TFS Twisted Wedge (Track Heat) Heads... Whats the better deal?

[CriticalG]

Need some advice. What do you guys think the better deal is? Are either/any "good" deals?

As cast Twisted Wedge Track Heat Heads, up to .600 lift, comes with copper exhaust gaskets, 1.7 Trick Flow roller rockers, adjusting nuts, heads have been used once. $1000.00 for all o.b.o (no shipping)

-or-

Older TFS twisted wedge heads, No miles on them. Single spring, will hold a 598 cam. No rockers. They have not been on a car. Been port and polished and valve job by Craig Caulk racing heads - flowed 310 on flow bench, 2.02 valves, springs, keepers, need to be put together. (May need rocker studs) $800 + shipping.

-or-

Matching Trickflow Manifold & Plenum with oversized throttle body for maximum flow $350 + Shipping.
Twisted wedge heads with rockers, steel push rods, with crane lifters, 24 lbs injectors and shorty headers $900 + shipping
$1250 + shipping total

Currently running 95 Cobra Upper and Lower Stock.
If the Ported are the best bet, would I be hurting my setup significantly with the lower plenum not being ported? ie - would getting the TFS lower and port matching be a good idea?
Will be running stock cam until I can get a TFS Stage I in there.

Thoughts?
:TY:
G

 

[project94]

i would go with the heat heads. its already got the gaskets, the roller rockers and nuts. by the time you get all that for the TFS heads you'll be close to what you got. and i like the track heat heads. my buddy has them on his 91gt and man do they run!

 

[CriticalG]

Thanks... going to look at those tomorrow.

I think the ported set are track heat too. Not sure about the last set. Are the ported heads worth having? 310 flow (even if its only 295 in reality) would be better than an AFR 185. Is it expensive to have done later? Or do you think it is too much on a stock Cobra motor?

Conflicted... guess there's worse things to be conflicted over. :coolsmiley:

G

 

[project94]

porting makes the holes larger and smoother for better flow. more than likely if they are ported they are also polished.

 

[ScottyDsntKnow]

$800 for a set of quality ported track heats just smells wrong... Be VERY careful.

 

[94Pro-5.0]

$800 for a set of quality ported track heats just smells wrong... Be VERY careful.

i agree. if they are legit snag them up!

 

[CriticalG]

Looks like I'm going with the suggestion from project94... thanks (is it Chris?). Will pick 'em up tomorrow.
$1000 for basically new TW Track Heat heads, dual springs (w/damper) up to .600, TFS 1.7 rockers with adjuster nuts, 2 sets of pushrods, Copper Head and Exhaust gaskets, and 8 autolites (too funny). Now all I need is some ARP head studs and an intake gasket kit and I'm off to the races (so to speak).
Thanks for the input gang. :TY:
G

 

[ScottyDsntKnow]

While the motor is apart you really should just do the cam now. A TFS 1 cam in good shape goes used for $100 or new for under $200. And send that Cobra lower off to Tom Moss to get ported out. Do this all in one shot instead of piecemeal(your original post mentioned waiting on a cam an nothing about modding the intake.

While the stock cobra intake is a good piece it only flows 200 cfm through the lower and will choke the TW heads that can hit over 250cfm at maximum lift. Tom's porting brings the gt40 style lowers up to around 250cfm and they're no longer a restriction. A custom cam would be the best be here too but we're not all made of money. I even decided to go with one of the OTS cams because there are some REALLY good ones out there used for cheap if you look.

 

[CriticalG]

While the motor is apart you really should just do the cam now.

Great info man. I will keep your recommendations handy. Thanks. Unfortunately I haven't gone that far yet... Car is still all put together and I will be doing the heads without the rebuild for now. It'll be fun though when I get a chance...
:TY:
G

 

[LAFENATU]

I am a big fan of AFR, Trick Flow is alright though.

A set of AFR 165's will make more power then a set of twisted wedge heads..


If this is legit, I would jump on this..

Matching Trickflow Manifold & Plenum with oversized throttle body for maximum flow
Twisted wedge heads with rockers, steel push rods, with crane lifters, 24 lbs injectors and shorty headers

$1250 + shipping total

 

[ga94gt]

If cash is not a consern I would look into a set of new Twisted Wedge CNC heads

 

[CriticalG]

Yeah, those CNC's are nice. At $1800+ a set I was a little put off. AFR would be my first choice, but don't want to have to worry about PV clearance right now on stock pistons. So the TW Track Heat got the nod. I'd have to say from everything I've read that the "as cast" twisties flow between the AFR 165's and 185's, but with the CNC they were better than even the 185's (until AFR went and opened up their combustion chamber to 72cc). I can still pick up the manifold u/l and headers (maybe $300-$400), but I already got the TW Track Heat (as cast with 1 run on them) and the 1.7:1 TFS rockers, pushrods, dual springs etc... yesterday. No buyers remorse, but looking at having to do a Smog Delete now too.

Any suggestions on a 95 Cobra smog delete (but keeping the A/C)?
G

 

[ScottyDsntKnow]

Why would you have to do a smog delete? If you're still gonna run cats then you'll want the air pump there to feed the cats. My smog crossover junk is deleted but the air pump is still connected to the cats. I just ran a heater hose from the air pump directly into the cats. I still have the EGR too, don't see any point in deleting it until I do the fox TB and that won't be for awhile.

If you are dead set on deleting it you just remove the pump and all the smog stuff and then run a shorter belt.

 

[LAFENATU]

Yeah, those CNC's are nice. At $1800+ a set I was a little put off. AFR would be my first choice, but don't want to have to worry about PV clearance right now on stock pistons. So the TW Track Heat got the nod. I'd have to say from everything I've read that the "as cast" twisties flow between the AFR 165's and 185's, but with the CNC they were better than even the 185's (until AFR went and opened up their combustion chamber to 72cc). I can still pick up the manifold u/l and headers (maybe $300-$400), but I already got the TW Track Heat (as cast with 1 run on them) and the 1.7:1 TFS rockers, pushrods, dual springs etc... yesterday. No buyers remorse, but looking at having to do a Smog Delete now too.

Any suggestions on a 95 Cobra smog delete (but keeping the A/C)?
G

TFS Track Heats do flow more on the intake..

AFR will make more power though, been proven time and time again. 165's won't have any clearance issues, the 185's will.

 

[ScottyDsntKnow]

185s might and might not. If you hook up with Ed Curtis he can supposedly grind you up a custom cam that'll allow you to run 185s on untouched stock pistons. Its all about duration.

 

[LAFENATU]

Its all about duration.

For the most part, once you get into large amounts of duration ie: 230+ lift becomes a good factor.

avg flow numbers across the board the afrs have at least 20 cfm more on the exhaust side. shit even on the intake the afr is right next to the tfs and the 165 has a smaller intake valve (1.90 vs 2.02)... plus the 165 is a smaller cc head so it bumps the compression a tad. your talking about a full cnc ported head (afr) vs a cast head..

 

[ga94gt]

I chose TW's over AFR's because of their port potential. Either won is a good pick.

 

[ScottyDsntKnow]

Yeah from what I hear the TFS heads have a TON of meat on them and can be ported out to flow great on just about any app.

 

[CriticalG]

Why would you have to do a smog delete? If you're still gonna run cats then you'll want the air pump there to feed the cats. My smog crossover junk is deleted but the air pump is still connected to the cats. I just ran a heater hose from the air pump directly into the cats. I still have the EGR too, don't see any point in deleting it until I do the fox TB and that won't be for awhile.

If you are dead set on deleting it you just remove the pump and all the smog stuff and then run a shorter belt.

Scotty, You got any pictures of that "crossover junk is deleted but the air pump is still connected to the cats" setup? That sounds like what I need to do. G is apparently the one who "DsntKnow"...
Thx!

 

[CriticalG]

I guess it boiled down to being able to find a decent set of TW with most all the components for $1000 locally vs paying $1500 for the basic 185 or 165 head and still needing all the extra junk (+300 to $400 more).
G