VORTEC Crate 350 made to look old PICS WANTED

I'm looking for pics of the new GM Crate 350 with Vortec Heads... Can these motors be made to look old?

I'm thinking about purchasing a 330 horse version for my A sedan.

A guy can get a nice looking pair of finned valve covers for the center bolt vortec heads for about a buck fifty on the bay... not bad considering the alternatives.

Also wondering what intakes will fit these motors? Was also planing on running a points converted distributor... will this work?

Any other problems i will run into?

 

I bought a set of the finned covers off ebay for my work truck (center bolt 350), they look good...but they're kind of rough. (Probably made in china) The bolt holes didn't line up, and they leak. You generally get what you pay for.

 

I have looked into this and the only way I see to make them look decent is to use valve cover adapters. This converts the heads back to the old valve covers, then you can run script covers or nice finned ones. By the way, those 330 HP crate motors are awesome motors, I know a guy that bought one, took it out of the crate, put it into a 86 SS monte with full interior. He then put a 150 shot on it with slicks and he was in the 11's, and that is with a heavy car.

 

Any SBC distributor will work, there are a few different "vortec" intakes in summit and jeg's that you can choose from.

 

Paint it red and pretend it's a Buick 350.....LOL

 

I used the Moon valve covers with the matching Moon air cleaner. I just pulled an Edelbrock intake off of it if you're interested. I'm putting fuel injection on instead.

 

Or better yet, find an old Stude V8 instead...man those things are neat...

 

run the fake olds rocket valve covers and leave the olds script off. lots of machine shops will machine an old intake to fit.

 

I had a vortec headed 350 in my old shoebox. I was using old finned vette covers with the adapters. I tried everything to try and keep those adapters from leaking. No luck and they were not cheap. I finally resorted to milling two flat spots in the top of the covers and drilling two holes through them.I used the vortec cover rubber washers,holddown studs and a couple of acorn nuts. I also glued the gaskets to the covers and never had anymore leaks.

 

GM sells the following heads which will bolt to BOTH early and newer intakes AND valve covers. PN 25534421 and 25534446


http://www.gmperformanceparts.com/_res/pdf/gm_performance_parts_catalog_2008.pdf

 

I had to make my own alternator bracket. Availabe brackets are made to work with the earlier style intake bolt locations. Painted the intake. Used Moon valve covers and a SoCal air cleaner. Distributor converted by Dave's Small Body HEIs. Overall, it will fool you for about 30 seconds. But that is OK cuz most folks don't really know what they are looking at.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124163&highlight=center+bolt

Here is what I did....no leaks and cheap.

 

I just ran across this site http://www.yourcovers.com/vc_11040.shtml and what they have looks interesting

They also have them unpolished

They're not cheap, the as-cast are $215 a set and polished are $375

 

This might be a silly question (I'm not a chevy guy), but can't you drill and tap holes into the tops of your heads to accept the old style valve covers?

 

You could use valve cover adapters like these ones



http://www.yourcovers.com/vc_10452.shtml

 

These would look great with a set of chrome acorn nuts.

 

No. The Vortec regular heads are cast without the necessary "meat" where the holes go. You would be drilling and taping air.

 

Ive Got The "your Covers" On My 32, And I Love Them. Had Them Powdercoated Black, And Sanded The Fins, And They Look Good.

 

I used these (but from GM Perf) and they sucked ass. They seal to the head via a o-ring. The first time I took them off the o ring broke. So I siliconed it in a few spots. They leaked right from the get go. Once I took them off and set them down, they rocked on the counter... they didnt even sit flat.

Being made of cheap metal... I carefully go them to lay flat and then used a standard gasket to seal them to the head.

I went through a few combinations and never really did get them to stop leaking.

On a side note... there are some really cool ideas already on this post!

 

Lots of good ideas and pictures. Thanks...whats the deal with the studebaker valve covers?

 

I borrowed an Offy Studey valve cover from my friend's collection and plopped it on my vortec head to fit it up and it looks really close. I am excited to make this fit becuase I know it is going to take some flubbing.

It doesn't look perfect but I think I should be able to make it seat and seal quite well if I get some thread stock and bend it a bit to get into the holes. I like the look of the tall offy valve covers....they look beefy!!

 

I'm working on a ZZ4 with the same stupid centerbolt valve covers that the vortec motors have. Man, I hate those centerbolts.

I went the cheap route on the valve covers and picked up some tall ribbed covers at a swap meet. I gave the inside of the valve covers a liberal painting to fight off oil seepage through the metal, then painted between the ribs to match the block. I plan to change those valve covers to something a little better, but I needed the "roomy" valve covers so I can add roller rocker arms.

Two fours... always looks retro. I ditched the braided steel fuel line (pic 1) for a hard plummed line and added a glass fuel sediment filter for flavor too. Now that I have seen it assembled, I think I might be moving the Moon fuel pressure guage because there is too much stuff hanging off of the front of that fuel line.

I got rid of the HEI and picked up an MSD small cap distributor. MSD makes a little known black cap (or you can use any GM black cap) and MSD makes their top quality spark plug wires in black too.

I'll be working on the motor today, I might try to take a picture or two more with the fender well headers added.

Sorry the picture quality sucks.

 

I got some threaded rod to check how these offy studebaker valve covers would line up and it is damn near perfect. I am going to pick up a set of my own and run em!! I am totally pumped!

 

Hmm...theres an old school bus behind our body shop that has some studebaker "script" valvecovers. Not sure if there center bolt
or not..

 

It was my loose understanding that they were all centerbolt but like I said...I am not that educated in the studebaker arts

 

Any specific size on the Stude motor? or specific year?

Thanks!

 

Bumping this thread- I'd love to know what engine, year and or model Stude people used. THANKS!

 

Those offy valve covers looks really good.

... and what ever happend to the stude engine in the school bus?