Sorry kinda long...
Spent the last several months reading the 8 part article in MM&FF on the head comparison. Decided that the AFR 185 was my favorite choice. When I received the new heads the nightmare began...
Problem #1: One of the heads was drilled for a 1/2 inch stud the other a 7/16. Thought, I can deal with this bought ARP head bolt retainer washers from Summit.
Problem #2: One head had a 1420 part number, the other a 142 part number. According to AFR one MAY be ported one MAY not. The tech we talked to didn't seem to know or care, but seemed to be more interested in playing the game on the computer than their job as "tech support".
Problem #3: The cheap rocker studs that come with the heads ARE NOT long enough. The rocker arm nut only screws on about 3 turns before its tight, at TDC. So the locking screw tightens all the way down into the nut, until it can't be seen at all. Basiclly the stud are WAY to short at least by a 1/2 inch.
Also the studs are not machined on the end so the locks don't tighten down at all.
Problem #4 I have BBK shorty headers with a 3/16 inch flange. I have a 1 inch ARP header bolt with (1) washer. Same bolt that was on my stock heads. I tightened the bolt down to where it was tight. The gasket was still loose not making a seal at all. I discovered that the header bolt was bottomed out inside the head. So I had to stack (3) washers on each header bolt to get the correct seal on the gasket. Boy that looks nice a stack of (3) washers on each header bolt! Especially when it goes to a car show one day.
Problem #5 AFR is blaming our installation. I have told AFR that I have 2 Master Ford Technicians doing this job with 19 almost 20 years of experience for each tech. We have measured and re-measured everything for them. They then blaimed the push rod length, we have started the car, let it idle then pulled the valve covers. The wear marks are dead center over the valve from the rocker arm. I am running a TFS stage 1 cam with 1.7 Scorpion rocker arms.
If I were to do it all over again I would have NEVER bought AFR and would have had bought the TFS heads. So much for my "dream heads" being AFR 185. Has anyone had this much trouble with AFR products or is it just me? I would have had less problems and drama putting Cleveland heads on my 302!
Spent the last several months reading the 8 part article in MM&FF on the head comparison. Decided that the AFR 185 was my favorite choice. When I received the new heads the nightmare began...
Problem #1: One of the heads was drilled for a 1/2 inch stud the other a 7/16. Thought, I can deal with this bought ARP head bolt retainer washers from Summit.
Problem #2: One head had a 1420 part number, the other a 142 part number. According to AFR one MAY be ported one MAY not. The tech we talked to didn't seem to know or care, but seemed to be more interested in playing the game on the computer than their job as "tech support".
Problem #3: The cheap rocker studs that come with the heads ARE NOT long enough. The rocker arm nut only screws on about 3 turns before its tight, at TDC. So the locking screw tightens all the way down into the nut, until it can't be seen at all. Basiclly the stud are WAY to short at least by a 1/2 inch.
Also the studs are not machined on the end so the locks don't tighten down at all.
Problem #4 I have BBK shorty headers with a 3/16 inch flange. I have a 1 inch ARP header bolt with (1) washer. Same bolt that was on my stock heads. I tightened the bolt down to where it was tight. The gasket was still loose not making a seal at all. I discovered that the header bolt was bottomed out inside the head. So I had to stack (3) washers on each header bolt to get the correct seal on the gasket. Boy that looks nice a stack of (3) washers on each header bolt! Especially when it goes to a car show one day.
Problem #5 AFR is blaming our installation. I have told AFR that I have 2 Master Ford Technicians doing this job with 19 almost 20 years of experience for each tech. We have measured and re-measured everything for them. They then blaimed the push rod length, we have started the car, let it idle then pulled the valve covers. The wear marks are dead center over the valve from the rocker arm. I am running a TFS stage 1 cam with 1.7 Scorpion rocker arms.
If I were to do it all over again I would have NEVER bought AFR and would have had bought the TFS heads. So much for my "dream heads" being AFR 185. Has anyone had this much trouble with AFR products or is it just me? I would have had less problems and drama putting Cleveland heads on my 302!