AFR 205 head problems

I have no experience with what you are dealing with, but it is obvious that this is a head issue and not a gasket issue. Besides the rocker arm issue, it is painfully obvious to me that the machining is off on these heads. When the gasket lines up on the block, but the combustion chambers don't line up on the gasket, but the bolt holes do, tells me that the combustion chambers will not line up with the cylinder bores, no matter what gasket you use or how you move it around. You may be able to make them work, but wrong is wrong and I wouldn't put up with it. This brings me to a question that I was going to ask anyway for my own knowledge, aren't sbf heads identical? In other words, it doesn't matter which side of the engine you use them on? At any rate, I would WRITE to AFR demanding a reply to the issues involved with these heads. Send the letter certified mail,return reciept. You may find that while they are perfectly willing to give you the run-around over the phone, they may step up and "find" a good set of heads for you before they admit they can't build a head properly in print. When you write the letter, include a subtle request to "send reply to...." and include your address.

Talked to Jason at AFR again today my heads are in the mail and should be here by Friday. They are including a set of 1011-1's. He told me the fire ring is not hanging over into the combustion chamber anymore than they do on his personnal car. When they get here if they don't look right, I am going to do some seious measureing and see if I can figure out the problem. One of my heads sealed, so their should be a difference between them.

[quote=BRANDON6;139789. One of my heads sealed, so their should be a difference between them.[/quote] I don't know what that means. My question was whether SBF were identical, and that was my point. If they are, (as I suspect), then one head sealing and one not means that they are all over the place machining these heads.

Originally Posted by BRANDON6

Talked to Jason at AFR again today my heads are in the mail and should be here by Friday. They are including a set of 1011-1's. He told me the fire ring is not hanging over into the combustion chamber anymore than they do on his personnal car. When they get here if they don't look right, I am going to do some seious measureing and see if I can figure out the problem. One of my heads sealed, so their should be a difference between them.

I have new gaskets and 165 heads ready to install. I called and asked why not use the 1011-2 copper ring gasket thinking it would be better for the head. I have an earlier engine and the different gasket suggestion did not make sense to me. I was told to use the 1011-1 steel ring. I got the impression there were some failures with the copper ring. I held up an 8548 PT-1. That is a beefy gasket and now I wonder why we can't use them. I held up a 1011-1 and it has the narrow ring. I did not see any of it fall in the chamber but I will check it closer later. I will be putting it together soon. I think I will take a couple pictures just to document it.

I have new 205s coming so Im glad this was posted.

What is the final recommended head gasket?

so what's up? why no update?

Boy...lots of discussion back and forth with the manufacturer...for what seems to me to be a cut and dry case of:

'Send me a new fookin cylinder head kthx!'

It's sort of funny, I have a set of Canfield 195's, a set of 228cc High Ports, and have recently handled a set of worked Twisted Wedge heads...and gasket shrouding is something I check religiously.

Never had an issue.

But if I did...I know that neither of the above manufacturers would be so assinine as to say that I should just crutch it at my expense with an improper gasket. If I'm paying, what do AFR 205's cost again??? $1,850?!?! (good LORD why would someone pay that??) If I'm paying that for a set of freaking heads...I'd better get a bit better customer service.



Oh well, this is one instance where I guess you don't get what you paid for.

Cris

If I was in the hole for $1200.00 +++ $$$$ I would still be bitching. There are the stupid mistakes that you make yourself, but they have some value... it's called a learned experiance. This issue has no redemption at all, since it is not your fault.

If the AFR's do have registration issues. I would allert them to the fact that the best FORD forum on the net is slowely trashing the reputaion of this product, and see if that lights a fire under thier ass...

A smear campain... must be atleast 3 - 4 ford sites, maybe visit a couple of chevy sites... bet you get action with-in a week. Make sure they know what your doing first, give them ONE MORE chance to make good..... Make this very clear to them.

Tell them when the track opens, you will have a huge sign on your car, saying why you can't race...!!!!

$1500.00 to them is not worth 30 - 40 people being talked into Twisted Wedges...

I too am curious as to how this plays out. If 2 heads are not the same, there is certainly a production problem and the consumer should not be stuck with a band-aid type fix. Hell, the cheap arse ProComps I was using had near perfect head gasket alignment with a 1011-2 gasket.

If I was the OP and wanted action (as suggested above), I'd post here: Corral Forums A properly introduced post with pics and factual information will result in buyer satisfaction as long as the buyer does not come off as an ass. AFR's have a very, very good following there and to top it off, Jason from AFR is an active member. I'd bet that that site is the leading contributor for most of the Ford AFR sales that are found on the net.

This is exactly why I will not buy another set of AFR heads. Number one, they are very highly over-rated. They work well, but the quality of the castings are not as high as everyone says they are. My 225's have casting pits everywhere, even in the ports. Then I am seeing how AFR is not standing behind their product knowing full well that the head in question is obviously defective. And the defect itself is yet another reason I would look elsewhere.

I had a few problems with my Edelbrocks when I bought them, but they worked with me to get my problems fixed. Overall they were very willing to make my experience a positive one, and they succeeded. Those heads worked just as good as the AFR heads did at half the price.