TKOPerformance wrote:

They would definitely be better than your iron heads, but then so would a bunch of other aftermarket options which are not nearly as expensive as the AFRs.  A set of Edelbrock heads would be better and cost half what the AFRs do.  Just my opinion.  

Once again, I agree.  

I'd be real careful looking only at bang for buck, because those tests ignore longevity.  There are several Chinese copies of various aluminum heads (often sold through American companies) that are going to perform very well on a bang for buck comparison, and then down the road you have to worry that a valve seat falls out or something else horrible goes wrong.  Edelbrock heads are 100% made in the USA, including the castings.  I've had the same set of 6073s on 3 different SBC engines over the years and never had a single issue with them.  Each time all I did was swap valve springs for my cam.  I'm pretty sure I'm still running the same spring hardware.  Also, these are "as cast" heads, and can make even more power if ported/port matched.  

IME no head trumps AFR, and if you want the absolute best that is 100% what you should buy (why their 185Rs are on my 331).  AFR has set the standard by which heads are judged for many, many years.  Keep in mind that a stock 5.0 in a Fox Mustang made all of 225HP, but with only a set of AFR heads made 305HP.  That was with stock manifolds, intake, mass air, throttle body, injectors, tuning, cam, etc.  Its easy to see how upgrading to the traditional performance bolt ons has that engine cresting the 400HP mark.  

That said, on a typical street small block they are overkill, and you are paying another $1,000+ for maybe 5HP/5lbs/ft. over the next head in line, because the engine lacks the compression, and cam to take advantage of what they offer.  

As for Trick Flow, I don't think you can go wrong with them, especially on a milder engine (i.e not a "take no prisoners" build).  They are also 100% made in the USA, and have been making 5.0 heads since the 5.0s were new.  

On all the stock heads (E7TE, GT40, GT40P) what people often lose sight of is that these heads are awesome, FOR STOCK HEADS.  Compared to typical '60s era offerings and definitely '70s era low compression offerings these modern heads with design roots in the '80s are going to be much better, because Ford finally started using a flow bench and computer modeling to design the heads.  That said, unless you are racing in a class that requires stock heads I wouldn't dump a bunch of money into them when a set of aluminum heads from one of several different companies will flow better out of the box than these heads will ported, AND are easily 50lbs lighter, AND will tolerate another full point of compression.  

Also be careful looking only at peak numbers.  Races are definitely won by peak numbers, because you can keep an engine in a much narrower operating range while racing.  A street engine operates over a MUCH broader range, and I'd trade 5 peak HP for 5 lbs/ft of average torque in the mid range every day of the week and twice on Sunday.  Peak HP doesn't get you off the line, doesn't accelerate you out of a corner, etc., but average torque does.  This is why port velocity and roller cams rule on the street, because they give you area under the curve.  I haven't built an engine with stock heads or a flat tappet cam since the '90s, and while I'm hesitant to ever say never; its doubtful I ever will again.  

TKOPerformance wrote:

I'd be real careful looking only at bang for buck, because those tests ignore longevity.  There are several Chinese copies of various aluminum heads (often sold through American companies) that are going to perform very well on a bang for buck comparison, and then down the road you have to worry that a valve seat falls out or something else horrible goes wrong.  Edelbrock heads are 100% made in the USA, including the castings.  I've had the same set of 6073s on 3 different SBC engines over the years and never had a single issue with them.  Each time all I did was swap valve springs for my cam.  I'm pretty sure I'm still running the same spring hardware.  Also, these are "as cast" heads, and can make even more power if ported/port matched.  

IME no head trumps AFR, and if you want the absolute best that is 100% what you should buy (why their 185Rs are on my 331).  AFR has set the standard by which heads are judged for many, many years.  Keep in mind that a stock 5.0 in a Fox Mustang made all of 225HP, but with only a set of AFR heads made 305HP.  That was with stock manifolds, intake, mass air, throttle body, injectors, tuning, cam, etc.  Its easy to see how upgrading to the traditional performance bolt ons has that engine cresting the 400HP mark.  

That said, on a typical street small block they are overkill, and you are paying another $1,000+ for maybe 5HP/5lbs/ft. over the next head in line, because the engine lacks the compression, and cam to take advantage of what they offer.  

As for Trick Flow, I don't think you can go wrong with them, especially on a milder engine (i.e not a "take no prisoners" build).  They are also 100% made in the USA, and have been making 5.0 heads since the 5.0s were new.  

On all the stock heads (E7TE, GT40, GT40P) what people often lose sight of is that these heads are awesome, FOR STOCK HEADS.  Compared to typical '60s era offerings and definitely '70s era low compression offerings these modern heads with design roots in the '80s are going to be much better, because Ford finally started using a flow bench and computer modeling to design the heads.  That said, unless you are racing in a class that requires stock heads I wouldn't dump a bunch of money into them when a set of aluminum heads from one of several different companies will flow better out of the box than these heads will ported, AND are easily 50lbs lighter, AND will tolerate another full point of compression.  

Also be careful looking only at peak numbers.  Races are definitely won by peak numbers, because you can keep an engine in a much narrower operating range while racing.  A street engine operates over a MUCH broader range, and I'd trade 5 peak HP for 5 lbs/ft of average torque in the mid range every day of the week and twice on Sunday.  Peak HP doesn't get you off the line, doesn't accelerate you out of a corner, etc., but average torque does.  This is why port velocity and roller cams rule on the street, because they give you area under the curve.  I haven't built an engine with stock heads or a flat tappet cam since the '90s, and while I'm hesitant to ever say never; its doubtful I ever will again.  

 
I've brought up all the trouble I'm working through to make the P heads work on my 289.   I will tell you the reason I'm doing it.   I just don't want aluminium heads on a more door.  What I'm doing with the car, as you once noted, is building a theme type car a young kid/adult would have access to in the 1970s.   So to me it's asthetics. 

I know even the most crappy Chinese aluminium head worked enough to actually work will outperform the best stock heads.   Just like there are better gauges than what I'm using.    Sometimes there is much more involved.   Just sayin.     

I definitely like reading everyone's different thoughts on things like these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ot0UTIhtv4

ONLY 6 cylinder I have heard that I like !!