Air Flow Research Heads
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Member Since: Nov 2005
Location: Bedford Ma.
Posts: 797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Air Flow Research Heads
Does anyone have any experience with the A.F.R. heads on an LT-1? I have a 96 LT-1 auto and am considering upgrading it with a Comp Cams cam,1.6 r.r.,and A.F.R. heads.(they have 180 runners,2.02/1.60 valves).
#2
Burning Brakes
I just got mine put on. I got them from TPIS ported and polished for $1850. which is cheaper that anywhere else that I could find. I won't be up and running for a while yet as it is a home do it yourself project which I am not rushing. It is a long winter up here anyway.
#3
Racer
Member Since: Dec 2005
Location: Kempner Texas
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by fredk
I just got mine put on. I got them from TPIS ported and polished for $1850. which is cheaper that anywhere else that I could find. I won't be up and running for a while yet as it is a home do it yourself project which I am not rushing. It is a long winter up here anyway.
#4
You'd have to compare their cost and their flow numbers with ported stock heads. Personally I haven't been particularly impressed with AFR's quality. Apparently their QC is a little hit or miss depending on what day of the week it is.
When you're talking about stock LT1 heads it's also very rarely beneficial to go with 2.02 / 1.60 valves over the more easily installed 2.00 / 1.56 valves. You gain a little bit of upper lift flow with them but you give up a lot in the midrange which tends to result in a decreased area under the curve and thus less power. AFR's could be designed slightly differently but I'd have to see the flow numbers first.
When you're talking about stock LT1 heads it's also very rarely beneficial to go with 2.02 / 1.60 valves over the more easily installed 2.00 / 1.56 valves. You gain a little bit of upper lift flow with them but you give up a lot in the midrange which tends to result in a decreased area under the curve and thus less power. AFR's could be designed slightly differently but I'd have to see the flow numbers first.
#6
FWIW I got the AFR flow numbers from their website and plotted them against stock and against my TEA CNC ported stock heads with 2.00/1.56 valves.
Intake is smoother in the mid range, exhaust is quite a bit worse above .500.
All told the numbers don't look terrible by any means, they should make really good power. I'd have to compare the cost of the AFR's vs good ported stock heads before I could make a decision.
Intake is smoother in the mid range, exhaust is quite a bit worse above .500.
All told the numbers don't look terrible by any means, they should make really good power. I'd have to compare the cost of the AFR's vs good ported stock heads before I could make a decision.
#7
Racer
Member Since: Dec 2003
Location: Double Oak TX
Posts: 454
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons
FWIW I got the AFR flow numbers from their website and plotted them against stock and against my TEA CNC ported stock heads with 2.00/1.56 valves.
Intake is smoother in the mid range, exhaust is quite a bit worse above .500.
All told the numbers don't look terrible by any means, they should make really good power. I'd have to compare the cost of the AFR's vs good ported stock heads before I could make a decision.
Intake is smoother in the mid range, exhaust is quite a bit worse above .500.
All told the numbers don't look terrible by any means, they should make really good power. I'd have to compare the cost of the AFR's vs good ported stock heads before I could make a decision.
Not a big fan of AFR.... owned a set of 227's and the heads ran 10-15 degrees hotter and had oil pooling issues. It's my understanding AFR has gotten a fair amount of criticism regarding the oil pooling issue and has corrected it.
Also….. they should be coming out with redesigned heads here pretty soon as they are suppose to be revamping their entire line. All AFR LTx heads are just their regular heads converted to reverse cooling.
I'd wait for the improved ones if I were to buy AFR plus Lloyd Elliott is getting 290 cfm flow from LT1 castings and for the money, that’s pretty damn hard to beat. An aftermarket casting will flow more when ported, but unless your going for full kill……I have the stock casting ported.
#8
Originally Posted by d48mclain
Don't trust the flow numbers on AFR's web site as rarely will they match the heads you purchase. Also..... you must be quoting exhaust flow on your LT1 heads using a pipe to flow them. AFR's will always outflow stock casting on the exhaust and that includes LT4's. No big whoop as the power is on the intake side.
#9
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2002
Location: OBAMA IS HITLER
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
10 Posts
what is the story with this oil pooling issue? is this symptom indicated by a blue cloud of smoke on startup, after sitting for awhile? i'm not talking worn valve seals or guides, i mean brand new AFR heads.......
#10
Team Owner
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
what is the story with this oil pooling issue? is this symptom indicated by a blue cloud of smoke on startup, after sitting for awhile? i'm not talking worn valve seals or guides, i mean brand new AFR heads.......
#11
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2002
Location: OBAMA IS HITLER
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
10 Posts
sounds like its hit or miss. luckily i haven't had any problems with the AFR heads. i bought mine from TPIS, its their AFR/TPIS head. i'll have to check on the oil return passages, whether TPIS had AFR modify them or not. i know the combustion chambers and runners are all based on TPIS' CNC program.
thanks for the info.
thanks for the info.
#12
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
what is the story with this oil pooling issue? is this symptom indicated by a blue cloud of smoke on startup, after sitting for awhile? i'm not talking worn valve seals or guides, i mean brand new AFR heads.......
#13
Melting Slicks
Nathan,
If I'm not mistaken, you have a really good rapport with the TEA guys so I wanted to ask you if TEA has tested AFR heads "out of the box" and what the results were compared to advertised #'s.
If you feel answering this here will put you or TEA in a bad position, feel free of to respond PM or just maybe hint at the results or plead the 5th.
I have their 210's and will get them flow tested as part of my rebuild, I just wanted to be able to compare them to other non-AFR flow tests. I am not trying to stir anything up, this info is solely for personal use to make sure I have accurate results before deciding to/not to spend money in that area.
Thanks
If I'm not mistaken, you have a really good rapport with the TEA guys so I wanted to ask you if TEA has tested AFR heads "out of the box" and what the results were compared to advertised #'s.
If you feel answering this here will put you or TEA in a bad position, feel free of to respond PM or just maybe hint at the results or plead the 5th.
I have their 210's and will get them flow tested as part of my rebuild, I just wanted to be able to compare them to other non-AFR flow tests. I am not trying to stir anything up, this info is solely for personal use to make sure I have accurate results before deciding to/not to spend money in that area.
Thanks
#14
TEA was bought out my Summit Racing and moved to Ohio.
When I actually worked for TEA I had a set of AFR heads come across my bench and I was absolutely not impressed. First they weighed half again what stock heads weigh and the casting quality was poor. Imagine the "front" or "rear" of the head when it's bolted on the engine, one of these surfaces still had casting flash on it. Why? because there wasn't enough material in the mold and thus when the rest of the surface was machined flat there was a valley that didn't get cut. It seriously looked like complete ****. Functionally it wouldn't have affected a thing but for the cost of the heads I felt that would have been competely unacceptable.
I know at the time I made some mention of what I found on the forum and somehow that got back to AFR and they were royally pissed. The owner of TEA talked to me, he wasn't really mad, he just pointed out that I needed to be careful about what I say. Well I don't work there anymore and I still believe what I believed then. IF YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO TALK BAD ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT, DON'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING TO TALK BAD ABOUT! I am not going to lie about your product just to make you look good!
Unfortunately I can't remember at all what even happened with that head, if it went across our flow bench, etc. All I know is that I wasn't impressed with AFR's product or their company.
Instead of reacting in an "oh ****, how did that defective product leave here" manner they said "well you don't need to tell people about or defective products." It could have been a one time fluke but I'll never buy AFR because of it.
When I actually worked for TEA I had a set of AFR heads come across my bench and I was absolutely not impressed. First they weighed half again what stock heads weigh and the casting quality was poor. Imagine the "front" or "rear" of the head when it's bolted on the engine, one of these surfaces still had casting flash on it. Why? because there wasn't enough material in the mold and thus when the rest of the surface was machined flat there was a valley that didn't get cut. It seriously looked like complete ****. Functionally it wouldn't have affected a thing but for the cost of the heads I felt that would have been competely unacceptable.
I know at the time I made some mention of what I found on the forum and somehow that got back to AFR and they were royally pissed. The owner of TEA talked to me, he wasn't really mad, he just pointed out that I needed to be careful about what I say. Well I don't work there anymore and I still believe what I believed then. IF YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO TALK BAD ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT, DON'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING TO TALK BAD ABOUT! I am not going to lie about your product just to make you look good!
Unfortunately I can't remember at all what even happened with that head, if it went across our flow bench, etc. All I know is that I wasn't impressed with AFR's product or their company.
Instead of reacting in an "oh ****, how did that defective product leave here" manner they said "well you don't need to tell people about or defective products." It could have been a one time fluke but I'll never buy AFR because of it.
#15
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
sounds like its hit or miss. luckily i haven't had any problems with the AFR heads. i bought mine from TPIS, its their AFR/TPIS head. i'll have to check on the oil return passages, whether TPIS had AFR modify them or not. i know the combustion chambers and runners are all based on TPIS' CNC program.
thanks for the info.
thanks for the info.
#16
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons
TEA was bought out my Summit Racing and moved to Ohio.
When I actually worked for TEA I had a set of AFR heads come across my bench and I was absolutely not impressed. First they weighed half again what stock heads weigh and the casting quality was poor. Imagine the "front" or "rear" of the head when it's bolted on the engine, one of these surfaces still had casting flash on it. Why? because there wasn't enough material in the mold and thus when the rest of the surface was machined flat there was a valley that didn't get cut. It seriously looked like complete ****. Functionally it wouldn't have affected a thing but for the cost of the heads I felt that would have been competely unacceptable.
I know at the time I made some mention of what I found on the forum and somehow that got back to AFR and they were royally pissed. The owner of TEA talked to me, he wasn't really mad, he just pointed out that I needed to be careful about what I say. Well I don't work there anymore and I still believe what I believed then. IF YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO TALK BAD ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT, DON'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING TO TALK BAD ABOUT! I am not going to lie about your product just to make you look good!
Unfortunately I can't remember at all what even happened with that head, if it went across our flow bench, etc. All I know is that I wasn't impressed with AFR's product or their company.
Instead of reacting in an "oh ****, how did that defective product leave here" manner they said "well you don't need to tell people about or defective products." It could have been a one time fluke but I'll never buy AFR because of it.
When I actually worked for TEA I had a set of AFR heads come across my bench and I was absolutely not impressed. First they weighed half again what stock heads weigh and the casting quality was poor. Imagine the "front" or "rear" of the head when it's bolted on the engine, one of these surfaces still had casting flash on it. Why? because there wasn't enough material in the mold and thus when the rest of the surface was machined flat there was a valley that didn't get cut. It seriously looked like complete ****. Functionally it wouldn't have affected a thing but for the cost of the heads I felt that would have been competely unacceptable.
I know at the time I made some mention of what I found on the forum and somehow that got back to AFR and they were royally pissed. The owner of TEA talked to me, he wasn't really mad, he just pointed out that I needed to be careful about what I say. Well I don't work there anymore and I still believe what I believed then. IF YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO TALK BAD ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT, DON'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING TO TALK BAD ABOUT! I am not going to lie about your product just to make you look good!
Unfortunately I can't remember at all what even happened with that head, if it went across our flow bench, etc. All I know is that I wasn't impressed with AFR's product or their company.
Instead of reacting in an "oh ****, how did that defective product leave here" manner they said "well you don't need to tell people about or defective products." It could have been a one time fluke but I'll never buy AFR because of it.
#17
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2002
Location: OBAMA IS HITLER
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
10 Posts
Originally Posted by RainDelay
I will to get a pic or two of the spring pocket depth of a set of Brodix Track 1's I have in the garage. The depth of the AFR pockets is MUCH deeper and there is nowhere for the oil to go. This causes puddling right at the valve seal. Now, I have not seen how much oil puddles there while running or remains there right after it has been shut off, but based on the shape, there is more oil there than on comparable heads.
at any rate, in my case i've had no symptoms, mine's a daily driver and i've put about 7,000 miles on them so far. again, mine were not purchased direct from AFR or an AFR distributor. these are the "hybrid" AFR/TPIS heads. i may be mixing apples and oranges here, i have no idea.
#18
Melting Slicks
In picture 1, (Brodix Track 1)notice how the side of the valve pocket toward the exhaust side of the head has no ridge and the rocker side does. The lack of a ridge on the exhaust side, or the low side when mounted allows the oil to drain away from the pocket.
In pic 2, look at the guide in the center of the 3, and note the relation of the depth of the rocker side of the pocket to the top of the guide. It comes very close to the top, and the bottom of the valve seal sits below it. Now, the problem with the AFR head is that the pocket is that deep nearly all the way around, giving the oil little room to escape. The exhaust side (low side) on an AFR head is ALSO that deep, hence, puddling around the valve seal.
EDIT: Go to AFR's site and look at the pic of the SBC 210 head. Look at the spring closest to you very closely and see how much of the bottom of it on the exhaust side of the head is buried in the pocket. That one side is open to the drain, the other end of the head is as well, but there are 14 more valves in the middle that don't have that luxury.
This is a pic of a set of Bowtie 18* heads done by Keith Dorton. Note how little area there is for oil to puddle around the spring/seal, even on the rocker side. You can even see divots around the bolt hole to allow any puddling to occur away from the valve. These heads are designed for a race car that spends hours at max RPM where oil control is a more important factor than a street head.
We do have to consider that the heads do not sit level on the engine, but, it is still clear that there is more oil in the spring pocket of an AFR head than virtually any other head. And, there is no channel along the exhaust side of the head from drain hole to drain hole. Oil is getting stuck up in the valve cover in an AFR head more than others.
In pic 2, look at the guide in the center of the 3, and note the relation of the depth of the rocker side of the pocket to the top of the guide. It comes very close to the top, and the bottom of the valve seal sits below it. Now, the problem with the AFR head is that the pocket is that deep nearly all the way around, giving the oil little room to escape. The exhaust side (low side) on an AFR head is ALSO that deep, hence, puddling around the valve seal.
EDIT: Go to AFR's site and look at the pic of the SBC 210 head. Look at the spring closest to you very closely and see how much of the bottom of it on the exhaust side of the head is buried in the pocket. That one side is open to the drain, the other end of the head is as well, but there are 14 more valves in the middle that don't have that luxury.
This is a pic of a set of Bowtie 18* heads done by Keith Dorton. Note how little area there is for oil to puddle around the spring/seal, even on the rocker side. You can even see divots around the bolt hole to allow any puddling to occur away from the valve. These heads are designed for a race car that spends hours at max RPM where oil control is a more important factor than a street head.
We do have to consider that the heads do not sit level on the engine, but, it is still clear that there is more oil in the spring pocket of an AFR head than virtually any other head. And, there is no channel along the exhaust side of the head from drain hole to drain hole. Oil is getting stuck up in the valve cover in an AFR head more than others.
Last edited by Steve85; 01-16-2006 at 12:35 PM.
#20
Melting Slicks
Originally Posted by Hot Rod 90
great pics, shows it very well, thanks.
how in the world can tens of thousands upon thousands of these heads be out there, and not the same number of people lining up for a refund?
how in the world can tens of thousands upon thousands of these heads be out there, and not the same number of people lining up for a refund?
Being sold on the AFR brand probably has alot to do with it. When that occurs, people start making excuses for the company and further justifying their own decision. You say you have AFR heads and everybody (almost) instantly thinks, "the best". In this context, it's really no different than how we justify all the shortcomings of our C4's as ...."character"
They are great performers, but there is always room for improvement. Maybe in their new line this will be addressed. And, as I mentioned before, the head does not sit level and driving will splash things around quite a bit.
But you're right, there is a design "quirk" that seems to serve no purpose except increasing the chances that your valve seals will leak.
Last edited by Steve85; 01-16-2006 at 02:50 PM.