Trick Flow TW heads Vs AFR's???

**John4cam** · 03-02-2009, 08:23 PM

Alright, looking through the gt 40 heads thread I figured this would become a decent conversation and not clutter it up with off topic talk, So??

Which do you like and why?

**George** · 03-02-2009, 08:30 PM

neitheer. brodix!

**cam303** · 03-02-2009, 08:33 PM

I think everyone should run the gt-40's

**John4cam** · 03-02-2009, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by cam303

I think everyone should run the gt-40's

Always a smartass...

**scottyko88** · 03-02-2009, 10:58 PM

I have the street heat kit from trick flow. I like it but I'm never happy with the horsepower in my car.

**HidalgoGT** · 03-02-2009, 08:40 PM

High ports more bang for the buck.

**cam303** · 03-02-2009, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by HidalgoGT

High ports more bang for the buck.

You know it! I know of a 438 c.i. with 225 high ports making over 600 RWHP on 87 pump gas. It is a carbed road race car.

**HidalgoGT** · 03-02-2009, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by cam303

You know it! I know of a 438 c.i. with 225 high ports making over 600 RWHP on 87 pump gas. It is a carbed road race car.

Pretty much what i am going with and supposed to put out like numbers maybe a lil more

**cam303** · 03-02-2009, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by HidalgoGT

Pretty much what i am going with and supposed to put out like numbers maybe a lil more

Should be one hell of a runner!

**TJH64** · 03-02-2009, 09:18 PM

I'm partial to the Canfields myself; 20*, 195 head with .400" raised exhaust ports, 2.06" intake valve, 1.60" exhaust. These things make great power, but fly under the radar, as they do not have the marketing that AFR or Trickflow has.

**Martin0660** · 03-02-2009, 08:44 PM

Esslinger ARCA head :D

**George** · 03-02-2009, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by Martin0660

Esslinger ARCA head :D

sounds like some honda 4 pot head

**turbo83coupe** · 03-03-2009, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Martin0660

Esslinger ARCA head :D

SECOND THAT!! ha

**yeahloh95** · 03-02-2009, 10:13 PM

how bout patriots?

**349Stroker** · 03-02-2009, 11:45 PM

both good heads.I've been a trick flow man for years but bought a set of AFR 205's for this 347 and they seem to work great

All depends also in what you are building.If you are gonna get crazy and build a 400+ cube motor I would get ported high ports.OTS shelf high ports aren't very good but you port them and there isn't much that will beat them

I think that if you are looking at a twisted wedge head OTS or a AFR 185 I'd go 185

**Balaska347** · 03-03-2009, 12:24 AM

Like someone said above it depends what you are building because bigger isn't always better. If you are comparing Trick flow and AFR, you have to compare the twisted wedge that are CNC and the AFR 205's. I think they are so close it probably doesn't matter. I have a OTS twisted wedge non CNC just casted because they didn't have the CNC option yet and the car runs 11 teens on the motor. You could probably say that im happy with them. I would take either one CNC over a casted head any day.

**Pure Stock** · 03-03-2009, 05:00 PM

**wick** · 03-03-2009, 05:21 PM

If you like replacing valve guides, go with AFR, if not, get TW's.

**Killercanary** · 03-03-2009, 08:11 PM

Talk about beating a dead horse... This topic has HOURS worth of reading on other sites with as more information than you could possibly hope to absorb. Both have their strong points and weak points. They are two totally different designs and should be looked at as such.

Originally Posted by wick

If you like replacing valve guides, go with AFR, if not, get TW's.

You can't be serious unless you flipped the brands around by accident. TW almost went under because of their valve guide issues. I've been running AFR's on my '95 since 2000. I've floated and bent valves (due to my own fault, not the head or spring package), etc. and the guides are still perfect. In the '90's countless guys dropped valves from the TW heads and took out their bottom ends. This was a real and serious problem which they claim is resolved. Getting the valvetrain geometry perfect in any setup is crucial, but its even more so with a TW head.

As for why there are weight penalties given to TF heads as mentioned in the other thread its all due to the fact that they are not an inline head, and I'm fairly sure these penalties are only in classes where porting is allowed. Their valve design has benefits over an inline design and in the hands of the correct porter and with the right work they will have an edge on an inline valve designed head like an AFR.

I look at it this way, box stock for box stock, AFR has a better offering on many levels. If you want to spend hundreds if not $1000+ into porting then the TF can have the advantage IF the porter knows what they are doing and this is due to the valve location, not TF in general. Most of us are not willing to spend the money that a TRUE and SKILLED head porter requires to have the TF head done up correctly. I'm not talking about pure flow numbers here either before someone starts rattling off what someone claims they can get out of their ported TF's. I'm talking the entire package, valve train and all. IMO AFR still has the one of the best bang for the buck cylinder heads out there for what you get out of the box.

I went 12.03 at 112mph in my heavy SN95 'vert with AFR 165's, a FTI cam, and an edelbrock performer intake. I then made 380rwhp with this exact same combo with the only changes being a bump in displacement to 331 (8.89:1 compression ratio too), and a switch to a holley systemax II intake and 75mm fox style TB. I then swapped out my AFR 165's for a set of AFR 185's along with adding long tubes, a 3" into 2.5" X pipe, and I had the lower intake ported to equal out the runner flow and I ran a 11.50 at 121mph, again in my Sn95 'vert. My car is as docile as they come. There is absolutely no herky-jerky going on at any RPM. I can lug it around in 5th gear at 1000rpms, lay into it and it just goes. Its doesn't buck, pop, etc. which is partially due to the incredible exhaust scavenging offered by AFR's exhaust design. I'm still running the mild FTI cam that was designed for my stock shortblock combo too with this new 331 combo. I don't feel I would have had these same results with another cylinder head.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_7G9YXU1ag"]YouTube- Killercanary's best passes at the 2008 SSOTN Fall Nationals[/ame]

In the end it all comes down to what the application is, but for a street/strip setup I find the offerings from AFR to be the best out there, especially with their new valve train setups that come stock in their heads. If I was running an 8 second heads up car, I don't know what I'd choose, but most of us are not in this crowd. Do your own research and make your own decision, but when you compare EVERYTHING that you get from an AFR right out of the box, I don't see how you can beat them.