Ok here's the deal: I am building my 350 right now. Saturday I went to my buddies house to pick up some Edelbrock headers and y-pipe both stainless for $200. While I was there I told him I was waiting on this guy for ZZ4 heads but he was taking forever. My friend said I have something for you then, goes to the back and gets some heads. Comes back and they are AFR 195 fully ported and polished heads with 2000 miles on them. He said he paid over $1500 a head for them but would sell them to me for $1000 or maybe even less if I pressure him enough. The problem...I don't my combo will be right for them. I will need to run the stock TPI until I can afford a better induction. I plan on a ZZ4 cam as well. Do you guys think I could even use these heads? I know I won't be getting the max out of them but I do plan on fixing the car up. My friend said I would be fine but I want to get some opinions. What power would I get with the TPI, ZZ4 cam, and 98 Vortec shortblock using these heads compared to the ZZ4s? Do you think it's a good deal? Let me know if you have any questions I will be happy to answer anything I missed.

 

Buy them. Even if you decide not to use them, you won't lose any money if you can buy them for $1000.

They won't pass emissions in CA IIRC, because they don't have the EGR ports, and that may light the Check Engine light if you have the system with a temp sensor on the EGR valve. If yours doesn't have that, they may slide through.

Edelbrock headers aren't stainless. That's one of their weak points, and why they're as "affordable" as they are. Get them coated at Jet-Hot if you want them to last more than a year or 2.

 

I emailed him on whether they have EGR or not still waiting for a reply. You could get the 195s with EGR so I don't know whether he did. The port work is amazing on the heads. I could put a finger in the exhaust port effortlessly with no restrictions. The walls felt like cylinder walls. That smooth Even without EGR I think I could still get by. Just a case of making it look like EGR is still on there and with the efficiency of aluminum heads the light won't be triggered. I know a couple people with ZZ4s that have no problems with the light coming on. It's all how it is setup. Anyways, do you think I could use them? How much power would the engine be producing around?

 

I think a 87 TPI might get by... seems it's the later ones that have the temp sensor... if the ECM tells the valve to open but the sensor doesn't get hot from exhaust, it sets a code. The car will not pass if the Check Engine light comes on.

Yes you could use them. As long as you have a stock TPI on there, it won't be too terribly much more than what you're getting now. On the other hand, if you put something on there that doesn't have the RPM limits and general restrictiveness of TPI, you could get a whole lot more power out of them than stock heads such as ZZ4 ones. But since you're in CA, your options are somewhat limited.

 

My 87 GTA parts car has the temp sensor for the EGR. I assume it's original but not certian.

 

Well what was in the car was a 305 so I sure hope that the 350 with either the ZZ4s or AFRs should be sure making more power than the weak *** 305. If you are saying that the heads will be the same power as a stock L98 I doubt that too. The vette motor makes 275hp with the ZZ4 heads and L98 cam. So with a ZZ4 cam even with the TPI it still should produce more power. I want to know a ballpark figure of where it is going to be around. I guess the real deciding factor in this is going to be centered around the EGR and whether the extra money to get the heads would be worth it over the ZZ4s

 

weak *** 305s eh?

 

I said "the weak *** 305". Being singular and possessive

 

Just adding vortec heads to a stock TPI motor seems to add 30+ horsepower due to there low lift flow capabilities. AFRs are pretty darn good at low lift. In fact I think they beat vortecs at low lift. As long a the porting didn't open the intakes up to much to negate the velocity they are designed with I would think you would see a substatial enough benifit to warrant running them with the stock TPI setup. Besides since you will probably eventually upgrade it bigger runners and what ever else, you might as well already have the heads on there.

 

GRAB THE HEADS! That's a great deal on AFR's. If I had the money I'd have those heads, but I'm a poor college student so I'm stuck with some Vortecs I got a deal on.

 

I plan on for sure changing the TPI base and runners in the near future for some better flowing ones. Just not right now since the engine is costing enough as it is. I just wanted to make sure I could use these heads in the meantime with them not bogging down the engine. I guess now it is making sure they have EGR. I can't have any lights going on during the smog check So what kind of power do you guys think my car will be making with the stock TPI, Edelbrock 1 5/8 headers, ZZ4 cam, 98 Vortec shortblock (for you guys know what pistons the car will have), and the mods already on the car?

 

No..... you should give me the name and number of the guy so I can tell him he's bad for trying to rip you off.