TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside
I can shift faster than you.
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From: Baton Rouge, LA
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside
hows the silicon help?
Jason
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From: Beamville, VA
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside Tin Indian, thanks for the heads up! I just spoke to Brent at TEA and he explained that every head porter, MTI, GTP, ARE remove the protrusion because it takes up chamber space and causes turbulent airflow. This is normal for all ported LS1 style heads. Just use any old kind of RTV on the intake rocker bolt threads and you'll be fine. And yes those flow numbers are specific to the pair of heads that I got. I should also mention that my flow sheet wasn't included in the package, however it was mailed to me 2 days later. Brent will also give you your numbers over the phone or via email. I can't wait to get my baby really screamin! 
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside Wouldn't it seem like these holes would cause turbulence for the intake air flow? It probably doesn't otherwise they wouldn't let this happen but I'm just curious.
So I gathered that the bolts don't go down that far which leads me to believe that the silicone won't make it that far, right? Because if it did wouldn't the silicone seep out of the holes and cause more turbulence and/or problems?
So if the bolts don't reach that far down why don't the head porters fill it up to where the holes occur with some sort of epoxy or what ever before they port the heads? This way they can achieve a nice smooth port with no holes.
So I gathered that the bolts don't go down that far which leads me to believe that the silicone won't make it that far, right? Because if it did wouldn't the silicone seep out of the holes and cause more turbulence and/or problems?
So if the bolts don't reach that far down why don't the head porters fill it up to where the holes occur with some sort of epoxy or what ever before they port the heads? This way they can achieve a nice smooth port with no holes.
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Cincinnati, Ohio
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside you guys are getting really worried over a "hole" that should more accurately be described as a "slit" that is barely visible.
-The silicone isn't to plug the hole, the silicone is to seal the threads and keep intake port vacuum from sucking oil from the valvetrain side of the head down the threads and into the intake charge.
-The problem with epoxy is, no head porter is going to gamble on how much fill to use when he has no idea what manufacturer's bolt, for whatever valvetrain you decide to use, will thread into the hole. Furthermore, I don't know offhand of any epoxy that is designed to live it's whole life saturated with a petro-chemical like gasoline.
Be reaslistic about this.. there are hundreds and hundreds of ported heads out there... Just because this is the first you've heard of the issue doesn't make it a reason to push the panic button.
-The silicone isn't to plug the hole, the silicone is to seal the threads and keep intake port vacuum from sucking oil from the valvetrain side of the head down the threads and into the intake charge.
-The problem with epoxy is, no head porter is going to gamble on how much fill to use when he has no idea what manufacturer's bolt, for whatever valvetrain you decide to use, will thread into the hole. Furthermore, I don't know offhand of any epoxy that is designed to live it's whole life saturated with a petro-chemical like gasoline.
Be reaslistic about this.. there are hundreds and hundreds of ported heads out there... Just because this is the first you've heard of the issue doesn't make it a reason to push the panic button.
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside I guess you could always put some aluminum expoxy there and smooth it out. As mentioned before, it would be a good idea to notify customers to use silicone.
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Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Chicago Heights, IL
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside FWIW, my CHS heads have that same old. I siliconed up my intake rocker bolts and had no worries.
Those are some mad exhaust flow numbers! I don't want to doubt what TEA is saying, but dayum! My heads flowed a peak of 205.4, and I still managed over 400 RWHP in my setup.
I would be interested to see the numbers of those heads on an independent bench.
Those are some mad exhaust flow numbers! I don't want to doubt what TEA is saying, but dayum! My heads flowed a peak of 205.4, and I still managed over 400 RWHP in my setup.
I would be interested to see the numbers of those heads on an independent bench.
TECH Resident
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Chattanooga,Tn
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside
yah...yah i am bitching about the fact that there are holes where there shouldn't be in a set of $1800 heads...is there something wrong with that? i was going to purchase them before this post...but now i'm not...i'm not gettho rigging anything with silicone after paying darn near 2 grand for it.
you can't get away from having holes there. The hole is only at the bottom of the rocker stud. Have you never seen a set of ported heads before? Almost every head I have ever seen that is ported well has this. Some are worse than other's it just depends on where the rocker bolt is located.
TECH Resident
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From: Chattanooga,Tn
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside I would be interested to see the numbers of those heads on an independent bench.
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: houston texas
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside ignorance is the queen to stupidity. All small blocks {iron}have had those holes for years.If you really wanted to get paranoid put locktite on the threads prior to installation the blue is perfect and also rinse the hole and the fastner with acetone just prior to installation.
If you seen any professionally ported heads you will find these defects.The quest for power is crazy and trust me as a head porter with a sign in front of his shop and not a garage door that if you are trying to make serius power over 600hp you will have to weld up the spring perches and remachine the pads flat due to the fact that the roof has been raised .250, so the bolt stud means nothing. put it in and run until the bottle catches you
If you seen any professionally ported heads you will find these defects.The quest for power is crazy and trust me as a head porter with a sign in front of his shop and not a garage door that if you are trying to make serius power over 600hp you will have to weld up the spring perches and remachine the pads flat due to the fact that the roof has been raised .250, so the bolt stud means nothing. put it in and run until the bottle catches you
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: tega cay, SC
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside i guess i'm stupid then because i haven't seen a set of heads ported to the verge of holes in them. i'm only 18, i wasn't around back when they had this stuff you call "iron blocks" so i don't know...lol jking. i'm gonna be doing studs though so should i still use silicone to file in the holes?
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside Those are some mad exhaust flow numbers! I don't want to doubt what TEA is saying, but dayum! My heads flowed a peak of 205.4, and I still managed over 400 RWHP in my setup.
ill say again, TEA use's a pipe to flow there exhaust. Thats why there exhaust is higher than everyone elses by +10 - +20ish
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Town near you
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside
FWIW, my CHS heads have that same old. I siliconed up my intake rocker bolts and had no worries.
Those are some mad exhaust flow numbers! I don't want to doubt what TEA is saying, but dayum! My heads flowed a peak of 205.4, and I still managed over 400 RWHP in my setup.
I would be interested to see the numbers of those heads on an independent bench.
Those are some mad exhaust flow numbers! I don't want to doubt what TEA is saying, but dayum! My heads flowed a peak of 205.4, and I still managed over 400 RWHP in my setup.
I would be interested to see the numbers of those heads on an independent bench.
On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 143
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From: Leesburg, Va.
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside I would be interested to see the numbers of those heads on an independent bench.
steve
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside I agree 100%,those exhaust numbers are hard to swallow.Before I bought my 5.3 heads,I called all of the sponsor head porters.Tea is the only company with these high numbers(on the exhaust).Everyon else told me their heads flowed the same as the 5.7,that I could would only gain compression.When I ask them about the advertised high exhuast flow numbers,everyone told me "our research does not show it".I would love to also see a set of TEA 5.3 on a independent bench(superflow 1020).The TEA heads perform well,but I would like to see some posted flow numbers by someone other than TEA.
The use a pipe cause they want there numbers to show how it will perform on the car in live life sorta. If GTP and others used a pipe there exhaust flows would be about the same. There is no way heads can flow 260+ without a PIPE... its common sense people I would love to see GTP flow numbers also, but those must be confidential for some odd reason. All those MTI/GTP cars out there, but when you do a search you only see TEA, AS, and some patriot flow numbers now
but once again... TEA USES A PIPE FOR THERE EXHAUST
The dont DENY that either 
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside I HAVE SET OF TEA 5.3 STAGE 1.5 HEADS AND I HAD THEM FLOWED ON A SUPERFLOW AND AT 550 LIFT THEY ONLY FLOWED 275 INTAKE AND 197 EXHAUST AND AT 600 LIFT THE INTAKE DROPPED TO 260 FLOW.WHATS UP WITH THAT.IS THIS NORMAL FOR A INDEPENDANT BENCH OR DID I GET SCREWED ON THE HEADS.
Re: TEA 5.3L heads are here, flow #'s inside
I HAVE SET OF TEA 5.3 STAGE 1.5 HEADS AND I HAD THEM FLOWED ON A SUPERFLOW AND AT 550 LIFT THEY ONLY FLOWED 275 INTAKE AND 197 EXHAUST AND AT 600 LIFT THE INTAKE DROPPED TO 260 FLOW.WHATS UP WITH THAT.IS THIS NORMAL FOR A INDEPENDANT BENCH OR DID I GET SCREWED ON THE HEADS.
I saw a post a while ago where someone had their brand new TEA 5.3's flowed on a independant bench. The intake numbers were 303CFM compared to 300CFM that showed on his flow sheet from TEA.