AFR vs. Trickflow cylinder heads

1991vert

10 Year Member
Feb 27, 2004
1,103
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Ludlow, MA
i was at a local stang store today and was asking about some heads... i told him i heard good things about the AFR 165's but then he pointed me in the direction of the trickflow twisted wedge heads. are the trickflow emissions legal and fit without flycutting the pistons? he said yes, but i want to ask people who have them. he also said they outflow the AFR165's. the trickflows are like $200 cheaper also. someone point me in the right direction please :rolleyes:
 
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afr 165 > trickflow tw

i am a bit biased because i had them on my old fox.
the afr165's putout some pretty decent numbers. even better when paired with a holley systemax intake.
 
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Oh no, not one of these again!! :nonono: Each head will put out similar track and dyno numbers. Its ALL in the combo. Im not gonna get into this internet racer battle i've already seen what BOTH heads can/will do ;)
 
Those are two of the best heads on the market. It definitely depends on the rest of the combo, but you should be happy with either one. If I could save $200, I would definitely go with the TFS heads.

Both heads are emissions legal, and neither one should require you to flycut your pistons. You can't go wrong either way.
 
I would spring for the AFR's. They have the smaller valves, and smaller ports, yet flow about the same at peak, but the AFR's flow better at lower lift levels. It seems AFR 165's put down really good wide torque curves. You can't loose either way really.
 
1991vert said:
well right now im swinging towards the AFRs. i have a cobra intake right now a 65mm throttle body and a 73mm MAF. what intake would you suggest i go with?


How fast do you wanna go? Where do you want your power? Goals of the car? I will help you pick your parts once i hear back from you. Also how much can you spend?
 
Takin from there websites:

TFS Twisted Wedge

Lift Value: Intake Flow: Exhaust Flow:
(CFM) (CFM)

0.100" 63 53
0.200" 141 107
0.300" 205 144
0.400" 233 171
0.500" 251 187
0.600" 251 193

AFR 165cc

Lift Value: Intake Flow: Exhaust Flow:
(CFM) (CFM)

0.100" N/A N/A
0.200" 129 121
0.300" 186 155
0.400" 228 192
0.500" 244 207
0.600" 254 215
 
I don't know if I should have put this up.The two companies many have different ways of measuring flow.But from the graph I would say get the TFS heads as a light exhaust clean up with a polishing head will improve flow dramaticly.
 
well i have enough $$$ to get either heads really. well after this upcoming thursday i will. i will be happy with 300rwhp if it's possible...and a blower later on :D maybe an a-trim or something small.

also what injectors should i run? 24# or 30#?
 
I have TFS heads and love them. I have no complaints at alll. I figure it like this. 4-7 hp diff you can see on a dyno but if your out there doing serious bracket racing what the difference, your never gonna see it.. I can understand a person saying I want all the HP I can get but honestly both heads are great. If I did how ever have the coin when I bought mine it would of been Air flows though, they flow better. What was the nimbers, for every 100 horse is what a second or something like that. I forgot what i read once before.
 
1991vert said:
well i have enough $$$ to get either heads really. well after this upcoming thursday i will. i will be happy with 300rwhp if it's possible...and a blower later on :D maybe an a-trim or something small.

also what injectors should i run? 24# or 30#?


30lb injectors definatly. 1 5/8" longtubes if you can swing it. 300rwhp is kinda easy. Port the cobra lower and have the runners straightened and open up the manifold inlet to run a 75mm TB, but the 65mm is ok if moneys an object. Either head is more than capable of 300rwhp and both will make insane power with a supercharger. My personal opinion is trickflow track heat heads. I suggest www.flowtechinduction.com or www.camshaftinnovations.com for a camshaft. I also suggest good subframe connectors like some MM full lengths.
 
i think i would go afr instead of trick flow. the only reason i have for that is i have head a lot of talk about trick flow wanting to somewhat specialioze there stuff meaning they kinda want there stuff to only fit with there stuff. fair enough but i like to mix and match. I was steered away from them myself. the twit steered me in the entire wrong direction though. sigh i bought holley system max 2 heads. sigh oh i wish i could do that again. i should probably install those heads on my pick-up and get the afr 185's for my soon to be ordered 408 short block. mind you those holley heads have made good power on my 351W but i want more
 
bluevenom867 said:
I was looking at MM&FF Ultimate Guide to 5.0 heads, Group 2, Part 4.The TFS TW made only 10hp less and 9ft-bls of torque less than the AFR 185cc, and actually made better average hp.


Is there anyway you can scan the dyno results and post the combo they used in that test? I believe it was a 331 or a 347? I been looking for that issue and I can't find it in my room. [email protected]

Mike
 
86bluecobra said:
i think i would go afr instead of trick flow. the only reason i have for that is i have head a lot of talk about trick flow wanting to somewhat specialioze there stuff meaning they kinda want there stuff to only fit with there stuff. fair enough but i like to mix and match. I was steered away from them myself. the twit steered me in the entire wrong direction though. sigh i bought holley system max 2 heads. sigh oh i wish i could do that again. i should probably install those heads on my pick-up and get the afr 185's for my soon to be ordered 408 short block. mind you those holley heads have made good power on my 351W but i want more


What are you talking about? TFS TW heads fit any normal stock style header. A TFS hi port and a TFS R head requires special headers due to the raised exhaust ports just like afr 205 and 225's. You can run any intake manifold you want with these heads. Theres MANY guys with trickflow heads running cobra/gt40 intake or edelbrocks.

If you wanna put afr's on your 408 stroker you shouldbe looking at 205's or 225's.