Our non-emissions 165cc heads (PN 1399; $1,560) feature 1.90/1.60-inch valves, fully CNC-ported combustion chambers and ports, 3/8-inch ARP rocker studs, and 5/16-inch pushrod guide plates. We did opt for titanium spring retainers, a $100 option. AFR also milled our heads down, bumping up our compression ratio from stock (about 9.2:1) to 10.25:1. The combustion chambers are usually 58cc on these, but ours are now 50cc. Since these were an all-new design, we wanted to see how they flowed on a flow bench. So we headed to Auto Performance Engines (APE) in Auburndale, Florida. There, Kevin Willis put the new 165s to the test. On a 4.030-inch bore on a Flow Pro bench, they flowed an astonishing 269.4/212.5 cfm at 0.500-inch and 278.5/216.9 cfm (intake/exhaust) at 0.600-inch lift! The intake flows over 200 cfm from 0.300-inch lift and above.
Willis was very surprised, and compared these to a pair of the previous AFR 185s that he tested, which flowed slightly better down low, but were surpassed by the Renegade 165s above 0.400-inch lift. He even had to re-check everything to make sure he did it correctly. For the install, we headed to Lamotta Performance in Longwood, Florida. There, Billy Eldert has been slowly modding Bickam's LX since the late '90s. To establish a baseline, we strapped it to Lamotta's Dynojet chassis dyno. It put down 222 rwhp and 272 lb-ft of torque.

11 The lifters were then...

11 The lifters were then lubricated and installed in the stock location.

12 Once the timing cover...

12 Once the timing cover and balancer were back on, Eldert aligned the timing pointer to TDC.

13 With the head gasket in...

13 With the head gasket in place, Eldert then mocked up one cylinder head to check piston-to-valve clearance.
Eldert installed the cam and a new timing chain from Comp Cams. He then mocked up one cylinder head and checked piston-to-valve clearance. Everything checked out, and he finished reinstalling the rest of the components and added five quarts of Comp Cams Muscle Car and Street Rod oil. He also set the timing back to 10 degrees BTDC, where it was when we started.
Back on the chassis dyno, without any additional tuning, Bickam's LX spun the rollers. It made 285 rwhp and 309 lb-ft of torque--a 63hp and 37-lb-ft increase. Eldert then installed an SCT Performance chip with a canned tune from SCT. After making another pull, we were rewarded with 302 rwhp and 325 lb-ft of torque. We picked up 80 rwhp and 53 lb-ft of torque with a heads and cam swap--and we didn't sacrifice any power or torque down low. You actually can have your cake and eat it too, after all.

14 Using toy clay, Eldert...

14 Using toy clay, Eldert determined that there was enough clearance, so he proceeded.

15 He then fastened the cylinder...

15 He then fastened the cylinder heads using the ARP head bolts.

16 He then checked the lower...

16 He then checked the lower intake gaskets to make sure the intake port holes were large enough for the heads.

17 He then reinstalled the...

17 He then reinstalled the lower intake.

18 Using a pushrod length-checking...

18 Using a pushrod length-checking tool, Eldert marked the valve stem with paint and turned the engine over by hand. Once the pattern is in the center of the stem, he knew he had reached the correct length.

19 He then installed the...

19 He then installed the Comp hardened pushrods and aluminum rocker arms.

20 He then reinstalled the...

20 He then reinstalled the rest of the components.

21 Eldert then set the timing...

21 Eldert then set the timing at 10 degrees BTDC, where it was before.

22 As you can see, this is...

22 As you can see, this is a minor bolt-on Fox: Cobra intake, C&L elbow and MAF, shorty headers, catted mid-pipe, an after-cat system, and underdrive pulleys. It even still has the clutch fan.

23a Eldert installed an SCT...

23a Eldert installed an SCT Performance chip...

23b ...to maximize the power...

23b...to maximize the power potential of our new combination.

24 Though we had traction...

24 Though we had traction issues with the street tires and didn't get a good e.t., quarter-mile trap speed was up 10 mph, from 95 to 105 mph--and we didn't sacrifice any driveability.
On the dyno, Bickam's LX made 302 rwhp and 325 lb-ft of torque--up 80 hp and 53 lb-ft of torque from a heads and camshaft swap!