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FE Power Forums => FE Technical Forum => Topic started by: gregaba on August 25, 2020, 11:29:30 AM

Title: TFS head stand height
Post by: gregaba on August 25, 2020, 11:29:30 AM
I am going to order a pair of TFS heads in a couple of months and while going though the search pages I found a few post with the TFS stands are .300 taller then the stock stands.
I have a new set of the POP stands and need to know if I need to take the .300 off the bottom of the stands or mill the head stands down?
I am thinking of buying a complete set of their heads instead of the bare castings because the cost is only a couple of hundred more then bare.
Are their valves etc of a good enough quality to make this worthwhile of should I buy after market valve train?
Are there  any other mod's I will have to do to make these work?
Thanks
Greg
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: blykins on August 25, 2020, 12:00:42 PM
TFS stands are .300" higher.  The valves are .050" longer, so that leaves a net difference of .250". 

The valves are good quality (made by Ferrea if I understand correctly) and I've had 700 lbs of spring pressure on them so far.  The springs are made by PAC and the retainers are made by Crane.  Good parts.  Not rebuilder junk like you use to see on Edelbrock heads.

I have never just bolted a set of rockers on and rolled.  At the very least they have needed .080" taken off, all the way to .250".  It will just depend on what rockers you use as to what you'll have to take off the stands. 
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: gregaba on August 25, 2020, 02:16:10 PM
I will be using Harland Sharp roller rockers.
So I guess I will have to take off what I need from the heads and not the stands.
Thanks for the reply.
Greg
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 25, 2020, 02:20:46 PM
Just went through this with my new TF heads.  I cut the heads, so you don't have to bastardize the rockers.  Keeps them universal!
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: 1968galaxie on August 25, 2020, 02:23:53 PM
Perhaps Brent would know the answer to my question.
What rocker arm manufacturer did TFS use for the FE cylinder head they designed and manufacture?
Does TFS recommend a brand that does not require modification?

Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: blykins on August 25, 2020, 02:51:46 PM
I don't like cutting the heads because you lengthen the oil feed hole.  It's kinda like grinding a crankshaft, the more you cut off, the more it modifies the hole.  If you cut .200" off the stand pads on the head, you'd lose the hole altogether.  Doesn't make a big deal when you oil only through pushrods (as long as you block oil off at block deck or cam bearing), but then you lose the advantage of using longer stand studs, etc.  I have cut the stands on every set I've used, except for when I do T&D race rockers with them. 

TFS recommends Harland Sharp rockers in their instruction sheet but different stands will give different results.  My own rocker arms are made by Harland Sharp and I have to cut about .100" off the stands when I use POP stands.
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: blykins on August 25, 2020, 06:18:49 PM
Just went through this with my new TF heads.  I cut the heads, so you don't have to bastardize the rockers.  Keeps them universal!

Didn't you buy the T&D paired race rockers?  You don't have a choice when you use those, you have to cut the heads for the sub bar.
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: BattlestarGalactic on August 25, 2020, 08:11:01 PM
Yes.  Even before I took the plunge on T/D, I was going to cut the heads because I was not going to cut up my vintage Dove stuff.  When I realized that they were not going to survive, I got T/D.
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: Gregwill16 on August 25, 2020, 09:01:58 PM
Maybe this has been answered, but will HR stands come closer to working on the TFS heads?
Title: Re: TFS head stand height
Post by: My427stang on August 25, 2020, 09:06:55 PM
I have at a pretty constant .075 cut using Brent's rockers, I wouldn't let cutting a set of stands concern you.  It's a quick job and you just leave them paired to heads if you ever make a change.  The stands are relatively cheap