this is all I need to address........................550 is not the max lift before flycutting is needed, the piston is down in the bore when intake charge is pulled in, if anything ptv occurs due to a late exhaust closure....case and point, I'm running .565/.555 lift with plenty to spare, I had a cam taylored to my wishes....... and what do ya know no flycutting was needed. to say that as soon as a certain .xxx lift is reached with such and such cam flycutting is needed is absurd, it's all about what the valve events dictate. I've done the said example above more than once with no issues.

 

ok so i still have no idea what to do. this guy whom gave me this info is a very well known mustang builder, and has been since the early 90s. when he told me that he has seen the stock heads do what mine are doing many many times, its very hard not to believe him. he wont even do head gaskets on customers cars with the stock 302 heads anymore. he simply said its near impossible to not get head lift. i only had these felpro gaskets on a few weeks and look where im at. 1k down the drain with parts and labor. he want 3400 for all parts, fluids, and labor to do the tw heads. no i dont have that kind of money to spare. and if i knew 100 percent that these stock 302 heads would be fine, then i would just keep them. maybe the guy that installed them just did a **** job. hell if i know. he is an ase certified mechanic so he has to kinda know what hes doing right? so serioulsy what do i do? buy the absoulte best gasket out there and bring the car to a ford delearship and have them do it???? i want to put the car to 12psi which will put it just over 400whp and then just leave it be for a looooong time.

 

and as for the tune, it seems to be perfect except at cold idle. pretty lean but just for a min or two. at wot, the a/f ratio is 11.9

 

you can do the work yourself, and by the time it's all said and done it won't cost more than 200.00, if it were me, I'd pull the heads, check the deck surface on the head and block with a straight edge and feeler gauge, if all came out well there, I'd get some arp head studs and some 9333pt1 head gaskets and put it all back together and be on your way.

 

It already has arp studs. can they be used again? and I'm very mechanically challanged so where's the best place to have it done at? A local shop or a ford dealership? And where could I get this gasket at?

 

whats the timing at under boost? is this thing intercooled? What camshaft is in it? What is the compression? What are the IAC temps. when it is under boost? this is a big one what is the pressure differentials across the engine? this is info could help with looking at what the heck is gone on. What gas are you using? Would a aftermarket head help well maybe but it is gone to be a hell of a time if you spend all that cash and then you dont fix the issue. Lots of this boils down how much faith and trust you have in this guy.Got to love turbo cars they are a pain in the A$$ till they are right get them right and the are just bad A$$..

 

And that is the reason you got away with it. Run of the mill grinds typically will make contact that's why TFS says .550" So if anything, write them an email and tell them they're wrong.

Out of curiosity, what is the duration of your custom grind?
Makes me wonder if he checked them with a straight edge, or had the heads magnafluxed for "invisible" cracks. I just find it really hard to believe that an aluminum head is more durable than a cast iron one. 12psi or not, the cast iron ones should hold up to abuse much better than aluminum. I mean, way back years ago, I overheated a set of 302 heads probably 50 times and not once did I have an issue with warpage.

And one more thing, the heads on the 302's, especially in the mid 80's were changed damn near every year. So it's kind of a broad generalization to say that ALL 302 heads "lift". Maybe the 87-93 heads were weaker than the earlier ones..
A wee bit rich if you ask me. While you do want it slightly rich, that's too much. ~13 and it would run better.

 

OK, so I am gone to say this and try not to sound to much like a D1CK... But you may want to rethink your comb if you dont have the pockets or the know how to play in the boosted world I know I wouldnt if I did not do my own work. Sell the turbo stuff and do a nice stroker engine or learn to fix the stuff...

 

I just called jegs and gave them that head gasket number. Came back as a 20 dollar gasket so that don't sound right at all. I want the absolute best gasket out there preferable made by god that will work with my motor without having to o ring my heads or any of that crap

 

13 on a boosted engine and street gas you are gone to have problems I think he is right on with the 11.9.. IMO