5.0 Top End Kit - Which is Best?

[werstlna]

I'm looking at adding some N/A power to a '92 notch. It currently has 3.73 gears, short shifter, and lowered ~2" with good suspension stuff and a strut tower brace up front. I'll eventually go with headers, some kind of high flow cat X/H pipe, and whatever flavor of muffler.

I want to make some good power out of the engine doing it all at once, figuring it'll be cheaper/easier/more reliable to get a kit rather than piece something together. I don't want FI right now, but in the future it may happen. Here's what I've found so far.

Up first for $1,600 is the Cobra intake with GT40p heads, and this kit includes shorty headers: 87-93 Engine Kit, Top End - Satin Cobra Intake, Gt40p Heads, & E303 Cam at LRS - Same Day Shipping!.

Then there's the $2,450 Trick Flow kit with Street Heat Twisted Wedge heads, intake, etc but no headers: 87-93 Engine Kit, Top End - Street Heat With Silver Powdercoat at LRS - Same Day Shipping!. It claims to make up to 350hp/370tq.

Is the Trick Flow kit worth the extra $850? What difference in power and reliability is there? What's the "best" kit out there without spending huge money?

 

[SVTsupremecy]

Id go trick flow or AFR....ive heard brodix is legit too. This is just if it were me, ive heard alot of good things about those 3 companies

 

[stocksnake97]

imo no it is not worth the extra $850 cause i had a very similar set up as the cobra intake and the gt40p heads.
my setup was explorer intake and gt 40 heads and E303 cam with shorty headers and it put down 280hp/305tq with nothing ported or anything. the place that i had it dynod at was impressed cause they have seen trick flow upper end kits not but down as much power.
That could have been better it everything was ported and all

OH and i am not saying anything bad about trick flow or any other company but that is what i have seen. I have raced a few cars that have had better stuff than what i ahve and driven them as well but my car seem to pull harder than theirs

 

[KingBlack]

ive done 302 builds...avoid those kits, a better combo for the money is AFR 185 and track heat intake or RPM2. thats the hot ticket if you got cash let over ed curtis custom cam

 

[slick4_6]

ive done 302 builds...avoid those kits, a better combo for the money is AFR 185 and track heat intake or RPM2. thats the hot ticket if you got cash let over ed curtis custom cam

+1 My cousin has AFR 165, RPM intake and an Ed Curtis cam and it went 12.6 @ 110 with no tuning. It had an aftermarket MAF, 3.73 gear, 65mm throttle body, 24lb injectors and a 190lph fuel pump on all season tires. He tuned it by adjusting the fuel pressure and twisting the distributor. The cam was ground so that the valves would not hit the factory pistons which are not notched.

 

[blownfox]

you will have more potential with the trick flow heads than the GT40.

I made 305 rwhp wiht my trick flow kit and dd if for 2 years. The kit was complete and I did not have to worry about pushrods, gaskets, bolts, rockers, timing chaing and other little things.

 

[Blown_By_You]

Gt40's suck.. thats why they come factory..


Go with afr's or trickflows...fti cam..

 

[94Gt5.0]

AFR 185's with a RPMII intake, and a TFS Stage2 camshaft/Curtis cam.