since you want to be an extremist, slap one of the heads on the list on the same engine and see what your gains are. Being better than stock isnt exactly a full on compliment. I look at it this way: a pinto is better than walking by far but there are way better things to drive out there than a pinto. A pinto is cheap and gets the job done.

Saying that it is the best buy for a mild Chevy engine says that yeah there good, but there are better. If you got a mild SBC and budget is a concern, then these might be the heads for you. Though, flow numbers shouldnt be the only qualification of quality cylinder head. Like I said, I haven't used Trickflow but have heard they are junk and I wasnt willing to waste my cash when I was in the market for cylinder heads. If flow and price is all you care about, then I guess they are gold. Hell, they could very well be the best cylinder heads on the planet for a SBC.

So before you reply, I am not going to argue the various cylinder heads out on the market. The guy asked for opinions, that is what he got. My contribution was a comparison from CHP and opinions I heard.

 

The "problems" with the trickflow heads were with the springs on their original "Twisted Wedge" heads for the SBC, the springs were known to fail...often and couldn't handle the lift they said they could.
Since Summit bought them they have dropped he Twisted Wedge for SBC and went to just 23* & 18* heads. These heads perform as good or better than most aftermarket heads (that aren't CNC'ed) and for way less money. Add $300 for the CNC heads and you just upped the performance more.

 

88BlackZ-51 flow tested a non Cnc 23 deg 195 TF head.
If i rememeber, the # were good as advertised if not better.
I have TF 195 heads on my 383. I can't say that these heads are "the best of the world", I can say that I had the option to choice the CNC version, with the "up to .600" lift springs, ready to bolt on at less than 1400. (I had in 4 days delivered to Italy..)
If someone said: "..are junk.." he MUST say the reason.
-Beppe-

 

I add... Bjankusky (I do not remember the exact nickname...) with a 350 hit the 11 sec in the quarter with these heads.
-Beppe-

 

I add also... Where you find a set of heads were the intake ports are E X A C T L Y 1205 felpro ??
When I say exactly I means EXACTLY. (not 1/100 less not 1/100 more than the 1205 gasket.)
-Beppe-

 

Sounds like a good reason to call them junk. But now that Summit has dropped the problem child, I guess these heads are a good replacement for stock heads.

I wasnt aware Trickflow heads could lift 0.600". Interesting.

 

There has been countless dicussions on this topic (including one that I started myself about the Edelbrock L98 heads) and one common thing seems to come from them. The AFR heads are great when you buy them through someone else, not directly through AFR. It seems as thought they are cast with some minor problems and drawbacks. Several guys had mentioned that they got their AFR heads through different shops and were very happy with the updated products.
I can't offer any personal experiance, as I think I am the only guy on the forum running the Edelbrocks.

 

Well you sit here and call them junk and say they are marginally better. Qualify YOUR answer. What do you have to back it up? For what I am looking for in a set of heads this fit the bill.
Now AFR heads on the other hand. Have you read this forum long to see the problems actual members have had with, getting them, oil return issues, porosity issues and final machining? So if your main objective is spending as much money as you can, and waiting all summer for a set of SBC heads to arrive I guess those are they way to go.
The guy asked for opinions and I am giving him a first hand usage opinion, you are going by (what you heard.)

 

I ran a set of twisted flow heads on a mild 383 for over 100,000 miles. I was very happy: Very detonation resistant, good power, good fuel economy. But not the heads in question. But I liked them and so I expect the same quality out of 195's. I compared TF 195 air flow numbers with AFR 195's and they are slightly less but still quite comparable. So I am wondering about the slightly better than stock" rap.

I really dislike comments such as "they are junk" by people who have no experience (at least that they refer to on this forum) who give no explanation. They cheapen this forum and do a disservice to a product they know little or nothing about. Frankly. I discount them as hot air. Over time, there are a number of forum members who's opnions I trust because they nearly always explain "why". Been there, done that, so to speak Others need to give enough facts to gain that level of credibility.

 

Thank you.
Bandwagon bashers do no good for anyone. What, they read a thread about a problem so the entire co. is no good? Get real!

 

I'm currently making 465 rwhp with those "junk" heads using a hydraulic cam.

As received from Trick Flow, your better off spending the money on stock ported heads (which I've made over 450 rwhp using solid rollers). The LT1 head is very good ported and the LT4 is a bit better. If you’re really serious, it appears the Trick Flow head is the current head of choice as after porting/larger valves it appears to be equal to AFR’s and has better oil drainage and cooling capabilities with better quality control.

“Junk” if you don’t know what you’re doing. A gem if you do.

 

Golen Engines uses these now instead of AFR's. I talked to Chad Golen and they make a 396 520 HP LT4 that uses TF 200 intake runner heads, and they are ported by Lloyd Elliott and they flow 290-300cfm.

 

Yep....junk. My junk TF heads are helping me to make around 400 chp and over 400 ft/lbs of torque, all on a flat tappet cam and TPI. <--not stock of course.

 

I've had TFS 23d heads for 5 years on my Xfire. Great heads especially since I paid 750 bucks new. I thought of having them bowl ported but frankly they looked pretty good out of the box.