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RE: Twisted Wedge Cautions

To: "'twojohnsons@home.com'" <twojohnsons@home.com>
Subject: RE: Twisted Wedge Cautions
From: "Ronak, TP (Timothy)" <Timothy.P.Ronak@akzo-nobel.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 15:37:38 -0500
Al,
Thanks for the heads up. I am aware that there are issues and I do not
expect them to be a "bolt on". I do like some of the features and hope that
with a torque monster 350 C.I. engine it will benefit from the additional
airflow capacity of the TFS TW heads given the fact that the longer stroke
should benefit from additional breathing. I had already planned on running
roller rockers as well as hardened pushrods anyway so I am anticipating both
extra costs. I have heard from a couple of guys who have run the heads with
NO difficulty but they were on mild engines and they actually read the
instructional info and ensured that the Pushrod length was correct. I
currently have Ferraro ???? sp Valves and the guides are not steel that I
can tell. The one thing I did notice is that when the positive valve seals
were installed they wrecked 2 of them and had I run the heads as sold they
would have failed. 
Regardless, I am now committed to running them and will just be extra
careful with the geometry issue.
Thanks for your input, Al.
Regards,
Tim Ronak 

                -----Original Message-----
                From:   twojohnsons@home.com [mailto:twojohnsons@home.com]
                Sent:   Thursday, September 28, 2000 7:08 AM
                To:     Ronak, TP (Timothy)
                Cc:     Tiger List
                Subject:        Re: Twisted Wedge Cautions

                You have early Twisted Wedge heads that were beset w/all
kinds of problems.
                that's why the factory used to convert them to stud mount
free of charge. Summit
                owns them now, so maybe there's where the $100 comes from.
I'm also told that
                the twisted geometry puts stress on the valve train, & the
early heads used
                cheap valve train parts which wore prematurely. Steel valve
guides were
                particularly stressed. The Mustang tech boards are full of
this discussion, and
                can provide detail. That's what scared me away and convinced
me to buy
                Edelbrocks, which have a reputation for quality. TW heads do
provide lots more
                HP than most of the other streetable heads, including
Edelbrock, tho.  By the
                time you pay for stud-mounted rockers, you'll void the
bargain price. And stock
                length pushrods will NOT fit, so budget for them too. Be
sure and check all the
                threads on used heads, before mounting them, because they
commonly strip out of
                the aluminum. They can be drilled out and helicoiled. Try
the www.corral.net 5.0
                tech board for more info.
                Al J.

                "Ronak, TP (Timothy)" wrote:

                > Listers,
                > As I have said already I have managed to get some TFS
Twisted Wedge Heads
                > from Theo (Theo gave my Wife a great deal and I got them
for my Birthday ;>)
                > ). I am going to be putting them on a 350 C.I.  - 1990 5.0
motor (The Lunati
                > EA31 Kit best price quoted yet is $3300 in Canadian
dollars from Guyon
                > Racing). I have found out some rather interesting
information about the
                > suitability of these heads for performance applications.
                > In contact with TFS I learned that the type of head that I
have (Pedestal
                > mounted Rocker Arms as per Stock) are not suitable to
performance cam usage.
                > In fact I was told that it is necessary to convert my
heads to stud mount
                > and I need to send them my heads and have them drilled and
tapped by them to
                > ensure that the geometry is correct as there is a compound
angle to deal
                > with. They are very accommodating in this and only want to
charge $100 US
                > and they include guide-plates.
                > Apparently the heads work fine with stock cams and stock
applications but if
                > you move to a higher than stock lift cam you need to be
aware that the head
                > "MAY" cause side loading of the valve causing the valve
tip and guide to
                > fail prematurely. This is especially true if you use
non-roller tip rockers
                > and incorrect length pushrods.
                > As far as I can tell it looks as though they are the ones
to run and I am
                > really looking forward to getting all of the bits
together.
                >
                > Any Listers want to comment on what hydraulic roller cam I
should run with a
                > carburetor in the 350?
                > Anyone want to comment on the cam to run in case I don't
run the Lunati kit
                > and wind up building the 302?
                >
                > Best Regards,
                > Tim Ronak
                > B382000680

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