IROC-Z4ever

Has anyone ever had any trickflow heads? what happened, etc. I am looking for new heads so just wondering?

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86 IROC-Z
K&N air filters, Air foil, hypertech chip

soon: 6-speed, rebuild 305, exhaust

RCR

I have the TW G1's. I just replaced the valve guides and springs. The originals blew. Anyhow, short of that, they've been great.

jimbo

...I've run both the TW and the 23's on my L98. Of the two, I would definitely recommend the 23's. Unless your going to be doing hardcore dragstrip duty with your car, IMHO they're the best bang for the buck...they flow right up there with the big ($$$$) boys, for a little more than half the cost...

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jimbo

Mosquito Coast F-Body Association (MCFBA)

1991 Formula SLP350
1999 Trans Am Firehawk

GofasterFirebird

iTrader: (3)

I bought Afr heads instead because I have seen tests on trickflows that barely beat vortecs. I have not heard good things about those heads. Why do you think they are so cheap??

RCR

GMHTP Sept. issue last year did a flow test of most of the leading head manufacturers. The Trick Flow heads did very well. I lost the issue, otherwise I would quote the actual numbers.

james_fearn

I think they are inexpensive because I believe summit owns Trick Flow. Summit does huge volume and they can pimp their in house brand. Inexpensive does not necessarily mean cheap.

I cruise this board quite often and on friday you seemed to make 3~4 negetaive posts on TFS heads and pimp up AFR. To get AFR heads with a decent chanber size will cost ~$1550 , much more than I can afford to spend.

L98FORM89

I still have the issue of GMHTP.Trick flow Twisted Wedge outflowed Vortec heads @.400 lift TF int.227 ex. 183 Vor int.227 ex. 151 @.500 int.254 ex.204 to int.239 ex.160.The TF outflowed the Vortec over the whole range.Trick Flow 23 degree heads were barely better than vortecs.For comparison AFR 190's flow@.400 int.244 ex.188 @.500 int.262 ex.202. AFR 210's flowed @.400 int.240 ex.183 @.500 int.271 ex.200. of course all numbers are in cfm.

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89 formula 350, 73000k, 9-bolt 3.73, gutted MAF,dynomax muffler,gutted air box,kn,accel coil wires,dunlop 60/235
g-tech best(9 runs)14.48@101.1 0-60=5.91
track best(3 runs muncie,in 88 degrees)14.51@96.0 60' 2.089
in the garage waiting to go in are alum. L98 heads(bowl job by scoggins-dickey),ported high-flo edelbrock base,SLP runners, Jethot coated SLP 1 5/8 headers,zz3 cam 208/221 .474/510,1LE alum. driveshaft,TCI 2200 stall,LPE feul reg.,TPIS air foil,Flowmaster ForceII cat back,Gold crane 1.5 rollers,Eagle forged 5.7 rods,TRW Speed-Pro forged -21cc dish pistons,lots of ARP bolts,

ZBRA

I have TF G1s on my Z. I am happy with them. I recently had to upgrade the springs for the ZZ409 cam though. I have had the heads for about 5 years now.

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'94 Corvette Admiral Blue
-==ICON Motorsports==-
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'91 Z28 Blue/Silver ZZ4/ZF6
335.9 rwhp 374.9 rwtorque

IROCZTWENTYGR8

iTrader: (1)

Whats the best flowing head besides AFR's?? Some that almost flow the same.

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89 RS

Looking For:
87 IROC-Z28 350 TPI

[This message has been edited by IROCZTWENTYGR8 (edited May 13, 2001).]

GofasterFirebird

iTrader: (3)

Look in Chevy High Performance July 2000. Everyone gets too hung up on flow numbers and neglects to account for actual power increases. In that acticle in CHP the Trick-Flow heads beat the pocket ported vortecs by a whopping 7 horsepower. We all know that AFR heads are better than TFS and they should be because they demand a huge premium. Using other peoples logic that flow numbers are king, the TFS heads should match the AFR heads in power, right. (I have all the flow data) The two heads are very comparable in flow numbers in the .400 to .500 region. All I am saying is that from the real world and magazine tests I have seen, TFS heads are dissapointing and there are better choices out there.

GofasterFirebird

iTrader: (3)

Look in Chevy High Performance July 2000. Everyone gets too hung up on flow numbers and neglects to account for actual power increases. In that acticle in CHP the Trick-Flow heads beat the pocket ported vortecs by a whopping 7 horsepower. We all know that AFR heads are better than TFS and they should be because they demand a huge premium. Using other peoples logic that flow numbers are king, the TFS heads should match the AFR heads in power, right. (I have all the flow data) The two heads are very comparable in flow numbers in the .400 to .500 region. All I am saying is that from the real world and magazine tests I have seen, TFS heads are dissapointing and there are better choices out there.

craiger

I used to have a 87 vette that ran 10's and i had a set of tws heads on it.....i ported the intake and exhaust, put better spring on the heads before i installed them. I noticed a huge difference in power HUGE! However, I measured the push rod length and it was perfect and the valve guides were going south on me after 5000miles . I know this because the person who bought my vette blew the motor they took the vette it to my friends machine shop for a rebuild. Anyway, when they got into the heads, the guides were shot and they were not the bronze guides yet they were the G2heads Personally, I would spend the extra cash on the AFR's because you can count on the quality of the product although the tws heads do work great, i just would not purchase them again because of thier track record with me....

Lounge Lizard 6

I realize talking about G1 heads is a little off the subject since I'm sure IROC-Z4ever is talking new heads.

Like ZBRA I have almost 6 yr old TW G1 heads. Mine have about 72k miles on them. I originally bought them because they are the only 2.02 valved head that will fit a 305. On the 305 they rock. I used and abused them for 50k miles on my ol' LB9 before I swapped them on my ZZ4.

However, their's has been a checkered past...

Old TW G1 heads from '95 had bad K-Motions installed. I went through 4 broken valve springs before I figured that out and replaced the remaining ones. Around the 35-40k mile point I replaced the valve stem seals. When I had them pulled at 50k for the ZZ4 swap they were in poor shape. I had two slightly bent valves and the valve guides were definitely worn. I had bronze quides installed and the remaining 14 Ferea valves were in such good shape the shop just dressed them up. New valve seats, springs and some pocket porting and they were ready.

TRick Flow touted in their ads they use a superior aluminum and don't need helicoils...well things started to go wrong. With about 2k miles on them after the rebuild, #2 exhaust rocker stud just flat pulled right out. A few thousand more and #1 exhuast did the same thing. Finally #8 intake rocker stud just broke. Needless to say this has become an expensive set of heads.

Can you draw parallels to the G2 and 23* heads? Maybe. Will I buy another set? No.
My next set will probably be a ported set of Dart heads or maybe Canfields.

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Mike

'90 IROC-Z , 5-speed, ZZ4, G1 Trick Flows
Moderator SEThirdgen

[This message has been edited by Lounge Lizard 6 (edited May 13, 2001).]

AJ_92RS

Thanx ya'll. I was thinking of getting either the Vortecs or the TFS heads for a 355 I am building. (214/224 dur@.050 w/.442-.465 lift,flat top slugs, 325hp, about 5500rpm tops) One thing I was worried about the TFS heads was quality and durability. Obviously from your comments they don't shine in either of those areas. "Let's make a cheap head that flows well!! " It sounded too good to be true. I'll probably go with the Vortecs ($425) just cause they are warranteed also and from what I have read, they are the best flowing, stock production heads that GM has ever built, including the Bow Ties. Then I can get an intake, carb, ignition, and headers for what it would cost me for just the TFS heads and intake. And that would be using the restrictive TBI I have now plus the cost of larger injectors.

I talked to a local machine shop owner about Vortecs. He hates them!! He said they're so inexpensive, flow great, and last so long that he had to drop his prices of rebuilding heads because everyone is buying the Vortecs.
He builds Late Model dirt track stock car engines and nobody wants to run the old heads anymore. He offered to completely rebuild my heads and pocket port them for $150 each. That's a damn good price, but I dunno if I wanna. Then I still gotta get the stuff I said earlier without as good of results.

BadSS

Hopefully I won't have the problems with the rocker studs that Lounge Lizard had. I've replaced the spring (POS K-Motions - they're still having trouble with that #700 1.25" spring they put on the TFS)guides and seals on the old set of G1's I have and have no problems,,,, since then. I also agree that I would not buy the TFS heads,, any of them again. The Canfields at $1000 is well worth the extra money. I've built similar engines using AFR 195's (race ready heads)and can see no real power differences between the Canfields and AFRs,,, but the Canfields are about $500 less by the time AFR is finished tacking on "extra costs".

I like the Vortecs also. VERY hard to beat if you were planning on buying an intake also,, and happy with 375 horses or so.