Pro-Comp Heads. Educate me.

Discussion in 'General Maverick/Comet' started by silver70, Apr 16, 2014.

  1. silver70

    silver70 Eric

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  2. franktf

    franktf Member

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    Poor quality, rocker alignment problems, cheap components..... Do I need to continue.....

    They can work, but by the time most people I know of got them sorted out it would have been cheaper to just buy a decent set of heads.....
     
  3. silver70

    silver70 Eric

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    Was this a while back? Possibly, could the company have solved those issues by now?

    For example, some people still complain about how Holley's always have their PV blow out, when, in fact, Holley added PV blow-out protection around 1995. Also, how there were major issues with some of their Truck Avenger carbs, but, were rectified in 2010.

    Eric
     
  4. lm14

    lm14 Member

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    Junk heads as they come. You can put new guides, valves, springs, retainers and heli-coil all the holes then you may get lucky and not have a porosity problem.

    There are better options out there, you get what you pay for.

    SPark
     
  5. franktf

    franktf Member

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    You asked and you have been warned!!!!! It's your money, if you want to buy them then do it.....
     
  6. groberts101

    groberts101 Member

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    I see many of those heads on the streets and at car shows.. but never on the nicer cars. Budget heads get installed on.. budget cars. Talk to the owners.. or even read the various forums.. and they'll tell you that it's a gamble where some get lucky.. and some don't. Power increases are only average compared to other entry level castings and far behind industry leaders like AFR and such.

    While I will say that they actually have improved porosity/core shift and "assembled" quality to some degree.. you must imagine that corners are being cut somewhere to be priced so low. And that would be in machining(the geometry and valve jobs can suck badly sometimes) and parts quality(dropped valve anyone?).

    Frank pretty well nailed it in his first reply and they'll need to be disassembled and checked out at the very least(more $$$ spent there). And fixed where needed(sometimes MUCH more $$$). Which basically means that they'll nickel and dime you to death to eventually exceed the cost of money spent on better parts up front.
     
  7. RMiller

    RMiller My name is Rick

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    Actually a great example. Consider this side of it, those Holley carbs have been around since the late 50's/60's (? the date) so it took 30+ years to decide to fix the issue. Manufactures are slow to redesign a fix for issues, it's expensive.
     
  8. rotorr22

    rotorr22 Member

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    I think you may have answered your own question.
     
  9. Moneymaker 1

    Moneymaker 1 Green Street Beasts

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    They say Pro Comp on them, that's enough to look elsewhere!
     
  10. silver70

    silver70 Eric

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    Please, don't get me wrong... I intend to remain neutral and am just trying to establish a history. I haven't decided on anything, yet.

    If someone had problems with these heads 20 years ago, swore them off, and have not even glanced at them since, then I need to start looking at more recent experiences. This way, I can determine if there has been a consistent QC problem, or, if there has just been an ingrained bad rep that the company has not yet managed to shake off, seeing as how they've been used in a few magazine articles over the past recent years.

    groberts101, remember those Trick Flow heads I posted about a few weeks ago? You were right... PTV clearance issues in a major way because of the offset valves. So, I sold them to my cousin and am now looking for other heads. That's the reason for this post. Just exploring all the options.

    I used to run AFR 185's, so, I am familiar with what a quality head is like. My buddy runs Edelbrock Performer RPM's on a motor similar to mine, so, I've seen what those can do. I've got GT40P's on my '78 Bronco and think they're OK.

    Some of these "complete" Pro-Comp's are coming from third-party builders who are just using the bare castings and supplying all their own hardware. I, too, remember Pro-Comp's reputation from back-in-the-day. That's what got me wondering.

    Please, keep the info coming, guys.

    Thanks and much appreciated,
    Eric
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2014
  11. Rick

    Rick G8I operations

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    I had a set several years ago, 210cc Runners, 60cc Chambers pretty much an Edelbrock knock off. They performed a little less then a set of good old school ported iron heads I had. "think Dennis has these now". Id say they have a place on the street but for making power you gotta pay to play.

    Now I'm a big fan of Trickflow, nothing like a set of Highports or R heads for big power.

    And for what its worth this is my experience of actually owning a set and not something I read on the net.
     
  12. Krazy Comet

    Krazy Comet Tom

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    Agreed, I have a set of the std TF and with their Stage 1 cam run great... No piston clearance issues even on flattops without valve reliefs that were .003 out of the hole...

    Unless you're running some sort of giant cam or pistons, you messed up when selling those...
     
  13. John Holden

    John Holden Member

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    Agreed. You would have been dollars ahead and without a doubt making tons more power if you kept the TFS heads and fixed the PTV clearance issue with a different cam grind or different pistons or fly cut your pistons. Everyone has been telling you the truth. Yes these same problems still exist. No it's not a thing of the past like you're saying. Simply put, don't east your money in pro comps. Save a little more and be trouble free and make more power. Pro-Comp are junk, nothing has changed. I somebody tells you different they are misinformed or ignorant. Save up. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Heads are the last place you want to skimp.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2014
  14. Rick

    Rick G8I operations

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    Now the question is what would you consider a giant cam to be? I think of mine as large but not really a giant.
     
  15. mrskydog

    mrskydog Ford Fan Living The Dream

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    Nice to see feedback on what everyone has seen. Anybody use Windsor Jr Heads World Products?
     

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