I know from a traditional standpoint that this might be a stupid question, but from a performance standpoint which are better? The double hump repros I'm looking at have a larger intake and exhaust valve, but I've also heard the Vortecs flow the best of any cast iron SBC head available.
Everyone I have ever talked to that races would take the Vortecs over a double hump(outside of the nostalgia racing that is). Double humps are kinda cooler overall but the Vortecs do work.
You're looking at the new Summit catalog aren't you? The Vortec are limited on valve spring lift up to .500" on stock heads.
So, to answer his question, since camel humps are "traditional technology", what head should he/anyone be using? Going by the "Second place ain't shit" theory, only the #1 "best" performance head available today need apply, but what is it? Or who should we hire to make a pair of ? "the best"?
I'm sure that you know this already, but remember with Vortecs you'll need a Vortec specific manifold.
they are a 30hp bolt on deal.....my nephew bolted on a pair with a performer intake and picked up almost a second in the quarter......changed carb and picked up some more....went to a 480 lift cam ....and the car is running 12.50's.....well worth the money ....even if ya have to buy a intake .....check out speedway for cheap vortec intakes......brandon
Fast-burn chambers are the big difference here. The port/valve sizes don't make as much difference when compared to the combustion chamber technology that is around now. Vortecs use less advance (means that the flame front propogation occurs less before top dead center where it does negative work). This makes for better efficiency of the engine. So more power and better mileage. I would use the vortecs if you don't mind the special intake and limited lift that the vortecs have. They are great for "street" engines.
Did some research when I was looking and the Vortecs are the way to go for power. I went the nostalgia route, but Im wondering if Rocket covers could be modified to fit on the Vortec heads? What that be cheesy? Maybe, but it would take most folks about a day to figure out what the hell is goin on. Just a though, Im sure it's been done already.
GM Performance Parts re-casst the camel/double bump/fuelie heads a few years ago. I have them on my 383 in my daily-driver truck. I have no complaints, but was told by my "dyno'ist" that a Vortec-derivative would have produced a lot more horsepower. The engine was originally destined for a vehicle of much substantially older vintage, otherwise I would have run the new heads in the first place. Like I said, no complaints, but in a vehicle with a closed hood, what's the point, especially with today's fuel prices? I just put a set of Edelbrock E-Tecs on another engine I have and along with a cam/valvetrain, intake, carb, and ignition, gained almost 100hp.
The vortecs are more efficient and will make great power. They also have the accessory bosses on the ends which could be used or filled in. The downside would be the adaptors needed to run standard SBC valve covers and the limited selection of intake manifolds.
The downside would be the adaptors needed to run standard SBC valve covers and the limited selection of intake manifolds.[/QUOTE] SPEEDWAY HAS THE ADAPTERS FOR THE VALVE COVERS IN THE DIRT TRACK CATALOG FOR 79 BUCKS.....BEATS THE 129 OR SO IN THE HOT ROD CATALOG....I WOULD BE FIGURING A 3 2 INTAKE SHOULD BE OUT SOON FOR THE VORTEC.....I THINK BARRY GRANT HAS ONE OUT NOW.....BRANDON
vortec is becoming kind of a generic term any more.....make sure you get the good castings if you go with them....i believe the 906 and the 062 castings are the prefered ones..there are 305 versions as well as others that are being sold as vortec heads [and they are ]..but have terrible flow .... they are ok for the street; build with a flatop piston,it takes advantage of the port and combustion chamber pattern....the "vortec" name comes from this. pop ups interefere with the spark plug location as well cam for duration not lift.....big valves are not needed...velocity is... lift is limited as stated before...... there are lots of choices out there on heads, and sometimes you can pick up a lot better heads used, cheaper than you can get vortecs for...without all the limitations..... use them if you got them or can get them cheap, but i wouldnt base an engine build around the purchase of vortecs... Fred
The Barry Grant set up is very expensive and kind of odd. Right off the bat they tell you that you will have a big hp decrease from the 3 2's. In fact, Edelbrock tells you the same thing now with most street app two four set up's. I looked at the crate motors they sell and the one with the two fours was making less hp than the same motor with a single four. The Barry Grant is not very "retro" looking either and you are gonna have to deal with making some sort of air cleaner. They only sell a see through K&N looking cover that you can see the top of the element right now. The spacing between the carbs is pretty different from traditional 3 2 set ups. Rumors went around for years that Edelbrock was going to do a 2 4 Vortec set up and it finally happend...and now rumors are going around about a 3 2 but I am not so sure they would bother with that. As for the Olds covers, I have seen it done several times now along with fake hemi covers...I don't care for that too much but if it floats you boat go for it, you should have no problems doing it.
Actually flat top pistons make to much compression when used with Vortec heads. I'm running Vortecs with a performer cam, intake, a 600 cfm carb in my roadster. I used Keith Black "D Cup" pistons. They have a flat area that matches the flat area in the Vortec combustion chamber. I zero decked the block and I am using Fel Pro 1003 racing head gaskets. They cinch down to .039 and give me just about perfect quench. According to Keith Black I have a 9.3/1 compression ratio. The motor runs on 87 octain and does not ping under hard acceleration. A heavier vehicle might require 89 or 91. You can modify Vortec heads for more cam lift. But you will not get much return for the effort.
GM Fastburn heads........the aluminum ones.........are Vortecs and have BOTH valve cover patterns........the center bolt type and the older mid 59 up to 86 type. I have a set..............thats how I know...... Here are a set of the older style bolt pattern valve covers.........on a Aluminum set of Vortec style heads.....with no adapters.....
I have a zero deck and 18cc D cups. With a 4.040 bore and 4.60 x .39 head gasket the Keith Black compression ratio calculator gives me 9.1/1. I did say 9.3 but that was wrong. One of my goasl in building this motor was 87 octaine friendly and that is what I have.
There is no question that from a horsepower standpoint vortec heads are the shit. I was at the engine builders a while back and a vortec was on the flow bench with no mods other than highflow stainless steel valves and they flat spanked the #'s of a severely modified world products head hands down all the way across the board. T.OUT
At what point do the aftermarket heads outflow the Vortecs? I know on the street you can't beat em but what about on a race motor?
The cast iron fast burn heads are the best bang for the buck. Most of the GM Performance dealers carry them and most of them even have them drilled and tapped for the old style intakes manifolds....
I can't say where aftermarket heads start to out flow 'em for sure. I can tell you that as a race engine head they are to tender to tolerate a lot of compression.The combustion chambers are thin and subject to crack with lots of compession. But as an 12:1ish or lower CR head they are about the best bang for your buck. T.OUT
Anyone know who has the best deal on a set of #062 cast iron vortecs? It seems to me that $260 each is the norm.
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