w/ a 1" spacer on a street intake? The #2 cam is more of a upper rpm cam, why not use the track heat or a smaller cam like the #1 cam? I think the stage 1 cam would be better.

I just reset my roller rockers on my TFS TW heads. I had to do it 3 times to get it right, what a pita. I never did anything like that before but I decided to try it myself. It is very tedious work. I set mine using the firing order method and went 1/2 turn after 0 lash. They were 1 turn after 0 lash by my buddy who installed them, but I wanted to loosen them cause it "should" make more power when looser. I'm hoping to hot the track Wed night and see if the looser rr's made a difference. I would like 109 trap speeds

XR1stang · 05-20-2002, 10:21 PM

err I assume you aren't talking to me on this. I am not doing a cam at this point, because I'm just not going to have time to do one.

I plan on doing an Ed Curtis cam at some point in the mid future though, but that will be after I get the money to finish my stroker that I'm about half way through.

So for now it's all the stock cam for me

XR1stang

Grn92LX · 05-20-2002, 10:57 PM

Oops, I misread your post. I thought it said stage 2 cam, but its stage 2 heads. Still an overkill for now, but I guess you have the future in mind. You could always swap to the track heat upper when you do the stroker. My advice is still the same, setting the rr's is very tedious.

XR1stang · 05-20-2002, 11:01 PM

hehehe, no worries.

so where did you find the info on setting the RR's? I didn't see too much information about that in the TFS installation instructions.

The only reason I got the stage II heads is because I got an outstanding deal on them

The original plan was that the heads were not going to go on until I got the stroker finished, but due to a HUGE financial strain I'm having to go ahead and do the heads now. I have most of the stuff, just need connecting rods and pistons. I have literally everything else to do the stroker. Oh well... what is one to do when finances dictate otherwise?

XR1stang

Grn92LX · 05-20-2002, 11:30 PM

I used this link after reading it over a few times to fully understand it. The thing that was hard was finding exactly what 0 lash was. I made a thread on corral and some said that 0 lash was when you first feel a hint of resistance on the pushrod. So the first time I did it, I went by that, as soon as I felt resistance I went a 1/2 turn more and locked the nut. Well, after I thought I was finished I started the car up and got what sounded like a major rod knock. It was loud and obviously I did it wrong. I was also told by someone on another thread that they found 0 lash by spinning the pushrod until it could no be spun anymore or just barely spun, then go another 1/2 turn. This is how I did it the 3rd time and it went good. Finally the third time was a charm and I set them right. I was happy cause I did it myself and I learned something. In the link you wll see that they go 1/4 turn, but most everyone will say go 1/2 turn.

http://www.totalengineairflow.com/tech/valvelashing.htm

05-20-2002, 02:52 PM	#3
sn95gt19 motors done......woohooo Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 799	i dont know if you have thought of this yet but if your using the intake spacer, you will need to get a bigger hood, i tried using a 1inch spacer with my 95gt and it didnt even come close with my edelbrock intake, one thing that i had a real hard time with was getting the accessories off the heads. in order to get the power steering pump off you have to get the pulley off(next to impossible on mine) then you have to get all the bolts off that hold the brackets on (another P.I.A) but it will all be worth it in the end(KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT) GOOD LUCK __________________ 95gt lazer red (98 cobra clone) Rice Haters Club Member #116

05-20-2002, 10:14 PM	#5
Grn92LX Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 55	I see a little mismatch in your combo. Why the #2 cam, w/ a 1" spacer on a street intake? The #2 cam is more of a upper rpm cam, why not use the track heat or a smaller cam like the #1 cam? I think the stage 1 cam would be better. I just reset my roller rockers on my TFS TW heads. I had to do it 3 times to get it right, what a pita. I never did anything like that before but I decided to try it myself. It is very tedious work. I set mine using the firing order method and went 1/2 turn after 0 lash. They were 1 turn after 0 lash by my buddy who installed them, but I wanted to loosen them cause it "should" make more power when looser. I'm hoping to hot the track Wed night and see if the looser rr's made a difference. I would like 109 trap speeds __________________ TFS heads/FTI custom cam/TFS street heat, Longtubes, 373's, MM lca's, Tokico springs/shocks

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05-20-2002, 12:17 PM	#1
XR1stang Registered Member Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 205	Installing TFS Heads on an SN95 - HELP! Ok folks. I'm about to install some TFS heads on a 94 GT and I have never done this before. Is there a tech article somewhere that covers this? Are there any hints that you can give me? Anything that I need to worry about? The stuff that's going on this car are as follows: TFS Stage II heads 1.6 FMS roller rockers FMS unequal length shorties (ceramic) TFS tall valve covers 1" phenolic spacer TFS Street Heat Intake Now I have installed valve covers, intakes, spacers, and even headers before, but I have never done the rockers or heads. I'm probably going to need a lot of advice, and I figured why not turn to you guys The heads didn't come with ANY instructions, although I did go to www.trickflow.com and printed out their installation directions. So, anyone care to try to help me on this? __________________ I used to hate computers, until the server went down on me...

05-20-2002, 02:38 PM	#2
drudis Moderator Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Livonia, MI, USA Posts: 1,194	I just got done with this job (FINALLY!!!). http://www.dariusrudis.com/mustang/new_engine TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS of the vacuum lines! Do a search in the archives for rocker adjusting. Look over my parts order, and be ready for $$$ getting all the nickel/dime stuff.

05-20-2002, 03:15 PM	#4
XR1stang Registered Member Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 205	LOL, yeah I already have another hood on the car in preperation to installing the heads and spacer I took a look at the site you provided drudis, and have made notes for the extra parts. A lot of the incidentals I already have, but there were a couple that I don't have just yet. Also thanks for the suggestion about taking pictures of the vaccuum hoses, a digital camera will come in handy for this I'm sure. XR1stang

05-20-2002, 10:21 PM	#6
XR1stang Registered Member Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 205	err I assume you aren't talking to me on this. I am not doing a cam at this point, because I'm just not going to have time to do one. I plan on doing an Ed Curtis cam at some point in the mid future though, but that will be after I get the money to finish my stroker that I'm about half way through. So for now it's all the stock cam for me XR1stang

05-20-2002, 10:57 PM	#7
Grn92LX Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 55	Oops, I misread your post. I thought it said stage 2 cam, but its stage 2 heads. Still an overkill for now, but I guess you have the future in mind. You could always swap to the track heat upper when you do the stroker. My advice is still the same, setting the rr's is very tedious.

05-20-2002, 11:01 PM	#8
XR1stang Registered Member Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 205	hehehe, no worries. so where did you find the info on setting the RR's? I didn't see too much information about that in the TFS installation instructions. The only reason I got the stage II heads is because I got an outstanding deal on them The original plan was that the heads were not going to go on until I got the stroker finished, but due to a HUGE financial strain I'm having to go ahead and do the heads now. I have most of the stuff, just need connecting rods and pistons. I have literally everything else to do the stroker. Oh well... what is one to do when finances dictate otherwise? XR1stang

05-20-2002, 11:30 PM	#9
Grn92LX Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 55	I used this link after reading it over a few times to fully understand it. The thing that was hard was finding exactly what 0 lash was. I made a thread on corral and some said that 0 lash was when you first feel a hint of resistance on the pushrod. So the first time I did it, I went by that, as soon as I felt resistance I went a 1/2 turn more and locked the nut. Well, after I thought I was finished I started the car up and got what sounded like a major rod knock. It was loud and obviously I did it wrong. I was also told by someone on another thread that they found 0 lash by spinning the pushrod until it could no be spun anymore or just barely spun, then go another 1/2 turn. This is how I did it the 3rd time and it went good. Finally the third time was a charm and I set them right. I was happy cause I did it myself and I learned something. In the link you wll see that they go 1/4 turn, but most everyone will say go 1/2 turn. http://www.totalengineairflow.com/tech/valvelashing.htm