Vortec heads: believe the hype?!?

anyone had issues with ram horns fitting newer steel heads...? as i know they wouldn't my 93 style heads. they hit the valve cover

 

About drilling vortec heads for early intakes. DON'T. The main advantage they have is a raised intake port. Its .300" higher than the early style. Bolting on an early intake kills this feature and despite what most believe, few intakes have enough material to port that high. The aftermarket versions of the vortec compromise on this. Best bang for the buck is a set of OE heads prepared for your. Am with a vortec intake.

 

Don't they make an adapter to run earlier style valve covers?
I am struggling with this very issue. I am a traditionalist at heart but more than that a hot rodder. I traded a fellow hamber a 235 six for a 350 vortech head build. He had bought the vortech heads straight from GM that will take the higher lift cam. .550 I believe, I have the air gap RPM intake and a 600 Edelbrock carb. I am thinking about throwing all this on a .040 over 327 and see how it reacts.

 

Here is some reading material for you.
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/440hp_vortec_small_block/index.html

 

i'll throw another vortec head swap combo at ya.... pepboys 350 short block with new vortecs and a summit 480/292 cam. in a 72 nova with 3.73's....went 11.80's with on 26x8.5 slicks and mufflers. went 7.30's with a 100 shot kit that wasn't quite right....we are going to throw my little 600b procharger on it and shoot for high 10's...

 

Here's the adapters, but pricey.
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/50120/10002/-1

I would love to have a daily driver that can run in the 12's and be very streetable.

 

What did the Nova MPH, and how much did it weigh? 11.80 is very stout!

 

FWIW here's another link to that 440hp vortec article, except this one is 2 pages and has more info, dunno why except that's why the mag websites generally suck

440 HP cheap

 

I was wondering how it would do with a 125 shot on it.........

 

How would you Vortec experienced users compare them to World Sportsman II heads? or other entry level aftermarket conventional heads?

 

I have yet to see a set of heads compare in the price range, but we are talking about $600 assembled. If you have to buy the other associated stuff, intake, self aligning rockers etc, it's cheaper to buy the Sportsman.

 

I just wrote on artical on Vortec heads last month.
Read it here............... http://www.buildmagazine.ca/currentissue.html

 

More info for da gray matter.

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/95258_hydraulic_roller_cams/index.html

 

I don't know much but I know I have had three sets, all cracked. I will use darts or aluminum don't care how much hp they make if the break.
Two from a lot of heat and one from freezing, never had this prob with other style heads.
just two cents!

brandon, cracked: hot through the center cylinders, cold outside through the part line

 

mph wasn't really fast...think about 112 or so. weight , probably around 3300 or so.

 

I have been very happy with mine, off a 97 Suburban, in my 1937 Chevy Coupe. The engine is a 350, with the stock pistons and everything, just a cheap vortec intake and a 750 edelbrock. Upgraded valve springs, and kept the roller cam with 510 lift, and its run a best of 12.40 @ 110, with a spinning 1.92 60 foot. I don't think its hype if its done right, I've been very pleased with mine.

 

where did they crack at...?

 

Vortec heads are great if you stay around .500 lift, they flow extremely well, as much or more than a set of extremely ported and polished set of double humps. But as already mentioned they are hard to find without being cracked, usually in the center head bolt hole and goes across the surface area, they are extremely lighter than most castings and I think this is about there only downfall. You can get a set of new GM castings from you local dealer for around 700.00 a pair complete and with some minor upgrades they will perform excellent. I have had numerous sets on my engines and I could tell a huge difference in performance from the double humps. I have 8mm LS valves in mine and conical springs, that took around 600 grams of the valve side. 360 cubic inch, 480 valve lift, stock gm steel crank, 6.125 ohio rods and probe pistons, by far the best motor i have, will walk all over my full roller 406

 

You can't blame cracking from freezing on the head. That is owner malfunction for not having proper antifreeze in it. And just about any head will crack when overheated.

 

The only small block heads that ever had any sort of a "bypass" in them was the 93-97 L99, LT1, and LT4 with the reverse cooling setups.

Every other small block had the same cooling passages in the head I believe.

 

There's no way that combo of parts would work, I'd have to see it to believe it. Oh wait......... I have.......... Where've you been on this subject??

 

Yes , they're aluminum heads .

 

I havent run a vortech but I know camaro guys are using ls6 beehive (yellow) springs and 787 comp cams retainers, 7 degree locks and 87 dodge daytona oil seals to get over 500 lift like for example GM hot cam with 525 lift. No machine work. I did this to my older heads and it works with no machining.

 

My head guy installed the beehive springs and cut the guides down to allow .600+. I'll have about .535" with room to step up later, if I like.

You don't need to mix and match parts, though. Comp sells the spring and retainer kit specific to the vortecs.

Here's a great article that hits the high points.
http://www.customclassictrucks.com/...c_cylinder_heads_small_block_chevy/index.html

Even better article...
http://www.onedirt.com/tech-stories/engine/a-guide-to-vortec-vs-oe-small-block-chevy-heads/

 

i dont have any fancy numbers and cush, but i think vortec heads are pretty cool, i have a off topic 98 5.7 daily, has a cold air,power program and it sounds VERY nice at higher rpms.

 

That's a very rough approximation, and it'll produce overcarburation for pretty much any street application. Calculating back from the proper formula, the sense of which is readily understandable, the above will hold true at
6912rpm at 100% V.E.; or
7680rpm at 90% V.E.; or
8640rpm at 80% V.E.

What mild street 350 (80% V.E.) spins to 8640rpm?

The proper formula is, CFM = cu.in. x rpm x volumetric efficiency / 3456

 

for the same money you will spend going through a set of old heads that always crack between the valves go buy a set of the world heads 160 runner heads 202 160 valves guild plates and screw in studs and there early intake style . there a much better head. i will not wast my time at my shop looking for a set thats not cracked there thin castings and very shitty to boot. almost every set i pull off there always one cracked

 

in2hotrodz: the iron heads on my crate '602' circletrack motor have the raised d ex ports, maybe they were only sold on offroad stuff.....

http://www.gmperformanceparts.com/E...&engine=CT 350 350&sku=88958602&engCat=racing

I do not have any photos or part#'s as the motor is assembled, like I said, any sbc header will bolt up, but you may want to look to see if you are covering up the top of the port. shoenfeld sells the correct headers & gaskets.

I do not know if these iron vortec's have the cracking problem that the street version have.

the aluminum heads on the 603 & 604 crate motors have 4 bolts per side.

 

Vortec head are the cats meow. I been drag racing for over 20 years and Believed that bigger is better. big compression,big cam,big gears,big converter. Well with the vortec setup you throw all you know about the SBC in the last 30 years out the window. With Head like dart you need to rev you engine,say 6500+ to build HP. with the Vortecs it is all over at 6 grand.Build 300-400+ HP(depends on setup) at a way lower RPM then I would be use to. My Dart 350 engine use to rev to 7 grand to build HP but the same HP engine in a Vortec setup would need less RPM to build just as much. You would think that a single plain intake will build more HP not on a Vortec .It builds more HP with a duel plain intake. As for Valves. They come with 194 Valves. Most would swap them out for 202`s. sorry no gain waste of time. Port the guts out of the Vortecs? sorry. agian No gain.You can build up to 300HP without changing the springs.Because the HP is at a lower RPM. you don`t need gears out back. For a all around street strip car that is driven on the highway and build on a budget your not going to get a better setup. I been wanted to get back into the drag racing in the last few years and if I do this is the head setup I will be going after.

 

its something you have to see to believe. hard to imagine a dish piston 355 with a blueprinted pair of vortecs and "stocker" 465 lift (259/264@50 duration) running 6.80's in a 3200 pound stocker , when you have a backhalf'd 2800 468 with 630ish roller , dominator, glide w/brake...car running only 6.40's...its all about efficiency. somethings just work so easy