Please Help me select the right heads!?!

[Blaster]

The time has come and I am going to buy new heads next week for my 91GT at present all I have is pulleys, 1 5/8 Macs, and 3.55's. My friends say heads are my best bang for the buck over intake etc. so I'll wait till next year. I'm running the stock cam and want a nice set of good flowing heads to work with it. emissions is not an issue so should it be the 1.60/1.90 #6022 edelbrocks or the 1.60/2.02 Trick Flows. I've heard the TFS make more power but are harder to install with lesser quality. But I like the idea of the 2.02 intake. I just want the heads this year and will probably always want the stock cam becuase it's a daily driver with minemal strip use. I would also like to keep my present headers. Help me choose!!!!

[Dark Knight]

with a basically stock engine, you dont need the 2.02 heads.. overkill.. edelbrocks or if you can afford the AFR's...'course I have the AFR's so I prefer them.. but I put 255rwhp with the stock cam, 1.7's, stock headers... and a crappy performer 4v intake.. my goal is 300 RWHP with the stock cam.. heheh

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84 convt,'95 302,AFR's, performer
3.55's, underdrives stock shorties
stock cam, 1.7's
14.06@100.21, 255RWHP on a hot day
265 on the mph/weight chart

[TheSloAod]

AFR 2.02s, but you should spend the extra $$ and put in a cam and intake while you are putting the heads on

[jimberg]

I agree with, TheSloAod. You should get a combo of heads and a cam. As long as you have the car that far apart, a cam should be fairly easy to install.

TFS quality issues are BS at this point. They had some problems a long time ago, but that is no longer an issue. As far as them being harder to install, how could it be any easier?

Whatever you choose, plan to stick to a single manufacturer for your heads and intake. They are usually port matched out of the box and will give you better flow than going with a bunch of different manufacturers.

I have the TFS TW heads and a GT-40 intake. If I were to do it all over again, I would still keep the TFS heads and would buy the TFS intake. In my case, the 351 intake. TFS also has cams designed to go with the intake and heads.

Whatever manufacturer you choose, you could probably contact them and tell them what you are shooting for and they can give you a good plan to hit that target.

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351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

[86GT]

If you go with Edelbrocks you'll need the 6037's, as they use the stock rocker arms, 1.90/1.60's and are emissions legal. They are great quality, and are a direct replacement. I've got a set of 6032's on my combo (slightly cleaned up ports/chamber), but that's what I wanted. TFS TW heads require different pushrods, but don't base your decision solely on that.

If you plan on doing the cam and intake in the future, I'd plan your heads to complement the intake and cam you'll use in the future. That way you're not going to be disappointed when that stuff is done.

[jimberg]

You probably want heads with stud mount rockers. They're stronger and a lot easier to setup.

Doing heads the right way really does start to add up. You should do the cam, as already discussed, but doing so, you should also get some roller rockers,new hydraulic roller lifters, and new push rods.

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351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

[Skyman]

The TFS heads are the best, will make more power, and only require a different pushrod, and rockers. They cost less than the edelbrock so that will offset the pushrod cost. If you dont want to do the cam now, I say skip it. If your on a real budget go with an explorer intake, makes about the same HP as the Edelbrock in this application for a lot less money. Do the Intake/Heads together, the cam is the least of restrictions. If you plan on keeping the stock cam then 1.7 rockers will help you there.

Skyler

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-1989 Saleen Mustang #406- TFS Heads, E-303, edelbrock intake,70MM TB, 73mm MAF, off road H, headers and 3chamber flows.
12.55@107mph
Going for 11's on 87 octane with A/C and 20+MPG!!!

[Mike_W]

I'm surprized no one mentioned excessive valve guide wear on the Twisted Wedge Heads. I learned this after 18,000 miles, but even John Vermeesch(Total Performance,FRPP hotline) was surprized that I got that many miles out of them before having to replace them. If I had to do it over, Canfield or Victor Jr., maybe even A.F.S.. I think get what you need, then get a little bigger (port size, valve size) for future(nitrous, blower, 351, stroker or all).

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90LX, T-5, Vortech V2-SQ, Holley, Twisted Wedge Stage1, X-303

[jimberg]

Valve guide wear was a problem a long time ago. It is no longer a problem. This is the the problem I was referring to.



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351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

[Unit 5302]

The Twisted Wedge heads are better than the Edelbrocks for flow, everywhere.

Like Skyman said, the Explorer intake is a cheap intake you can pick up for around $200, used. It uses the exact same lower as the Cobra and GT-40, with nearly the same upper as the Cobra as well. Otherwise, you could probably get a used Cobra for around $250. Plan on a bigger throttle body if you step up to the Cobra intake. It was really made for the 65mm unit.

Although, for another $150 over the Cobra, you could have a new TFS intake.

[HAITHAM]

TFS.


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94 COBRA # 926/5009
TFS track heat heads (ported), Cobra intake (ported), 24# Injectors, 3/8" Phenolic spacer, E303 Cam, TFS 1.7 rr
BBK 1 5/8" headers, BBK 65mm TB, Pro-M 80mm MAS, PIH kit w/ A9L computer, FMS 3.55 ratio
BBK 190 lph fuel pump, Paxton fpr, MSD'S, March Pulley's, Pro-5 tower power shifter, Autometer shift light (5600),
Intellitronix Air/Fuel gauge, Eibach Sportline Springs, Tokico 5-way adjustable, Granatelli Motorsport Subframe

[Mach 1]

wow, what a bunch of strange advice? Trick flow the best heads? I wouldnt go there, especially for your application. You want a mild combo with the stock cam, you want a quality, easy to install, inexpensive, good street head. sounds like edelbrock 6037;s to me. stud mount rockers easier to set up? I disagree. And its adds to the cost, which you dont want from the sounds of it. You dont need stud mount rockers for your combination, and dont need the added expense of hardened pushrods and guideplates.

i would recommend the edel heads for a mild, high quality street head along with some 1.7 rockers if you plan on keeping stock cam. that will be reliable, less expensive, and fit what you want. Explorer intake is weak compared to the cobra. the cobra intake flow numbers match the edel 1.90 heads very close and make a nice combination.

[jimberg]

It sounds to me like he wants to get as much power as he can in the future and wants to develop a good plan to get there.

Stud mount rockers do not even require as much as a feeler gauge to install. They're much easier, not to mention stronger. If he doesn't want stud mount rockers, it pretty much eliminates TFS heads anyway since they only make heads for stud mount rockers. They used to support stock rockers and you may be able to find an old set, but then you might get a set with the bad valve guides.

TFS heads come with the guideplates, but not the push rods.

An E303 cam is just fine for street use and is emissions legal. To really benefit from heads or an intake, you really need a different cam. Whoever you choose as a manufacturer for your stuff, it's a good idea to tell them what you're after and get a recommendation from them as far as cams.

There is no reason to stick with the stock cam for driveability. There are a lot of performance cams that provide excellent power and excellent driveability attributes.

If the budget is really tight, then I would suggest just getting the intake at this point. You won't get as much power, but you probably wouldn't get much power with just heads, either. You don't have to tear the engine down as much to install an intake, either.

Doing the heads, cam, and rockers all at the same time is easy since you have to disassemble a lot to just do the heads. It's just a lot you have to pay for at once. It will give you a good start, though, and will give you the most potential as far as performance.

The most important thing to do is to make a plan for where you want to go and the work involved to get there. It would help if you asked some more questions, though.

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351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

[Mach 1]

"and will probably always want the stock cam becuase it's a daily driver with minemal strip use."

"It sounds to me like he wants to get as much power as he can in the future and wants to develop a good plan to get there."

Doesnt sound to me like someone sticking with the stock cam wants as much power as he can in the future?

Yes, stud mount rockers are stronger, but completely unnecesary for his plans. Pedestal mount work great up to the higher horsepower numbers, which he will never see.

to install an intake now, then tear it off again when you put heads on in a year doesnt seem like the easiest way to do things. Put the heads on first, then when you add your new intake, the heads stay right where they are, you dont even have to mess with your valvetrain. This is why i suggested the heads and roller rockers as your sttarting point. And heads should give you more power alone than an intake alone.

To jump into heads at first though is really not a good plan anyway. Why dont you start with bigger maf meter, 65mm TB, then do the heads and intake at the same time.

[Mach 1]

"and will probably always want the stock cam becuase it's a daily driver with minemal strip use."

"It sounds to me like he wants to get as much power as he can in the future and wants to develop a good plan to get there."

Doesnt sound to me like someone sticking with the stock cam wants as much power as he can in the future?

Yes, stud mount rockers are stronger, but completely unnecesary for his plans. Pedestal mount work great up to the higher horsepower numbers, which he will never see.

to install an intake now, then tear it off again when you put heads on in a year doesnt seem like the easiest way to do things. Put the heads on first, then when you add your new intake, the heads stay right where they are, you dont even have to mess with your valvetrain. This is why i suggested the heads and roller rockers as your sttarting point. And heads should give you more power alone than an intake alone.

To jump into heads at first though is really not a good plan anyway. Why dont you start with bigger maf meter, 65mm TB, then do the heads and intake at the same time.

[jimberg]

"My friends say heads are my best bang for the buck over intake"

This, to me, implies that he wants to make as much power as he can with as little money as he can. Heads are a huge step toward wanting to make big power. It would be nice if he got back to us and commented a little more on what he is really after. There are some assumptions that he made that are incorrect. e.g. That he should keep his stock cam for driveability reasons. The cam is the heart of the engine. If you don't have a good heart, nothing else matters.

For the same cost as the heads (Good set is about $1200), he could get an intake ( $395 for TFS ), a 65mm TB ($175), EGR plate ($55 He could skip this since emissions is not an issue), and a 73mm MAF meter ($125). $750 so far. That leaves him an additional $450 for 2 1/2" off-road H-Pipe ($159) or X-pipe ($200) and a cat-back for about ($250).

At this point he would have taken care of all the exhaust and intake stuff. He should probably hold off on installing the exhaust until he gets the new heads. Next year, he could get the heads ($1200), cam ($150-$200), 1.6 RRs ($240), pushrods ($100), hydraulic roller lifters ($110), and studs ($25). Then he's all set with an additional $1825-$1875. Let's make it an even $2000 since he'll probably need a FPR to boost his pressure some.

It'll probably cost him a total of about $3500 (There's stuff like gaskets and fluids that runs it up another $300) to have a pretty powerful, driveable engine.

Since doing the heads without doing the cam and the other related stuff is a waste of time, I suggested he do the intake first. This doesn't involve having to remove accesseries. It's also good practice for the much bigger job of doing the heads. We all know that it's at least twice as easy to do the second time around.

If indeed, he doesn't really want to make big power, he may just want to get his stock heads ported and his intake extrude honed and then add the 1.7 rrs.



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351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible