Ford Racing Z304DA vs AFR 185 comparison with Flow numbers, watch before you buy!

Pros and Cons on Ford Racing Z304 SBF heads. Additional info-88% throat and SSR speed is 312FPS Z304 vs 90% throat and 350FPS AFR 185.

[@Savage_Oak]

I'm still very happy with my CPR 331/Afr 195 combo that you built for me 5-6 years ago. Glad to see you making videos

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

Glad to hear that, no matter what shop, I have always done the best possible for my customers.

[@dougcrosby6994]

The old Canfield heads would flow in the 330's with a little work. The Z heads should easily get there as well but I agree....over priced. Typically "porters" castings are cheaper to allow cylinder head shops to finish them and make a little profit. The AFR Enforcer castings are imported. Their US castings are slowly coming more available now but they took a big hit when Edelbrock shut down their casting plant in California. TrickFlow High-ports are still my favorite. The ProFiler and Brodix ST heads for more budget oriented builds and have plenty of room for porting down the road as the build progresses....as they always do. Cool video! Lots of good info and video angles to see the pertinent details!! Thanks for that!

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

Yes, the Canfields can flow a lot more with work and same with the Z304 which now the customers wants to do some blending to. Video was just to show how overpriced the Z304 heads are for the brand loyal enthusiast.

[@timweb1510]

Where or when do you think I can buy a trickflow box intake? Trickflow took them off the market over a year ago due to alleged foundry issues. You can’t find the damn intake manifold anywhere for a 351w. Been looking used for a long time too. They just got the upper part only back online within the past month but without the bottom I can’t use the intake. Curious of your thoughts

[@dougcrosby6994]

​@@timweb1510I've got no good answer for you. I'd suggest you look at other lowers and see if any of them use the same gasket for the upper....or if they are close enough that a little porting will solve any port alignment issues. I'm not familiar with that intake in particular. The only box-type intakes i ever used we made from blown-up intakes...like from a nitrous backfire. We'd take the upper and bandsaw the bottom runners and throttle body flange off and weld our own box together. That way we could put nitrous bungs and vacuum ports where we wanted them as well.

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

@@timweb1510 Kind of hard to say, Ebay would be the first choice or maybe run an EFI single plane with an elbow. Been running that set up for over 20 years.

[@TheRdub82]

Hey good video! I always thought those Ford heads were asking a lot for the money. We know that Trickflow Twisted Wedges and Hi Ports are near that price and will outflow the Z304 heads by far. The AFR's do the same as also. You look like the guy from Coast High Performance. Not sure if that's you. Anyways would like to see more of these SBF and LS and LT testing if you have time.

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

Yes sir, TFA and AFR for the win! LOL, that is me, I left CHP years ago and Vigilante Performance is my company. Might do more testing in the future, now focus is on our cylinder head and engine builds.

[@Turbo4Joe363]

I've always been a FORD guy... But when I built my 8.2" deck 363, I chose AFR 195 Renegade cylinder heads. Ford's Z304 just didn't compare to the AFR 195s.

[@onebadbarron04]

My Z304s cost $1800 for the pair and had them ported By Duane Busch, they now flow 340in/272ex with a 2.08 valve, there is still a good bit left in them ,

[@tomhamilton9140]

M-6049-Z304DA7 Model Fits 302/351 Windsor engines "Z-HEAD" ALUMINUM - ASSEMBLED 63CC WITH 7MM VALVE Both heads do use offset intake rocker arms.

[@KingJT80]

AFRs dont use offset rocker arms. at least not the 185. they just use a regular scorpion rocker arm they sell on their website what you need is 2 piece pushrod guide plates and that's why AFR and most aftermarket ford heads use them. so you can align them correctly

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

The Z304 heads do need the offset for the Intake and the 7mm casting helps with valvetrain stability for sure but still overpriced in our opinion.

[@edgarcontreras6137]

🖐 Saludos Gabi Laviosa.. Edgar Contreras Eguita.. desde San Francisco Zulia Venezuela 🇻🇪

[@drcolster]

The Ford head needs work in the bowl and short turns... do some work and flow again, see what the numbers are... they will probably pick up big numbers...many guys like genuine factory parts...

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

Correct, they would pick up a good amount but for what they cost, we believe that should have been done by Ford Racing.

[@drcolster]

@@vigilanteperformance8318 You never get much out of Ford.... They are alll about mega profit...

[@shvrdavid]

@@vigilanteperformance8318 Accountants only write checks, they don't finish parts........

[@kevdaceo]

So for a stock 302 in a street truck. The AFR 185 would be good to go with cam, Intake and exhaust. Or would i need to go 306 for the heads to work well.

[@KingJT80]

185 is like a 6500+ RPM head a 302 in a truck id be using the 165s so the valves clear depending on what cam you use. TF 170s would also work

[@kevdaceo]

@KingJT80 Yea I saw the 165s once I looked on website.

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

Something people forget is that intake runner affects torque/RPM range. A 165 AFR is proven on 302’s. 185 will also work with the right cam.

[@KingJT80]

@@vigilanteperformance8318i might do the 185 myself on a 302 but its not in a truck, its in my zephyr but we'll see...

[@fordhoarder]

Very informative video. A steady camera would really make this excellent.

[@kurtkurt9814]

How does the ford 6049-Z2 head compare? 271 CFM at 0.5

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

All old data was lost, would have to flow on and actually see the runners, short turn, bowl, etc. To give an educated opinion. As we said in the video, there are ways to make heads flow on the bench but does not mean they will make power.

[@AmericanThunder]

The camera is a little frustrating

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

For you and us LOL, done after a 12 hour day, will prevent that in the future.

[@MP-pz9oe]

How about the 185 AFR vs 170 11R ?

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

If 11R’s come in, we will be glad to make a flow plate and test them.

[@95Sn95]

I don't know for sure I'm not an expert by any means just a guy who sees things and thinks but I would think a raised port on a street car would be kinda a waste of time and money, my theory is with an under chassis header the straighter shot gained from the raised port is somewhat diminished by the added angle on the primary tube... And with the header fitment hassle would make it not worth it. I may be way off and its still better flowing even with under chassis headers? With race car chassis where the header doesn't have as many routing constrictions the raised runner may pay dividends...?

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

While the exhaust port would be more efficient, yes, header fitment can be an issue. The other issue is the valve cover rail is a bit higher so on FOX style EFI intakes, the intake might hight the valve covers or require a spacer.

[@Hjfvvdst]

Wow! Ford is proud of those heads. Who makes them for ford? They kinda look like tfs high ports. Another 2 to 3 grand and you probably would have some good preforming heads. Ha. Considering port work machine work special rockers headers ect. Your getting into CHI money.

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

Look up the old Ford Canfield heads, looks like they might be using that tooling.

[@Hjfvvdst]

@vigilanteperformance8318 I actually had a set of those. They where real good heads back in the day. Champion racing heads ported them for me. 1993 I think.

[@nothanks81]

Who' casting the heads for ford now? Buddy bar?

[@vigilanteperformance8318]

Look like a Buddy Bar but no idea, AFR had to get their Renegades castings in China because of the delays with BB.

[@boostedperformance4529]

All heads are overpriced

[@sstevocamaro]

Glad I got a pair before the price hike

[@erikalston4496]

Z304 is a much better engineered head

[@KingJT80]

And TF 11Rs are even better for 600.00 less than a factory HP head like the z304 for the same CC or larger

[@erikalston4496]

@@KingJT80 thats an 11 degree valve angle head z304 and afr are stock sbf 20 degree valve angle. So if you wanna go there lets go with Ford Racing D3's

[@KingJT80]

@@erikalston4496 you cant even compare a D3 to a 11r if thats the case id buy a TF high port 225/240 over a D3 any day of the week (hell, even a AFR renegade 220) and come out ahead with everything machined. D3s dont even have rocker stud holes machined

[@erikalston4496]

@@KingJT80 D3 flows 100cfm more than a afr 220/high ports. You shouldn't have compared an 11° head with rotated valves to heads with stock angles and alignment.

[@KingJT80]

@@erikalston4496 I compared a street head to another street head out the box. Shouldn't matter the angle. The d3 is anything but a street head. The z304s are over priced for the same or less power and speed that's why no one buys them much unless they came on a crate engines and everyone runs TF or AFR heads on Windsors