You know everyone suggests that the first thing done is to replace the heads, go aftermarket its a must. I can agree and understand that this is a good choice given funds for a project are available. I will also agree that the ford heads pretty much such, however, I noticed something thanks to MM&FF. If you look at the hp and tq curve given identical engine combination other than heads the E7TE holds pretty well up to 4000-4500 rpm and loses by only 15-20 hp +/- from 4500 down with a lot of the aftermarket heads, there are a few that blow it away. So I guess I am getting at you can spend $500 realisticly and have these heads reworked to flow even better than stock and would compare even more if not exceed others especially the gt-40's. So if all a person wants is a nice street truck you can almost be confident you can build a cheaper engine using these common inexpensive heads and realistically under 4500 rpm have identical or more power than a fellow that runs identical combo with aftermarket heads. Aftermarket heads $1000, E7TE or your current smog crap heads would probably work as well, and people will almost give these away if you ask, common to see them for $100 decent miles and shape and port work runs roughly $400 +/- depending on where you go ( should mention that the early 69 heads are even better heads to rework and can be found for around $200), so, if you do normal street driving and don't wish to rev higher than 4500 which on the street you shouldn't anyway (now should you?), it makes perfect sense to go this route, given you have a competent machinist doing the port work. I know there are a lot of variables such as aftermarket heads can be found fairly cheap in some cases ready to go on or maybe you know someone who can make you a deal, this is kind of a general observation. Thinking out loud, except in this case it is okay if I get an answer, later

 

Which MM&FF did you read to get this valuable insight? I try not to read that anymore, the nekked women sprawling on cars really undermines the serious tech that they sometimes incorporate into their magazine.

The better aftermarket heads (Edelbrock Performer and RPM) should be a big improvement over stock even at very low RPM, except where the port volume is dramatically increased (180 cc intake volume or bigger). How did the smaller port aftermarket heads compare?

 

Well I looked at the september 2003 they did a comparison of the I guess you would call it introductory aftermarket heads gt-40p included and then I noticed it in the november 2003 issue (current one) they did a test along the lines of the next group of heads kinda like street/strip heads. While torque varied more than anything but the hp usually was within 25-30 at 4000 down compared to the bone stock E7TE heads. You might be surprised, who knows

As far as the models I don't think there are very many, besides my wife puts clothes on them with a marker as soon as I receive any automotive magazine. Ha ha. Later

 

Here is a couple of comparisons. The E7TE compared to the gt-40p where only off by 25hp and tq +/- at the worst case scenario and the curves where close other than that. The same was true with the E7TE against your favorite the world windsor Jr. , in comparison the E7TE where closer with the Jr. heads than the gt-40p up till 5500rpm then they jumped 10hp to 30hp difference and went on up until 6000 were they made a 50 hp difference. Still that is way overboard rpm wise for a street motor in a truck. Gt-40 turbo swirl did perform closely to the Jr's and only outdid them by couple of hp and 8 tq. Canfield upped the peak hp by 18 over the turbo swirls and make 65 hp more than the E7TE as well as 26 lb ft of tq more at peak. Brodix 5.0 and Holley systemax were close to the canfield and the edelbrock performer upped the hp over the previously mentioned by 5hp +/- and dropped the peak tq by 5 lb ft. The AFR 165 did blow them all away as expected but suffers from a 5700 rpm limit due to the springs, they made 90 more hp than the stock E7TE yet they make equal amounts of torque BUT, the E7TE made the torque 700 rpm sooner. So with this in mind $500 for reworked crap could be very competative with $1200 aftermarket considering it would exceed the afr tq when ported and would gain hp but nothing close then again the trucks want tq not necassarily hp, but you know that. Later hope this is enough info, any ?'s I will look at it and reply

As far as the rpm curves they were all similar no real dramatic jumps other than the afr hp, and as mentioned below 4000-4500 there were no dramatic differences given the design of the heads. Imagine if the E7TE were cnc (powerheads) machined as the AFR, I would like to see that comparison

 

ok, I have a request:

list the heads and performance in a list format, like so:

E7TE
Peak HP: XXX @ X RPM
Peak TQ: XXX @ X RPM
avg. TQ: XXX

Windsor Jr.
Peak HP: XXX @ X RPM
Peak TQ: XXX @ X RPM
avg. TQ: XXX

I would really appreciate it, but I guess I should just go buy the magazine

thanks

TK

 

I came back to repost to show you the avg hp and tq numbers as I figured you would be asking for them and you were. Here you go, makes one wonder doesn't it?


AVERAGE HP/TQ
E7TE 253/316
gt-40p 269/333
windsor JR 269/332
gt-40 turbo swirl 273/338
canfield 280/344
brodix 5.0 281/344
holley systemax 282/347
edelbrock performer 280/344
AFR 288/353



Peak hp/tq
E7TE 306@5300/342@4000
gt-40p 336@5700/359@4200
windsor jr 351@5900/355@4200
gt-40 turbo swirl 353@5600/363@4200
canfield 371@5800/368@4600
brodix 5.0 375@5800/369@4300
holley systemax 377@5900/369@4600
performer 384@6000/364@4300
AFR 165 396@5800/342@4700


See what I mean know? While this is the introductory heads aftermarket wise it is what one would expect for a truck engine upgrade. Not to mention this is throgh some tiny E7TE valves and ports compared to the others. I look at it like this if one has the money or availability go with some cheap gt-40p obviously it would be a better start to port and polish but the E7TE wouldn't be a complet loss. Get what I am saying?

I won't post the complet current issues test you can purchase that one, but I will say this much with the new cam the E7TE's made peak 351hp @5300 and peak tq 400@3800 and an average hp of 295 and average tq of 366 and in this test they put it up against gt-40x, windsor lights, ford racing Z304, canfield 192, roush 200, twisted wedge, and edelbrock performer rpm, brodix m2 5.0R, afr 185. As an example the peak tq difference between the afr 185 and e7te were 45 lb ft and on the hp side peak difference 90. average hp difference was 50 hp and average tq difference was 51lbft. So without a doubt there is some potential in those E7TE weather anyone wants to believe it or not. And they mention they performed better than the flow numbers let on. And the power went up almost in relation to the other heads in every respect, in some cases as expected the tq came on quicker. Makes you wonder huh, Later

 

thanks for the post. It really reaffirms my entire philosophy on hot rodding and upgrading:

the more Edelbrock parts you put on your vehicle, the better it will run, and the faster you will go.

For average TQ, average HP, and the very low HP peak RPM, the Edelbrock Performer heads are the supreme choice for a truck engine. Everything Edelbrock makes is the best. Some brands can obviously squeak a few HP by, but when it comes time to sit in traffic, and it's extremely hot or extremely cold outside, Edelbrock is there. They make parts that absolutely perform better than stock, and are more reliable than anything under the sun.

Question, did they test the Performer or Performer RPM heads?

 

I bet you are amazed at how the gt-40p performed against the windsor jr's as far as the average hp and tq.

 

You better look at the post again I was editing it when you read it.

 

Funny I came away with the impression that stock ported heads would perform as well or better and save some money that one doesn't have to spend. Oh well, edelbrock does have some good parts, I will admit that. later

 

It all depends on what you want and how much you have to spend to reach your objectives.

You definately want tq for the street. Yet understanding the difference between tq and hp is also helpful. Simplisticly speaking, tq determines how much work your engine can perform while hp determines how quickly that work will be done.

If all you want is a warmed over street truck, and your future plans dont include any other upgrades-then the stock heads w/pro porting (using an airflow bench) will suffice.

This name brand is better than that name brand isnt the answer. Understanding why those cylinder heads reacted the way they did is the answer.

The Exhaust/Intake Index % will tell you how well the head will perform. This Index % is obtained by dividing the Intake Port cc into the Exhaust Port cc. When looking at any level of performance you want your E/I % Index to be atleast 75%.

The ports should allow the airflow velocity leading up to the Cylinder to be no less than 700 fps (feet per second).

Anything more than 700 fps causes the airflow to go super-sonic: and then the air hits a brick wall (sound wise). The moment your airflow goes super-sonic is also the exact same point where your dyno run will indicate your hp falling as if it just fell off a cliff.

When looking at intake manifolds and cyl. heads you need to ensure that, for a street engine, your port's cross section area is .85 of your Intake Valve Area.

If all you want is a mildly warmed street engine, and are on a budget, then keep your cyl.heads & add a competant port job, mild alluminum dual plane intake manifold swap, with a complimentary cam upgrade: be realistic in your cam upgrade-DO NOT OVERCAM YOUR ENGINE.

If you plan on making addt'l upgrades in the future to obtain a hot street engine/mild strip engine then you will need to understand airflow velocity.

Kevin,

 

I agree