How do you like them? How were the gains? Worth it over edelbrocks?

 

Worth it if you're going to send them out to be ported and have big plans ahead of you. What exactly are your goals... that's the first thing you need to be looking at, then finding the parts to get there.

 

I'm picking up an lt1 ss and while i don't plan on going crazy i'd like 400 horsepower out of the engine.

 

400 rwhp? Easily attainable with a mild hydraulic roller and stock ported castings.

 

But you need to address the fact that the TF head combustion chambers are a bit larger than the stock heads, reducing the compression ratio, unless you mill them.

There are reasonable alternatives, like having your stock heads ported, if you are only after 400 flywheel HP.

 

Javier,

If not trickflow's. Is there a head package you recommend?

 

As mentioned the Trickflows have a big chamber and if you bother to read their own description recommend them for boost and stokers and such, they do not even intend them for NA stock shortblock.
Edelbrocks are largely considered a joke.

400fwhp you could get with the most basic head work and decent cam selection.
400RWhp you need to go with someone who is at very experianced with thwese castings like Advanced Induction, works for me anyway.

 

TFS heads are great for strokers.... they are going to be down on power compared to stock castings that are ported and even if you port the TFS heads you are going to be down on power due to the lower compression.

On the other hand i've made over 600hp on ported TFS heads on a 396 with a mild street cam.

Bret

 

i couldn't imagine that the drop in compression is going to be that much of a difference.. i would think that their increase flow will outweigh any loss in compression

 

They are roughly the same chamber size as the iron LT1 heads which with their .029 gasket result in 10:1 compression and the iron head version runs fine on 87 octane right from GM. Use the stock aluminum head .049 gasket and the Trickflows would have you well down into the 9s for compression. Lot of guys with heads and cam LT1s running over 11:1, that is a BIG difference and it is not just peak power. With the necessary more aggressive cam you want the compression to help throttle response and lowend. Built motor guys routinely go too and beyond 12:1.

AGAIN what people seem unable to grasp is TrickFlows own recommendations pretty much exclude NA stock shortblock. Not saying they are a bad head atall, matter of fact I think they one of the best aftermarket LT1 offerings at this time, just saying NA stock shortblock is a missuse of them even according too the manufacturer.

 

redchicken....

That's a joke right? Lloyd and I are changing a customer over right now to a different cam and from TFS to LE3 Heads.... the flow should drop about 15cfm @ .600 but gain 1.5:1 points of compression. The result is about a 15hp gain at peak and 15 average HP! With the cam swap on top of that the peak HP difference should be around 35-40hp.

The demand that a 350-355 motor puts on cylinder head under 7000rpm doesn't need more flow, but if you can get more compression without any problems with flame travel or detonation by all means do that it's free TQ everywhere you can't get another way.

Bret

 

lol dammit Dwayne.

 

the key words here are "stock short block". The TFS head IMO is far superior to the stock LT1 head. For most people the purchase of a TFS head just isnt cost effective on an N/A stock short block. You wont gain anything over a stock ported casting from a reputable porter like AI or LE. The TFS heads have a big chamber and will lower compression a great deal on a stock short block or any flat top piston for that matter. To get the compression up you need to mill them to bring the combustion chambers into the 52 to 58 cc range with a flat top to keep the compression up. You might as well run a stock casting for 400 hp. You can do that with a mild port job easily. If you are looking for lower compression you can run the TFS heads with a flat top. To gain the benifits of the TFS head you need to run a big piston.

Only way to run a big chamber TFS head n/a is to change pistons and deck the block. I am running TFS heads with 63cc chambers. .039 gasket and domed piston bring me up to 12.4 to 1. This is not a street motor though, I have to run a domed piston to get the compression up.

 

That because we basically agreed for once???

 

Friend of mine is offering me 220cc AFR LT4 heads and a ported lt4 intake for 2K. Never used just sat in a box for 4 months. I think i'm going to take it.