H/c/i Questions And Opinions

[NOS1543]

I wanted to get everyone's thoughts on my next round of mods for my 90 GT.

Here's what I'm thinking as well as the questions I have around these choices. Any feedback or insight would be appreciated. This is new ground for me as I've never messed with the engine before.

I'm looking to maintain a very streetable car. I don't anticipate ever going to a drag strip or race track of any kind. Purely something that can be fun on the street and most of all reliable. I'm not looking to go crazy here but I'm not opposed to paying for a quality part.

1. Cobra intake - Already purchased a few years ago. Will have the lower ported prior to installation.

2. TFS 170 heads - prepped by FTI (this gives me an upgraded package while coming in at about the price of a set of AFRs, which I think is a good tradeoff). I've done a ton of research on AFR/TFS/Edelbrock and realize that there's no right answer. Are any of them exceptionally prone to reliability issues? I've seen bad reviews about thte E-Streets but otherwise all three brands seem to have good reputations.

3. Camshaft - I'd get an FTI custom grind for my application.

4. Rocker arms - What do I do here? Is it necessary to upgrade these from the factory ones? Can it just be factored into the cam specs?

5. Throttle Body - I have an Explorer 65mm one already (guy threw it in when I bought the Cobra intake). If I were to buy an aftermarket one it would be an Accufab 65 or 70mm. I'm wondering if there's any point or if the Explorer one gives me more or less the same performance. I don't consider it necessary to spend the extra money if it only yields me a couple HP.

6. MAF - Pro-M or ABACO. Anything wrong with either?

7. Injectors - Will I need to up the injector size with my setup? Will the factory 19lb be insufficient for an N/A 302 with HCI? I already have a 190lph fuel pump.

I'll also get a dynotune to make sure the combo is as efficient as possible at what I'm trying to achieve.

Let me know your thoughts on what I wrote. Like I said, I'm new at the engine stuff, please help me from making a mistake if it looks like I'm not on the right track.

Thanks

 

[A5literMan]

You'll have to get some stud mount rocker arms. The factory ones will not work. I comp cams pro magnums but they're more expensive. Scorpion has some descent cheaper model or ford motorsports. You'll probably need 24# inj. Either MAF is a good product. I like accufab tb. Don't get a BBK. I And others have had problems with them sticking at wot. They also can have a Whistling sound to them. The cobra intake is a little restrictive but if a quality port job is performed they respond well. Sounds like a very sound combo and will make plenty of power.

 

[mikestang63]

Here's what I'm thinking as well as the questions I have around these choices. Any feedback or insight would be appreciated. This is new ground for me as I've never messed with the engine before.

I'm looking to maintain a very streetable car. I don't anticipate ever going to a drag strip or race track of any kind. Purely something that can be fun on the street and most of all reliable. I'm not looking to go crazy here but I'm not opposed to paying for a quality part.

1. Cobra intake - Already purchased a few years ago. Will have the lower ported prior to installation.

Not a bad choice but if you are going through the motions of spending all this money on ported heads and a custom cam, you should look at either a Systemax or Performer II intake. If you are keeping the Cobra, then Tom Moss will do the best job IMO on porting the lower. If Ed is porting the heads, you should have the upper ported to match.

2. TFS 170 heads - prepped by FTI (this gives me an upgraded package while coming in at about the price of a set of AFRs, which I think is a good tradeoff). I've done a ton of research on AFR/TFS/Edelbrock and realize that there's no right answer. Are any of them exceptionally prone to reliability issues? I've seen bad reviews about thte E-Streets but otherwise all three brands seem to have good reputations.

You cannot go wrong with TFS heads and if Ed is putting his spring package on them and doing any port work, you will have a great set of heads. No sense in talking about E street heads as the hardware is junk. Have you considered the new 11-r head? They flow like crazy and are good for .600 lift

3. Camshaft - I'd get an FTI custom grind for my application.

Can't go wrong there. Expect to wait about 3-4 weeks. Ed might be slow now that race season is over.

4. Rocker arms - What do I do here? Is it necessary to upgrade these from the factory ones? Can it just be factored into the cam specs?

TFS are stud mount and your E7's are pedestal. I'd look at Crane Gold or Harland Sharp. Avoid cheap chinese made ones. FTI sells rocker arms and pushrods. Speak to Ed when you place your order.

5. Throttle Body - I have an Explorer 65mm one already (guy threw it in when I bought the Cobra intake). If I were to buy an aftermarket one it would be an Accufab 65 or 70mm. I'm wondering if there's any point or if the Explorer one gives me more or less the same performance. I don't consider it necessary to spend the extra money if it only yields me a couple HP.

65 will be fine but I would go 70 so you have room to grow. Accufab make the best. I've run BBK ones for years and every 70mm one whistles. Again, avoid chinese made ones.

6. MAF - Pro-M or ABACO. Anything wrong with either?

I prefer Pro M

7. Injectors - Will I need to up the injector size with my setup? Will the factory 19lb be insufficient for an N/A 302 with HCI? I already have a 190lph fuel pump.

You can get away with 24's but I would say just go with 30's. With 24's you may be pushing the duty cycle and if you decide to add a power adder you will need to swap them out. Get an adjustable FPR- I like Kirban- and you can dial it down with the 30's .

I'll also get a dynotune to make sure the combo is as efficient as possible at what I'm trying to achieve.

Good idea. If you are getting a tune then you can buy whatever PRO M you want- it doesnt need to be calibrated to the same size injectors. The tune will take care of that as well as make sure you are getting all the HP out of the combo and fix any drive ability problems.

Let me know your thoughts on what I wrote. Like I said, I'm new at the engine stuff, please help me from making a mistake if it looks like I'm not on the right track.

While you are at it- get a good timing chain and gears. Ed sells quality US made ones. Don't forget to get ARP head bolts or studs, header, intake timing cover, water pump bolts, Felpro 9333pt1 head gaskets, whatever intake gasket Ed recommends, a new water pump and thermostat, and a new harmonic balancer- I like the Pioneer or Romac

 

[90lxwhite]

Here's what I'm thinking as well as the questions I have around these choices. Any feedback or insight would be appreciated. This is new ground for me as I've never messed with the engine before.

I'm looking to maintain a very streetable car. I don't anticipate ever going to a drag strip or race track of any kind. Purely something that can be fun on the street and most of all reliable. I'm not looking to go crazy here but I'm not opposed to paying for a quality part.

1. Cobra intake - Already purchased a few years ago. Will have the lower ported prior to installation.

Not a bad choice but if you are going through the motions of spending all this money on ported heads and a custom cam, you should look at either a Systemax or Performer II intake. If you are keeping the Cobra, then Tom Moss will do the best job IMO on porting the lower. If Ed is porting the heads, you should have the upper ported to match.

2. TFS 170 heads - prepped by FTI (this gives me an upgraded package while coming in at about the price of a set of AFRs, which I think is a good tradeoff). I've done a ton of research on AFR/TFS/Edelbrock and realize that there's no right answer. Are any of them exceptionally prone to reliability issues? I've seen bad reviews about thte E-Streets but otherwise all three brands seem to have good reputations.

You cannot go wrong with TFS heads and if Ed is putting his spring package on them and doing any port work, you will have a great set of heads. No sense in talking about E street heads as the hardware is junk. Have you considered the new 11-r head? They flow like crazy and are good for .600 lift

3. Camshaft - I'd get an FTI custom grind for my application.

Can't go wrong there. Expect to wait about 3-4 weeks. Ed might be slow now that race season is over.

4. Rocker arms - What do I do here? Is it necessary to upgrade these from the factory ones? Can it just be factored into the cam specs?

TFS are stud mount and your E7's are pedestal. I'd look at Crane Gold or Harland Sharp. Avoid cheap chinese made ones. FTI sells rocker arms and pushrods. Speak to Ed when you place your order.

5. Throttle Body - I have an Explorer 65mm one already (guy threw it in when I bought the Cobra intake). If I were to buy an aftermarket one it would be an Accufab 65 or 70mm. I'm wondering if there's any point or if the Explorer one gives me more or less the same performance. I don't consider it necessary to spend the extra money if it only yields me a couple HP.

65 will be fine but I would go 70 so you have room to grow. Accufab make the best. I've run BBK ones for years and every 70mm one whistles. Again, avoid chinese made ones.

6. MAF - Pro-M or ABACO. Anything wrong with either?

I prefer Pro M

7. Injectors - Will I need to up the injector size with my setup? Will the factory 19lb be insufficient for an N/A 302 with HCI? I already have a 190lph fuel pump.

You can get away with 24's but I would say just go with 30's. With 24's you may be pushing the duty cycle and if you decide to add a power adder you will need to swap them out. Get an adjustable FPR- I like Kirban- and you can dial it down with the 30's .

I'll also get a dynotune to make sure the combo is as efficient as possible at what I'm trying to achieve.

Good idea. If you are getting a tune then you can buy whatever PRO M you want- it doesnt need to be calibrated to the same size injectors. The tune will take care of that as well as make sure you are getting all the HP out of the combo and fix any drive ability problems.

Let me know your thoughts on what I wrote. Like I said, I'm new at the engine stuff, please help me from making a mistake if it looks like I'm not on the right track.

While you are at it- get a good timing chain and gears. Ed sells quality US made ones. Don't forget to get ARP head bolts or studs, header, intake timing cover, water pump bolts, Felpro 9333pt1 head gaskets, whatever intake gasket Ed recommends, a new water pump and thermostat, and a new harmonic balancer- I like the Pioneer or Romac

Good info and well written. Almost "sticky worthy."

 

[NOS1543]

You'll have to get some stud mount rocker arms. The factory ones will not work. I comp cams pro magnums but they're more expensive. Scorpion has some descent cheaper model or ford motorsports. You'll probably need 24# inj. Either MAF is a good product. I like accufab tb. Don't get a BBK. I And others have had problems with them sticking at wot. They also can have a Whistling sound to them. The cobra intake is a little restrictive but if a quality port job is performed they respond well. Sounds like a very sound combo and will make plenty of power.

Thanks, didn't realize the difference int he rocker arms. I'll have to budget them in. Accufab if I need to buy a new TB, it all depends on if it will make a difference vs the Expolorer one I already have. As for the Cobra intake, it really comes down to the fact that I already have it and I'm a big fan of it. I'm aware of its "inferiority" which is why I'd port it like you said.

 

[NOS1543]

Here's what I'm thinking as well as the questions I have around these choices. Any feedback or insight would be appreciated. This is new ground for me as I've never messed with the engine before.

I'm looking to maintain a very streetable car. I don't anticipate ever going to a drag strip or race track of any kind. Purely something that can be fun on the street and most of all reliable. I'm not looking to go crazy here but I'm not opposed to paying for a quality part.

1. Cobra intake - Already purchased a few years ago. Will have the lower ported prior to installation.

Not a bad choice but if you are going through the motions of spending all this money on ported heads and a custom cam, you should look at either a Systemax or Performer II intake. If you are keeping the Cobra, then Tom Moss will do the best job IMO on porting the lower. If Ed is porting the heads, you should have the upper ported to match.

Exactly, I haven't gotten around to it but that's who I'll send the intake to. I've heard plenty of good things.

2. TFS 170 heads - prepped by FTI (this gives me an upgraded package while coming in at about the price of a set of AFRs, which I think is a good tradeoff). I've done a ton of research on AFR/TFS/Edelbrock and realize that there's no right answer. Are any of them exceptionally prone to reliability issues? I've seen bad reviews about thte E-Streets but otherwise all three brands seem to have good reputations.

You cannot go wrong with TFS heads and if Ed is putting his spring package on them and doing any port work, you will have a great set of heads. No sense in talking about E street heads as the hardware is junk. Have you considered the new 11-r head? They flow like crazy and are good for .600 lift

Sorry, I wasn't very clear on what I was planning on doing with the heads. I'd just be purchasing this set, which I believe is only upgraded hardware and a valve job.

http://www.flowtechinduction.com/tfs-sbf-twisted-wedge-170-fac/

I wasn't planning on any type of port work. I think, for my goals, the 170 head is sufficient. I'm also factoring the Cobra intake into the equation and trying to consider the "combo". Are the 11R's too big for that inake and the stock 302 bottom end? That was my initial thought but maybe I'm not on point.

3. Camshaft - I'd get an FTI custom grind for my application.

Can't go wrong there. Expect to wait about 3-4 weeks. Ed might be slow now that race season is over.

I'm in no rush. That's fine.

4. Rocker arms - What do I do here? Is it necessary to upgrade these from the factory ones? Can it just be factored into the cam specs?

TFS are stud mount and your E7's are pedestal. I'd look at Crane Gold or Harland Sharp. Avoid cheap chinese made ones. FTI sells rocker arms and pushrods. Speak to Ed when you place your order.

5. Throttle Body - I have an Explorer 65mm one already (guy threw it in when I bought the Cobra intake). If I were to buy an aftermarket one it would be an Accufab 65 or 70mm. I'm wondering if there's any point or if the Explorer one gives me more or less the same performance. I don't consider it necessary to spend the extra money if it only yields me a couple HP.

65 will be fine but I would go 70 so you have room to grow. Accufab make the best. I've run BBK ones for years and every 70mm one whistles. Again, avoid chinese made ones.

6. MAF - Pro-M or ABACO. Anything wrong with either?

I prefer Pro M

7. Injectors - Will I need to up the injector size with my setup? Will the factory 19lb be insufficient for an N/A 302 with HCI? I already have a 190lph fuel pump.

You can get away with 24's but I would say just go with 30's. With 24's you may be pushing the duty cycle and if you decide to add a power adder you will need to swap them out. Get an adjustable FPR- I like Kirban- and you can dial it down with the 30's .

Ok. I'm somewhat surprised to hear that. I've seen threads where people say an injector upgrade won't be necessary for an HCI car. I already have an Aeromotive FPR sitting in the box, so that's the direction I'll be going with that.

I'll also get a dynotune to make sure the combo is as efficient as possible at what I'm trying to achieve.

Good idea. If you are getting a tune then you can buy whatever PRO M you want- it doesnt need to be calibrated to the same size injectors. The tune will take care of that as well as make sure you are getting all the HP out of the combo and fix any drive ability problems.

Let me know your thoughts on what I wrote. Like I said, I'm new at the engine stuff, please help me from making a mistake if it looks like I'm not on the right track.

While you are at it- get a good timing chain and gears. Ed sells quality US made ones. Don't forget to get ARP head bolts or studs, header, intake timing cover, water pump bolts, Felpro 9333pt1 head gaskets, whatever intake gasket Ed recommends, a new water pump and thermostat, and a new harmonic balancer- I like the Pioneer or Romac

I think I'll deal with Ed for the whole process as you've seem to agree on throughout your response. I didn't want to reach out with such basic questions, especially if I wasn't placing the order in the same call. I want to be a little more informed before I waste his time.

My goal isn't necessarily the most horsepower I can make. Most of all the car needs to be reliable. I don't want to create a headache. I figure that this combo should be good for around 300hp which would be fun and not too taxing on the car.

Thanks for your reply, it was very informative.

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

The Cobra intake, if ported by Tmoss, will be decent since you said your not trying to maximize HP. With that said I'm confused why you want to get the TFS heads ported. Those heads are great out of the box and since your not looking for max HP then why mess with a set of heads that are already really good? Port the intake and leave the heads alone IMO.

What about headers? Shorty? Full length?

If you don't port the heads then just stick with 24# injectors and run some shorty headers. You'll be pleased with it so long as your being honest with yourself when you say you don't want to maximize HP out of the HCI and keep it a fun streetable car.

 

[NOS1543]

The Cobra intake, if ported by Tmoss, will be decent since you said your not trying to maximize HP. With that said I'm confused why you want to get the TFS heads ported. Those heads are great out of the box and since your not looking for max HP then why mess with a set of heads that are already really good? Port the intake and leave the heads alone IMO.

What about headers? Shorty? Full length?

If you don't port the heads then just stick with 24# injectors and run some shorty headers. You'll be pleased with it so long as your being honest with yourself when you say you don't want to maximize HP out of the HCI and keep it a fun streetable car.

I'm not porting the heads, but since multiple replies have suggested that I am, am I missing something with the link I posted to the FTI site? I thought it was just upgraded hardware on the heads.

The car already has shorty headers that are fairly new, so I'm sticking with them.

I believe I'm being honest with my goals here but I can't predict the future. I'm assuming that this combo will add a big fun factor vs. the stock setup and will satisfy my needs.

 

[A5literMan]

Very good points. You don't have to port the heads for 300hp. Also you don't need to have the extra big springs,custom cam,etc for that level. Out of the box those beads will support way more than that. Also by the time you put the extra money into them you could buy a set of 11r tfs 190 heads and actually might save some money. I know that a cam,timing chain,valve spring package from Ed is going to cost around 750$ for this type of build I probably would lean towards more ots parts. You will still get what you want performance wise and save a few bucks.

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

I'm not porting the heads, but since multiple replies have suggested that I am, am I missing something with the link I posted to the FTI site? I thought it was just upgraded hardware on the heads.

The car already has shorty headers that are fairly new, so I'm sticking with them.

I believe I'm being honest with my goals here but I can't predict the future. I'm assuming that this combo will add a big fun factor vs. the stock setup and will satisfy my needs.

Sorry to assume, I didn't check the link. I'm with @A5literMan on saving a few bucks while taming it down a notch. The TFS top end kit with supporting TB, intake and fuel component upgrades will get you 300whp and is all quality. Nothing wrong with a custom cam if you want to do that but that's more for racing and maximizing HP potential.

 

[NOS1543]

Interesting points guys. So maybe I was overdoing it for my goals initially. I definitely don't want to waste money on unnecessary parts if I don't need to. This is all great information and is really helping me get my head around all this.

 

[A5literMan]

You also have to remember that you want no restrictions before the heads. In example the throttle body discussion. With a good head,cam,ported cobra you're going to be able to move plenty of air so don't limit yourself to a small tb and MAF. I think you need at least a 70 mm. Now if you wanted to go with the fti parts there's nothing wrong with that except more expensive. Probably make a few extra hp and he could design a very streetable profile cam. But for what you've been describing as your wants/needs on this build I do believe you should look for some ots parts. As far as ots cams go you could look at the tfs1,Anderson n41,and comp cams has some nice profiles.

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

Interesting points guys. So maybe I was overdoing it for my goals initially. I definitely don't want to waste money on unnecessary parts if I don't need to. This is all great information and is really helping me get my head around all this.

We love spending other peoples money

What gears are you running?

Most popular cam for street is going to give you a power range from idle to 5500. Don't get caught up in high rev applications for street use only (i did). A good combo based on what you already said you have & want IMO would be 75mm ProM MAF calibrated to 24 # injectors, quality CAI that goes into fender, 70mm TB, ported Cobra intake, TFS heads out of the box, Scorp 1.6 RR's, a cam that you want off the shelf or custom, shorty headers, 24# injectors, you'll need to measure your pushrod length, new hyd roller lifters, 155lph fuel pump, etc

or you can take some guess work out of it and get this popular and proven kit

http://www.latemodelrestoration.com...-50L-Trick-Flow-Street-Burner-Top-End-Kit-Slv

 

[NOS1543]

My car has 3.55 gears. I think they're a nice street gear.

By the way, I'm not trying to say I insist on making only 300hp. I'm fine with making more, just saying that I don't need to make a million. Somewhat arbitrarily I just figure 300 is the sweet spot because that's what the more streetable setups seem to offer.

FoxMustangLvr, I'm definitely looking to avoid that high RPM trap like you mentioned, which is one reason I''m not shooting for the stars in the HP department. I understand those numbers usually come in at very high RPMs with lower RPM power suffering.

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

You're typical aluminum head HCI nets you about +/-300'ish whp. That's why you hear a lot about the 300 hp mark with our cars. It's hard to go beyond the 300whp on a budget. To get passed that mark you'd need either a stroker, supercharger or turbo.

 

[mikestang63]

Just to give you some perspective of what you can find in used parts if you are patient.
I bought a used

ported Explorer intake, BBK 70MM and EGR spacer with 19lb injectors, rails, and chrome intake cover platefor $150
AFR 165 heads with Ford Racing 1.6 rockers and correct length Crane hardened pushrods for$1000
BBJ CAI for $60
PRO M 75 bullett MAF for $100
8- Ford Racing 30lb injectors for $60
Ford ceramic coated shorty headers for $100
BBK H pipe for $100
plus tons of other parts used over the years at 50% or more off new. As others have said, these cars have been around for 25 years and there are always guys changing their setups or parting out cars.

That being said you have to know what to look for and be careful not to buy broken, worn parts or get scammed. Certain parts you should buy new like fasteners, bolts, gaslets, waterpump, timing chain, and other parts. I spent about $2000 to put together my HCI which also included a new water pump, balancer, all the gaskets , bolts, and even a valve body and cooler for the trans. Spent another $400 for dyno tuning and a chip. Car dynoed at 292rwhp through an AOD- about 360ish crank hp, so you can piece together different brand parts to get a decent package. If you are not in a hurry, scrounge the Corral classifieds, Craiglist, Racing junk, or yellow bullet. For heads, I would not buy used ones unless you can inspect them first.

I would highly recommend Ed Curtis but know that by the time you are done buying the heads, rockers, cam, pushrods from him you are almost the price of the TFS kit with everything you need. It's up to you if the extra hp is worth it.

 

[A5literMan]

You're typical aluminum head HCI nets you about +/-300'ish whp. That's why you hear a lot about the 300 hp mark with our cars. It's hard to go beyond the 300whp on a budget. To get passed that mark you'd need either a stroker, supercharger or turbo.

300+ can be obtained without a power adder. Just need more head,cam,etc lol. About the max you can get with a stock shortblock is around 350rwhp. Translates to around 400 flywheel. Which is around 1.3 hp per inch. Not easy with fairly streetable cams,under 10:1cr,heavy Pistons,rods,crank,etc but obtainable. Not really what he wants so I'll stop now lol.

 

[NOS1543]

Just to give you some perspective of what you can find in used parts if you are patient.
I bought a used

ported Explorer intake, BBK 70MM and EGR spacer with 19lb injectors, rails, and chrome intake cover platefor $150
AFR 165 heads with Ford Racing 1.6 rockers and correct length Crane hardened pushrods for$1000
BBJ CAI for $60
PRO M 75 bullett MAF for $100
8- Ford Racing 30lb injectors for $60
Ford ceramic coated shorty headers for $100
BBK H pipe for $100
plus tons of other parts used over the years at 50% or more off new. As others have said, these cars have been around for 25 years and there are always guys changing their setups or parting out cars.

That being said you have to know what to look for and be careful not to buy broken, worn parts or get scammed. Certain parts you should buy new like fasteners, bolts, gaslets, waterpump, timing chain, and other parts. I spent about $2000 to put together my HCI which also included a new water pump, balancer, all the gaskets , bolts, and even a valve body and cooler for the trans. Spent another $400 for dyno tuning and a chip. Car dynoed at 292rwhp through an AOD- about 360ish crank hp, so you can piece together different brand parts to get a decent package. If you are not in a hurry, scrounge the Corral classifieds, Craiglist, Racing junk, or yellow bullet. For heads, I would not buy used ones unless you can inspect them first.

I would highly recommend Ed Curtis but know that by the time you are done buying the heads, rockers, cam, pushrods from him you are almost the price of the TFS kit with everything you need. It's up to you if the extra hp is worth it.

Thanks, that's good advice. Sounds like you got a real sweet setup with some nice parts for a very reasonable price. It definitely shows the value of patience and persistence and it looks like it paid off for you.

I definitely won't buy used heads. I know my weaknesses and identifying a quality set of used cylinder heads is at the top of the list. For the most expensive part in my setup I'll be buying brand new with a warranty.

I think overall we've concluded that in my case there's no reason to bother with any FTI stuff because it's beyond my needs. At least that seems to be the consensus.

 

[NOS1543]

I ended up getting TFS 170 heads and I have a few follow up questions as I piece together the rest of the package...

-I bought the assembled heads which have the 1.46" valvesprings. When purchasing roller rockers, should I consider upgrading to the larger 7/16" studs and purchasing corresponding rockers, or will the included 3/8" stud be ok given the capabilities of my valvesprings? As I mentioned before I may at least explore the idea of a custom cam. So I guess I want to know if I should worry about the weak link--the springs or the studs? (Or am I being crazy?)

-As for the roller rockers, is there any stud mount rocker that is exceptionally good or bad? Ie something I must have or must avoid? Steel vs Aluminum? Any brands? I've noticed the Trick Flow 3/8" set as well as the Comp Cams 17043-16 set. Both are aluminum and bother are 1.6 ratio.

-For lifters, are the FRPP ones offered on Latemodel Restoration good parts? They offer a standard version ($123) and a performance version ($199). Is there any real life difference? Any other brands? I assume I should change these when I do everything else, but if that's not the case let me know.

-For the timing chain, is the Comp Cams Magnum chain listed on LRS ($40) for some reason inferior to the FRPP ones which cost more than double?

Thanks

 

[deathb4dismount]

I ended up getting TFS 170 heads and I have a few follow up questions as I piece together the rest of the package...

-I bought the assembled heads which have the 1.46" valvesprings. When purchasing roller rockers, should I consider upgrading to the larger 7/16" studs and purchasing corresponding rockers, or will the included 3/8" stud be ok given the capabilities of my valvesprings? As I mentioned before I may at least explore the idea of a custom cam. So I guess I want to know if I should worry about the weak link--the springs or the studs? (Or am I being crazy?)

-As for the roller rockers, is there any stud mount rocker that is exceptionally good or bad? Ie something I must have or must avoid? Steel vs Aluminum? Any brands? I've noticed the Trick Flow 3/8" set as well as the Comp Cams 17043-16 set. Both are aluminum and bother are 1.6 ratio.

-For lifters, are the FRPP ones offered on Latemodel Restoration good parts? They offer a standard version ($123) and a performance version ($199). Is there any real life difference? Any other brands? I assume I should change these when I do everything else, but if that's not the case let me know.

-For the timing chain, is the Comp Cams Magnum chain listed on LRS ($40) for some reason inferior to the FRPP ones which cost more than double?

Thanks

You are pretty much building the same combo I have. I have tfs 170s stage 1 cam tfs 1.6 rockers cobra intake and shorties. I put down 271 to the wheels. Port the cobra or go with another intake and go longtubes. Those are my two biggest regrets. Start saving for a new transmission too