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Whats the Big Deal with Vortech Heads?

D

Ditchdigger

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What do Vortech heads have besides better flow
quality can't you port regular heads and be just as good
Whats the big deal?

If it ain't intimidating / it ain't a Chevy!
 
The big deal is they are VERY cheap. They cost about half of what you would pay for a good set of new heads, or from another point of view, just a little bit more than a valve job.

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Vortec heads have a "fast burn" chamber shape, that is why it is a 30(ish) Hp gain when bolted up. From what I've seen the ports are nothing special, it's all in the combustion chamber shape. Cost is aprox $400 a PAIR (!!!) w/valves,springs and retiners/kepers. Check w/your local G.M. dealer. Vortec head need a special intake due to the 8 (not the normal 12) intake bolts. Old style intakes should not be redriled to fit due to the ports will not line up (I'm not sure about the last part, something about the upper port wall thickness)

- Is that the UPS guy at the door?, gata go! good luck.
 
can you still bolt up a q-jet to the "special" manifold needed with those heads or is this an efi swap only?

78, 350/350/203, 3/4 ton, 4" lift, 35" BFGs
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://bluebeast.coloradok5.com/>http://bluebeast.coloradok5.com/</A>
 
Sure, I have an Edelbrock 4 barrel on my Vortec intake.

'73 K5
Chevy good...Ford bad
 
Check out <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive/man_sbchev.html>http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive/man_sbchev.html</A>. Scroll down halfway through the page to were it says "PERFORMER VORTC" (spelling is bad in their website too) That's what you should use with vortec heads on a Blazer.

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Twiztid is right. The Vortec heads have a much more efficient combustion chamber shape which gets you more power without sacrificing fuel efficiency. Isn't that what everyone wants?! For the power gain you get, and the parts the heads come with, they are a HUGE bargain.

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Semper Maintenance!
 
Ok now I know, learn something everyday!
I think I'll go with Vortechs when I drop the 350
not until I find what kind of compatibility with headers
and intakes kind of sucks there limited in those areas

Do they work with all 350s mine is pre 85 4bolt main with
2 piece rear seal and what about pushrods and valvetrain
limitation like converting to roller?

If it ain't intimidating / It ain't a Chevy!
 
O.K. boys (girls?)- got the scoop on vortecs!
1- Vortec heads have a 64cc chamber that might raise comp. to high for pump gas. So check it out. You could use a thicker head gasket (.010 is worth .25 ratio change) or a lower dech height or dished pistons- 383/400 guys need dished pistons for-sure.
2- Intake manifolds are out thre, whaT ever you want. (high/low/single or dual, Q-JET! or holley. (carters donot belong on chevs)
3- Assembled head have week springs that coil bind past .475 inch lift. swap them out. if you get a cam kit get the springs too. (.850 valve guid boss)
4- They bolt up to all S.B.C. w/standerd cooling sys. flow (not new corvetts or CAMAROS)
5- They need vavle train alighnment, guides (?) or rockers
6- center bolt valve covers

All in all, they are great heads for the money, yes- they need some extra parts to get them to work, but what doesn;t. The numbers I've seen show they make power from idle on up to 5000 or so. Great for a off-road rig! All the info I got was from a dozen articals and catilogs-

Vortec heads assembled; GMPP#12558060 $249.12 each

"fast burn" alum. high perf heads (not vortecs)GMPP#12464298 $615.76 each, these are for comparison only, they are Top of the line 23 deg. heads that ROCK hard! (too big for a daily driver I'd say, (210cc intake ports))

-Whew, alot of typeing for one finger to do-

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Twiztid on 05/08/01 09:20 PM (server time).</FONT></P>
 
I read an article that compared the Vortec heads to the famed Camel Hump heads and the Vortec was a much better head in stock form. The price is a whole lot better for the Vortec's too when you compare the fact that they come ready to bolt on and with older heads you have the cost to rebuild and port work.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://jamonline.homestead.com/fromthegroundupK54x4/89Jimmy.html>http://jamonline.homestead.com/fromthegroundupK54x4/89Jimmy.html</A>
<font color=blue>Happy Trails
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<font color=blue>Wayne</font color=blue>
 
Compresion on a stock 70 mid 70's motor (which likely most of us run) at around 8:1 compression should be bumped up no higher than 9.5:1, which is still ok with 87 Octane gas. You will of course need to make SURE of what pistons are in there to make sure they aren't bumping the compression up already.

The springs are "weak" comparatively, but unless you run a high RPM motor, lift over .475 is not necessary. (I know someone that was running .495 lift on the stock vortecsprings/studs for awhile) I've actually heard .450 lift is max on stock springs, but close enough..I will be running .452 max lif on the stock springst, because I want the low end grunt. In any case, the pre-assembled vortecs have press in studs, which are not conducive to longevity with a high lift cam. They take self aligning (rail) rockers. Comp Cams makes the Steel Pro Magnum Full Roller Rockers for the vortec heads, so finding rockers is not a problem. Intake manifolds as yet from Edelbrock, are Performer in Spread and Square bore combined, RPM in squarebore only..so no quadrajet on high RPM manifolds.

The heads have no exhaust crossovers, so no choke/carb heating on the Edelbrock Performer intake..Performer RPM yes, you can run water under the carb from an auxiallary fitting. Intake does not have provisions for the choke coil like most pre-electric choke chevs, so manual, draw through or electric choke is necessary.

Exhaust mounting is the same supposedly.

Dorian
My K5 and Chev/Olds tech/links page: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</A>
 
The exhaust bolt pattern is the same as old chevy heads. I just bought a pair of summit headers that fit my '79 with 4x4 and they bolted right up. They do increase compression, my engine is running 9.1:1 and I use 93 octane. Also there is one less accessory bolt hole on one of the heads.( I'm pretty sure it was the drivers side). It caused some problems when rigging the power steering brackets up. But i'm pretty sure you can by all that stuff after market. I just haven't looked yet.
 
as far as the ports not lining up, if you do not put in the rite thickness int gaskets the int will not line up i think the gaskets need to be .120 thick.if memory serves me rite.ive got em on my motor.and just went thru the gettin the gasket thing.noone had em local so i got mine thru jegs.i get all my stuff thru them,and always got top notch service.

PURE INSANITY
86 blazer see it at:<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.zing.com/album/pictures.html?id=4292792569>http://www.zing.com/album/pictures.html?id=4292792569</A>
 
Hey that was pretty good for a first post
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Does anyone know where I can get a price on BARE vortec heads? My father in law owns a machine shop so I can have him assemble them right. [ie screw in studs ect.]

<font color=red>1991 GMC Jimmy 350tbi 3.42</font color=red>
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Heres the deal dude....my father in law OWNs an engine shop with the works. I pay cost for every part and no labor! I just want to find a price to compare his suppiers cost and what I can find online for bare heads.

<font color=red>1991 GMC Jimmy 350tbi 3.42</font color=red>
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I just compared prices at sallee Chevrolet. Its cheaper to buy the complete heads than it is to buy bare castings. I knew that was the case, even when not on "sale" the price difference between complete and bare, even if you can buy the stuff at cost, can't justify buying bare castings, unless you just aren't able to use ANY of the factory parts that come on the assembled heads.

AS well, the "bare" head I believe still has studs, so pulling them still would have to be done, no work saved there.

Dorian
My K5 and Chev/Olds tech/links page: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</A>
 
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