Recommend a head and cam combo for my ‘95 5.0?

95SN95 · Jan 8, 2025

One thing leads to another. I’m frustrated so please excuse me if I ramble a bit. I snapped two of the lower intake bolts in the stock E7 heads while upgrading my intake. After unsuccessfully fighting the past week to get those bolts out I now need to pull the heads to bring to a shop to remove the snapped ez-outs from the snapped bolts in a set of E7 heads that I don’t want to put any money into. My next update was going to be a set of heads so might as well change them out now

Besides the intake and 3.73 gears, the engine is stock. Exhaust is stock from the cats forward and upgraded to Flowmasters from cats back. No plans for supercharging or turbo’ing in the future. I’d like to bump up the compression if possible but do not want to have to notch the stock pistons. Also would like to go aluminum to take some weight out.

Any of you have a head and cam combo that you can recommend?

96blak54 · Jan 8, 2025

Id suggest any quality name brand head with excellent reputation.....but i dont know crap. Someone will chime in with great advice

duh09 · Jan 8, 2025

What's your goals and what's your budget? Are you planning to keep the stock intake?

95SN95 · Jan 8, 2025

duh09 said:
What's your goals and what's your budget? Are you planning to keep the stock intake?

Intake is upgraded to a Typhoon.

95SN95 · Jan 8, 2025

duh09 said:
What's your goals and what's your budget? Are you planning to keep the stock intake?

Intake is upgraded to a cleaned up Typhoon. No plans to boost. This is a fun weekend run around in car. Budget for heads is under $2k.

ttocs · Jan 9, 2025

I have never had a problem with my trickflow heads and been happy with the stage 1 cam by them as well.

RAU03MACH · Jan 9, 2025

there are many good aluminum heads out there not all are cheap
i would get new anyways fresh start 1200-2400 bucks
or you could get a used set reasonably cheap ebay or something like that 800-1000
send them to a machine shop 300 to inspect
something to think over on that right now the market and prices is crazy with after market auto parts
just the ford fx-2 heads set me back 2400
many different budgets out there

Mustang5L5 · Jan 9, 2025

95SN95 said:
Budget for heads is under $2k.

Does that budget also include supporting items like stud mount rockers, pushrods, etc?

I love my Trick Flow 170's, but scope creep will make this an expensive project. I started my engine project with GT40P heads, and scrapped those and went a bit overboard.

I don't even think i'd buy the 170's again and instead would step up to the 11R's.

I had a TFS stage 1 cam but at the last minute I ended up selling that and getting an Ed Curtis FTI custom grind cam.

joemomma · Jan 15, 2025

I think the current hotness is the TF 11R for heads. You'll also need to budget for pushrods, and while you're in there, new lifters and a new timing set. There are several good cams available now, all around the same money. Anderson, Ed Curtis custom, TF, Comp, etc.

95opal · Jan 16, 2025

95SN95 said:
Intake is upgraded to a cleaned up Typhoon. No plans to boost. This is a fun weekend run around in car. Budget for heads is under $2k.

With that budget you will need to shop used. 11rs are about $2300 new. I would look into AFR enforcer heads they may not be aluminum but they will do the job your looking for. Also don't forget $ gaskets rockers pushrods ect ect. It adds up quick and with a 2k budget id recommended fixing the head you have and save some cash.

duh09 · Jan 16, 2025

95opal said:
With that budget you will need to shop used. 11rs are about $2300 new. I would look into AFR enforcer heads they may not be aluminum but they will do the job your looking for. Also don't forget $ gaskets rockers pushrods ect ect. It adds up quick and with a 2k budget id recommended fixing the head you have and save some cash.

The enforcer’s are Aluminum. That’s what I got for my shitbox.