I have 8 of these junk heads piled up in my garage right now because the machine shop found cracks every time I bought some and had them checked. I've talked to so many others who have had exactly the same experience, and the machinist said about 1 out of every 12 he checks is actually good. There may be about 20 good GM-produced V8 Vortec heads left out there somewhere in the world, but going forward I'm treating all used Vortec heads as cracked. In the end I ended up buying some aftermarket heads for my build. Even the cheapest Chinesium heads have a revised design that solves the main problems that caused all of the factory heads to constantly crack. To save everyone else the same heartache, I recommend EVERYONE treat used factory heads as cracked and just spend the money on some reproduction heads. I got mine for about $700 for the set in 2024, and now I don't have to worry about them being cracked or likely cracking in the immediate future.
thats soo cute at the end your doggy. thanks for this video. its great info that vortec head users need to know before they get their heads, and ones driving with them that may want to improve performance or mod them. i feel they are a great head to improve stock performance even though they have potential for some real street performance also.
Thanks for the video awesome info....I just replaced my vortec heads with some Darts....you want to talk about my old chevy coming back to life....wooh baby!!
Maybe a dozen years ago, I was preparing a set of the vortech heads for a circle track racer. I could visually see a slight difference in the ports. I ran a single intake and exhaust through the flow bench and found the numbers were way off. -- I checked the port volumes for cc's finding the ports were way small. I checked these against another set which were larger and produced the normal flow numbers. I have the phone number for GM Engineering so I gave them a call to report this issue. I've got the fellas name in the shop but it wasn't Ron Sperry. After explaining the problem, this man asked for the information to be faxed back to GM. -- What the deal was, GM pays Mexico to cast these for them. He was HOT !! He did say there was going to be Hell to pay for this if we find the same ! All I know is that he was going to get to the bottom of this. Just be aware that you may get a set of these that are weak for power. You have to check the cc's. -- I don't recall the volumes however I would think these are easily available.
Mine came off a gmpp crate motor with .460 exhaust lift and I measured .465 clearance. Luckily the valve seals weren’t seated all the way so I ended up with .525-550. I got a good deal and needed a better intake anyways but I ended up pretty close to a set of nkb or similar
I pulled a set from pull a part a year ago no problem. The truck still had coolant in it which was good thing no overheating issues maybe I got lucky. Sent to machine shop check for cracks installed my ls6 springs comp retainer and locks good to go
Guess I got lucky I took a set of 062 vortec heads off a junk engine and ran a 490 lift comp hyd flat tap cam and never touched the heads put them on the tbi short block
Really liked the video but like the ending with the yellow lab. we just had to put our yellow lab. "Blossom" to sleep and are devastated over it, only 8 years old and she had small intestine cancer.
Stock vortec heads are thin casting. When pulling heads from used engines almost 1 out of every pair are cracked between the 3 and 5 exhaust seats and or 4 and 6 not including occasional cracks going from the water channels to the chambers......before dumping a penny more into those factory heads have them checked....I gaurantee you most 906-602 casting head vortec engines sitting in your local car yard have milky oil. For a few bucks these heads make great power but they are ticking trouble bombs. Spend a few more bucks and get aftermarket vortec style or bowtie heads if you prefer iron heads.
i just pulled mine off my L31 and they are great,but came off a meticulously maintained engine.THE bores on the block are still cross hatched and perfect
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 I believe you..long as they never ran hot from the notorious intake gasket failure they will not crack. Those junk gaskets gm used back then are the real problem. ALL it takes is water temp reaching 250 one single time to risk cracking them. I have 191k on my '97 K1500 with L31 engine and still runs flawless, but it has also been well kept since it was built and never ran hot. edit: I have yet to pull the heads on mine so I can't say %100 they are not cracked, but if they were I don't think it would run perfect as it does.
I installed new heads on my stock sbc block for my boats engines in 2019 and put over 2400 hours on that boat since then without any problems and never flush the engines since it’s always out on the water. They are cooled by salt water not coolant.
I just built 3 engines right in a row, a 355 on a 96 Chevy truck, a 358 on a 77 K20 and a 383 on another 77 K20, all 3 had the identical prep, Elgin rv-943x valve springs, 3 angle valve job and .530 valve stem seals. I hate having a single spring, when that goes, so does your engine. For a daily driver to a strong running truck, they work great, I have seen a minimum of 2 mpg on previous engines
One bad thing not mentioned is Vortec heads have thinner castings than old school chevy heads and are prone to cracking if overheated. Be wary of high mileage pull offs and walk away from any head that's been decked.
They are noticeably lighter for sure. I’ve only ever seen one cracked vortec head in person and I personally did not pull that one. I have overheated them around 250 degrees and not busted one yet knock on wood. Guess I’ve just been extremely lucky
Been running vortec for years. A good up grade is 1.06 exhaust valve. Thats the only downside of the heads is the exhaust. Other then that good heads. Stay around 500 lift were they were ment to run you will be happy.
I wound up going with beehive springs & offset locks to get up to .470 lift. I did have to measure but there was some room. Not enough room for the springs, however - bosses had to be trimmed to fit them.
I’m building a 355 Chevy with Vortec heads now for my Squarebody, I got the heads off of marketplace...they ended up needing a valve job and one exhaust valve. But they came with good springs, cut down guides, brand new Summit aluminum roller rockers and screw in studs. But you’re absolutely right, you have to factor in the price of an intake, intake bolts, and valve covers (and I had to get tall) My total investment for the used heads, machine work, intake and valve covers, I’m at $900. Not sure I’d do it again, considering BluePrint sells aluminum heads for $900/pair. 🤷🏼♂️
I went to my local junkyard and yanked out a set of 062’s for 50 bucks. Changed the springs to ls6 beehive springs and comp retainers. Total investment, $225. Running a comp 280h magnum cam with zero issues
Something that just popped into my head is how much does just a vortec head swap change the compression ratio? Let's just assume my 86 K2500 still has the original LS9 350 with its 8.2:1 compression. What would the compression jump up to just by going to vortec heads?
As someone with a SBC with vortec heads in a 1975 corvette I think I can give a little good info on installing these heads. The best airflow you can get with the intake side is 240cfm and that's with the 1.94 intake valves at .500" of lift. If you go over this lift you'll just lose power to valve train losses and valve instability. Putting bigger valves in like 2.02s doesn't help airflow either. These heads are thin cast so it's generally not a good idea to port them or put bigger valves in them as they are more likely to crack. A 3 angle valvejob helps a little. The lt4 hot cam is probably the best camshaft you can get for these heads as long as you use 1.5 ratio rocker arms.
I just bought a 75 corvette and am in the process of bolting on some vortec heads. My cam has .480 lift. I was told that my cam would work fine with my stock vortec heads with stock springs. The info on the internet varies too much. I've read that the max lift is anywhere between .460 and .500. What do you think?
@@DYLAN102001 I keep researching this and I think that I've decided to go with the LS1 springs and the Comp Cams Retainers. I'm trying to find the right Valve Stem Seals now.
These are great hot street heads, better than the old Camel Hump 2.02's. Definitely go with screw-in studs, and open and mill the spring seats if you want to go a little beyond .500, but only if building a 383 stroker or adding forced induction, otherwise they won't breathe enough. Another thing is to drop in 1.64 exhaust valves and work the exhaust just slightly. If you know what you are doing a mild porting and gasket match is a good investment. I have a Vortec 383 in my '91 RS and run a pretty peppy Lunati cam and valve train. The heads came on the car and only had 100 miles on the build, so the little "tweaks" were worth it considering the heads were well built and I did my own work. Otherwise... AFR street aluminum or even Summit aluminum heads may be a better choice. The little 383, like most street engines, is a torque monster and the power all lives under 5,200 RPMs.
What Head Gasket do I use on my 1982 Chevy 350 engine with a pair of 1998 Chevy 350, 062 Vortec Heads ? Any recommendations for Headers, short tube, Long tube (I heard the long tube may hit the oil filter on the Driver's side rear of the block.) Thanks in advance...Liked/Subscribed a long time ago !
I am running these on a Gen II 350 crate motor. Great power for the price, but cold weather running with these heads are horrible due to not having the exhaust crossover.
I live in Oregon I don't my ave any problems once its warmed up the colder the better I run the edelbrock performer and a 650 Holley double pump mechanical secondaries ,the real for Tec head only came in 2 casting # one has a 3 angle cut one doesn't
Thank you for a great video. My question: If you slap Vortec heads on an older motor with a flat tappet cam/lifters, do you use the Vortec pushrods or the SBC pushrods (or are they the same length)?
Looking for a "Accessory Hole" solution for my 291's.... Seems the 350 is 350 saying is getting a little thin! don't wanna mix on my 67 motor. Ever seen a 2690 crank???😉
The real issue with vortec heads is that they stall at around .500" lift. If you want to run anything more radical you will need a different casting. These are still the best production SBC heads.
yeah i would look into just plain bare castings of AFR enforcer heads or assault racing heads, port them , use all new parts and then you got heads almost as good as CNC competition aluminum heads by promaxx, AFR, dart pro1, trickflow, or any other without fear of cracking thin iron. if you want to go iron get RHS or DART.
These heads are prone to cracking because Chevy put a 210 degree thermostat in the Chevy truck so when the fan quits the heads and gaskets go I run a 180 thermostat Comp cams LS6+ valve springs and 787-16 retainers and now I have .570 valve clearance. But as a professional engine builder I've only came across 1 set that was cracked and that block hit 250 degrees it also fried the rod bearings and main bearings the guy toasted the block
250 degrees Fahrenheit isn’t hot enough to hurt an engine and bearing materials melt at much higher temperatures. Lead melts at over 600 degrees, tin at 450 degrees and aluminum at 1220 degrees.
@@timsharpe3498 correct the heads were not the issue the issue was the new coolant gm used in the late 90's and their fail closed thermostats from the factory
Yeah running at 250 degrees isn't normally a catastrophic problem but in bad water NV it is because it's normally around 125 degrees in the summer and GM's shitty factory coolant and head gaskets blow out almost immediately then usually water in the oil causing bearing failure or hydro locking which as we all know is a severe issue
Since when did GM ever use a 210 degree thermostat? I just replaced the thermostat in my 1998 Chevy k1500 two months ago. It was the original equipment one marked with 195 on the Annode end. You are wrong.
@@robbiewallace2754 depending on where you live and ambient temperature GM's rating for sbc is 195-210. The 82-92 camaro had a 210 degree thermostat the trucks I've seen in washington and alaska all had 210 degree thermostats but everyone I worked on was a factory HD optioned work truck with a larger radiator and oil and trans cooler.
I installed a set of vortec 062 heads on a 1993 350 block. I went with a slight milder cam. My question is what length push rod do I need? Will is change much or could I use stock vortec push rods?
What Camshaft Do You Recomend For The 062 Heads, I Have A 1998 GMC Z71 And Am Looking For A Upgrade On The Cam For A Bit More Power And A Better Sound. I'm Still Using The Spider Injection Setup Also. Camshafts Are Real Tricky On Finding The Right Ond For The Right Price. ??
With my recent rebuild I've installed a new Comp Cams 12-234-2. It has decent lift and duration and shouldn't cause any issues with vacuum like the thumpr cam did. Check in and I'll make a video about it soon hopefully!
Negative comments always stand out more then positive ones that's for sure. Definitely a lot to consider and be careful about with any cylinder head. For the price it was worth it to me.
My 906 castings had a .9" valve guide boss and the comp cams beehive springs did not fit with out machine work. Also my exhaust ports were raised .2" which for most is not a problem. If a person is running pre vortec exhaust manifolds this can require a little grinding to the top ports of the manifold. They make great power though.
Can I reverse. History I have a TBI sbc motor that I changed to the old heads. I did this because the heads were cracked. Well turns out so is the block. I have a vortex motor that rans decent. That I pulled. The truck that had the TBI that I converted to carb. Ran but the block was also cracked. I want to use the heads, intake, carb, and distributor. On the vortect motor. And put it in the truck that the TBI was once in. Can I do this? In short 1976 sbc heads, intake on a 1997 Chevy 5.7, vortec block.
Can you explain or better yet show the difference between 95 and earlier and 96-2000 sbc coolant bypass. I hear the early engines had the hole below the water pump opening. Now the 96 up blocks don't have the extra passage as I hear. I know coolant needs to circulate prior to the thermostat opening to prevent hot spots before the t-stat opens. How is this accomplished? And do you need to make any changes when Installing a Vortec style head on an earlier block or installing early heads on a Vortech block without the extra passage? I've heard suggestion that a hole is drilled?!?
All carbureted vortec intakes have the bypass port cast into them, you just run a heater hose to the top of your water pump, the same way Oldsmobile did it...
you need to mention the shape of the combustion chamber. it's a much more modern better and efficient heart shaped combustion chamber than the old style bathtub shaped combustion chamber. If it didn't have the heart-shaped combustion chamber the smaller size alone wouldn't do that much
I was looking for this. Unfortunately I don’t believe my engine builder thought of this when I got new springs and bigger cam. Two days ago engine was running like trash. Pulled covers to find 4 rockers loose and 4-5 lifter retainers broken. The press in studs started backing out. No bueno. Getting heads machined now for screw in studs
@@yurimodin7333 honestly that’s the way to look at it for sure. It also happened at home instead of needing towed. I have my intake off already. I can pull the heads to take to shop and look at pistons as well. Tedious but necessary
I need help I have a 355 I want to put 906. Vortec heads on It has a nice size cam in it an dont know anything on it I bought it... will the vortec heads go right on it? Anything will help me out
The stock cam that came with the zz4 create engine which had my 906 heads on it was around a .460 lift. Like Chris said .480 seems to be the limit for any stock heads.
I thought there were aftermarket ones that were already set up for any SBC valve cover as well. Or are those just the GM Performance ones if such heads exist under the GM Performance name?
Bolting on the heads and new style intake are one thing.... Replacing the tbi is another. So is raising the compression. Now the ecu has to be changed.
I have a 78 Monte with a 305. I’ve already put in a mild cam in to it with dual exhaust with a whimpy 2 barrel carb. I want more. I would really like to put on fuel injection, eventually and have other guys saving go LS, but at the moment all numbers are matching...so In my brainstorming BUDGET conscious situation, I found an old 5.7 Vortec in an old suburban. Could I take the whole intake, heads, injection system...everything and mount it up to the block I’ve got now? Would it work? Would I gain anything? Or would I be better bolting on an Edelbrock system into this 305?
Have you looked at the vortec 305 heads? High compression Pistons? Everybody thinks bigger is better on the 305s it's the whole package you can do a lot with them actually. You probably need a new distributor by the way. Put in an advanced curve kit block the heat risers a 160° thermostat so you can run all the initial timimg and possible. I run a e85 mix so I don't have to buy premium.
@@christianmotley262 oh I have bigger problems at the moment. Every connecting rod bearing is worn down to the copper. So the crank is being ground and polished, and possible the cylinders getting honed out as well. What would you recommend as far as trying to raise the compression?
Shouldn't be an issue. That engine might already have center bolt valve covers and the different intake manifold you would need for the Vortec Heads. Good luck with it!
If you google max lift of vortec heads it pops up .420, when stock is .414 in .428 exh lol david said they get ABOUT .450 on engine masters too. .460 is what ive seen others say but no where on the internet has anyone said theyve ran a stock vortec cam with 1.6 rockers, which is .453 sooooo
I have 3 trucks, 2 96's and a 99 with vortecs. One thing I hate about the heads is the intake is only bolted down at the front and rear. The intake gaskets can sag and suck oil into the cylinder and cause misfires because it is burning oil. I would never use vortec heads. There are alot better heads out there.
Oh and chamfer all sharp edges. Exhaust seats were hardened but no tempered. Torque them in reverse order so they dont banana and crack in the middle. There are repair tubes for cracks going into a bolt hole.
They made a Chevy 307 back in the day, real beefy block but a lot of guys cried about it like they did about the 305s it only came in two barrel and low compression but all that can be changed and I know some people that race them
Yes but if in a car then you will have to run with out the very rear passenger exhaust manifold bolt because there is no hole drilled. I did it for a year without issues before getting headers.
@@AustinHarmon1994 i wound up getting the L05 from pace instead for 2900 cuz the l31 didn't have the cam eccentric for mech fuel pump. still a decent engine steel crank 1 pc rear main & roller cam ready... headers are out of the question been there twice.
Yup! That's the same cam I have in my Nova. With 4.10 gears, 200-4r tranny, 1103 cam, & vortec heads....car runs like a possessed rocket ship from hell. I love it.
Nope! The stock springs on the Vortecs work fine with the mild 1103 cam. Any cam bigger and then you would probably have to change the springs. If you have a low compression engine and a stock block, use fel pro 7733SH1 or fel pro 1094 head gaskets. They both have a compressed thickness of 0.015 in. That will up your compression a few notches and you”ll still be able to run pump gas. I run 87 octane all day everyday with this beast.
No the sniper has been running great for awhile now. The issue was a bad oil pickup tube which destroyed the #3 rod bearing. Getting ready to put her back together soon though!
They are light castings and cracks are common in used ones.The rocker arm studs are pressed in. If you run a perfomance cam,it can actually make the stud(s) pull out of the head especially if you're running stiffer valve springs.
If someone wants to tradee good old heads. I have a good set of vortec heads. I pulled the motor because I had a power issue. It wasn't the engine. It's in the computer. Because a crate engine didn't fix the problem. I have another truck with a bad motor. Cracked block at freeze plugs. I'm wanting to use the vortec block in it. Because I know the block is good Any how if anyone want to swap my vortec heads for old heads let me know.
I have 8 of these junk heads piled up in my garage right now because the machine shop found cracks every time I bought some and had them checked. I've talked to so many others who have had exactly the same experience, and the machinist said about 1 out of every 12 he checks is actually good. There may be about 20 good GM-produced V8 Vortec heads left out there somewhere in the world, but going forward I'm treating all used Vortec heads as cracked. In the end I ended up buying some aftermarket heads for my build. Even the cheapest Chinesium heads have a revised design that solves the main problems that caused all of the factory heads to constantly crack. To save everyone else the same heartache, I recommend EVERYONE treat used factory heads as cracked and just spend the money on some reproduction heads. I got mine for about $700 for the set in 2024, and now I don't have to worry about them being cracked or likely cracking in the immediate future.
thats soo cute at the end your doggy. thanks for this video. its great info that vortec head users need to know before they get their heads, and ones driving with them that may want to improve performance or mod them. i feel they are a great head to improve stock performance even though they have potential for some real street performance also.
Thanks for the video awesome info....I just replaced my vortec heads with some Darts....you want to talk about my old chevy coming back to life....wooh baby!!
Maybe a dozen years ago, I was preparing a set of the vortech heads for a circle track racer. I could visually see a slight difference in the ports. I ran a single intake and exhaust through the flow bench and found the numbers were way off. -- I checked the port volumes for cc's finding the ports were way small. I checked these against another set which were larger and produced the normal flow numbers. I have the phone number for GM Engineering so I gave them a call to report this issue. I've got the fellas name in the shop but it wasn't Ron Sperry. After explaining the problem, this man asked for the information to be faxed back to GM. -- What the deal was, GM pays Mexico to cast these for them. He was HOT !!
He did say there was going to be Hell to pay for this if we find the same ! All I know is that he was going to get to the bottom of this. Just be aware that you may get a set of these that are weak for power. You have to check the cc's. -- I don't recall the volumes however I would think these are easily available.
Thank you bud your information was very helpful
Mine came off a gmpp crate motor with .460 exhaust lift and I measured .465 clearance. Luckily the valve seals weren’t seated all the way so I ended up with .525-550. I got a good deal and needed a better intake anyways but I ended up pretty close to a set of nkb or similar
Great video. Thanks a Lot!
I pulled a set from pull a part a year ago no problem. The truck still had coolant in it which was good thing no overheating issues maybe I got lucky. Sent to machine shop check for cracks installed my ls6 springs comp retainer and locks good to go
That's good to hear. It seems like cracks in used heads can be common
Very nicely done. Thanks for the video
Guess I got lucky I took a set of 062 vortec heads off a junk engine and ran a 490 lift comp hyd flat tap cam and never touched the heads put them on the tbi short block
Run the Bowtie Vortecs. No downsides.
Really liked the video but like the ending with the yellow lab. we just had to put our yellow lab. "Blossom" to sleep and are devastated over it, only 8 years old and she had small intestine cancer.
Sorry about your pup Joe. They are like children, rough when you have to say bye to one😔
906’s on my 350/290hp crate are great!! Low 8’s in the 1/8th in a G body street car in full trim. 1.84 60’s on a 3.73.
What's your top end speed have you tried it?
Stock vortec heads are thin casting. When pulling heads from used engines almost 1 out of every pair are cracked between the 3 and 5 exhaust seats and or 4 and 6 not including occasional cracks going from the water channels to the chambers......before dumping a penny more into those factory heads have them checked....I gaurantee you most 906-602 casting head vortec engines sitting in your local car yard have milky oil. For a few bucks these heads make great power but they are ticking trouble bombs. Spend a few more bucks and get aftermarket vortec style or bowtie heads if you prefer iron heads.
Nope.
i just pulled mine off my L31 and they are great,but came off a meticulously maintained engine.THE bores on the block are still cross hatched and perfect
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 I believe you..long as they never ran hot from the notorious intake gasket failure they will not crack. Those junk gaskets gm used back then are the real problem. ALL it takes is water temp reaching 250 one single time to risk cracking them. I have 191k on my '97 K1500 with L31 engine and still runs flawless, but it has also been well kept since it was built and never ran hot.
edit: I have yet to pull the heads on mine so I can't say %100 they are not cracked, but if they were I don't think it would run perfect as it does.
I installed new heads on my stock sbc block for my boats engines in 2019 and put over 2400 hours on that boat since then without any problems and never flush the engines since it’s always out on the water. They are cooled by salt water not coolant.
Not mine. ‘04 250k
I just built 3 engines right in a row, a 355 on a 96 Chevy truck, a 358 on a 77 K20 and a 383 on another 77 K20, all 3 had the identical prep, Elgin rv-943x valve springs, 3 angle valve job and .530 valve stem seals. I hate having a single spring, when that goes, so does your engine. For a daily driver to a strong running truck, they work great, I have seen a minimum of 2 mpg on previous engines
One bad thing not mentioned is Vortec heads have thinner castings than old school chevy heads and are prone to cracking if overheated. Be wary of high mileage pull offs and walk away from any head that's been decked.
Correct don't over heat them
They are noticeably lighter for sure. I’ve only ever seen one cracked vortec head in person and I personally did not pull that one. I have overheated them around 250 degrees and not busted one yet knock on wood. Guess I’ve just been extremely lucky
Been running vortec for years. A good up grade is 1.06 exhaust valve. Thats the only downside of the heads is the exhaust. Other then that good heads. Stay around 500 lift were they were ment to run you will be happy.
Dont forget screw in studs.#1
Great video, I just got a rebuilt heads set, the 12558062
Tanks so much for the video . say hay to the dog.
I wound up going with beehive springs & offset locks to get up to .470 lift. I did have to measure but there was some room. Not enough room for the springs, however - bosses had to be trimmed to fit them.
I’m building a 355 Chevy with Vortec heads now for my Squarebody, I got the heads off of marketplace...they ended up needing a valve job and one exhaust valve. But they came with good springs, cut down guides, brand new Summit aluminum roller rockers and screw in studs. But you’re absolutely right, you have to factor in the price of an intake, intake bolts, and valve covers (and I had to get tall)
My total investment for the used heads, machine work, intake and valve covers, I’m at $900. Not sure I’d do it again, considering BluePrint sells aluminum heads for $900/pair. 🤷🏼♂️
What type of intake did you go with
@@jordans03 FleaBay
I went to my local junkyard and yanked out a set of 062’s for 50 bucks. Changed the springs to ls6 beehive springs and comp retainers. Total investment, $225. Running a comp 280h magnum cam with zero issues
Thats cad too
Then i had to buy the intake (which i needed anyway) for $330 and valvecovers, i already had
I just picked up a nice set locally for $100. Going into my 88 C1500 after the engine gets rebuilt.
Something that just popped into my head is how much does just a vortec head swap change the compression ratio? Let's just assume my 86 K2500 still has the original LS9 350 with its 8.2:1 compression. What would the compression jump up to just by going to vortec heads?
As someone with a SBC with vortec heads in a 1975 corvette I think I can give a little good info on installing these heads. The best airflow you can get with the intake side is 240cfm and that's with the 1.94 intake valves at .500" of lift. If you go over this lift you'll just lose power to valve train losses and valve instability. Putting bigger valves in like 2.02s doesn't help airflow either. These heads are thin cast so it's generally not a good idea to port them or put bigger valves in them as they are more likely to crack. A 3 angle valvejob helps a little. The lt4 hot cam is probably the best camshaft you can get for these heads as long as you use 1.5 ratio rocker arms.
Thanks for the info 👍
I just bought a 75 corvette and am in the process of bolting on some vortec heads. My cam has .480 lift. I was told that my cam would work fine with my stock vortec heads with stock springs. The info on the internet varies too much. I've read that the max lift is anywhere between .460 and .500. What do you think?
@@MegaKencam are these 062/906 cast heads of another vehicle or are they the summit variety vortecs?
@@DYLAN102001 906
@@DYLAN102001 I keep researching this and I think that I've decided to go with the LS1 springs and the Comp Cams Retainers. I'm trying to find the right Valve Stem Seals now.
These are great hot street heads, better than the old Camel Hump 2.02's. Definitely go with screw-in studs, and open and mill the spring seats if you want to go a little beyond .500, but only if building a 383 stroker or adding forced induction, otherwise they won't breathe enough.
Another thing is to drop in 1.64 exhaust valves and work the exhaust just slightly. If you know what you are doing a mild porting and gasket match is a good investment. I have a Vortec 383 in my '91 RS and run a pretty peppy Lunati cam and valve train. The heads came on the car and only had 100 miles on the build, so the little "tweaks" were worth it considering the heads were well built and I did my own work. Otherwise... AFR street aluminum or even Summit aluminum heads may be a better choice.
The little 383, like most street engines, is a torque monster and the power all lives under 5,200 RPMs.
What Head Gasket do I use on my 1982 Chevy 350 engine with a pair of 1998 Chevy 350, 062 Vortec Heads ? Any recommendations for Headers, short tube, Long tube (I heard the long tube may hit the oil filter on the Driver's side rear of the block.) Thanks in advance...Liked/Subscribed a long time ago !
Just picked up a zz4 block with 062 heads missing crank cam and caps...and a summit aluminum intake for 100 bucks...their goin on my 350 in my 82 c10
Jesse James got nothin on you ! (:})
I am running these on a Gen II 350 crate motor. Great power for the price, but cold weather running with these heads are horrible due to not having the exhaust crossover.
I live in Oregon I don't my ave any problems once its warmed up the colder the better I run the edelbrock performer and a 650 Holley double pump mechanical secondaries ,the real for Tec head only came in 2 casting # one has a 3 angle cut one doesn't
How did you get them to work on an LT1/LT4 engine???
Thank you for a great video. My question: If you slap Vortec heads on an older motor with a flat tappet cam/lifters, do you use the Vortec pushrods or the SBC pushrods (or are they the same length)?
Have you gotten an answer for this question? I've done the same thing and have asked the same question
Looking for a "Accessory Hole" solution for my 291's....
Seems the 350 is 350 saying is getting a little thin!
don't wanna mix on my 67 motor. Ever seen a 2690 crank???😉
The real issue with vortec heads is that they stall at around .500" lift. If you want to run anything more radical you will need a different casting. These are still the best production SBC heads.
yeah i would look into just plain bare castings of AFR enforcer heads or assault racing heads, port them , use all new parts and then you got heads almost as good as CNC competition aluminum heads by promaxx, AFR, dart pro1, trickflow, or any other without fear of cracking thin iron. if you want to go iron get RHS or DART.
@@zAvAvAz Chevy Performance Bowtie Vortec heads. Good to go, out of the box... lol
@@bobhoffman5581 lol
These heads are prone to cracking because Chevy put a 210 degree thermostat in the Chevy truck so when the fan quits the heads and gaskets go I run a 180 thermostat Comp cams LS6+ valve springs and 787-16 retainers and now I have .570 valve clearance. But as a professional engine builder I've only came across 1 set that was cracked and that block hit 250 degrees it also fried the rod bearings and main bearings the guy toasted the block
250 degrees Fahrenheit isn’t hot enough to hurt an engine and bearing materials melt at much higher temperatures. Lead melts at over 600 degrees, tin at 450 degrees and aluminum at 1220 degrees.
@@timsharpe3498 correct the heads were not the issue the issue was the new coolant gm used in the late 90's and their fail closed thermostats from the factory
Yeah running at 250 degrees isn't normally a catastrophic problem but in bad water NV it is because it's normally around 125 degrees in the summer and GM's shitty factory coolant and head gaskets blow out almost immediately then usually water in the oil causing bearing failure or hydro locking which as we all know is a severe issue
Since when did GM ever use a 210 degree thermostat? I just replaced the thermostat in my 1998 Chevy k1500 two months ago. It was the original equipment one marked with 195 on the Annode end. You are wrong.
@@robbiewallace2754 depending on where you live and ambient temperature GM's rating for sbc is 195-210. The 82-92 camaro had a 210 degree thermostat the trucks I've seen in washington and alaska all had 210 degree thermostats but everyone I worked on was a factory HD optioned work truck with a larger radiator and oil and trans cooler.
You forgot the press in studs as a down side. Best to have them tapped for screw in.
All cast iron chevy heads have press in studs that I know of. They only did screw in on aluminum which also required guide plates.
Not really, mild and medium handle it, high and extreme need threads. Application dependent.
Is a flat tappet 444/467 cam too big for a stock head?
Is there any particular cast numbers I should look for?
I installed a set of vortec 062 heads on a 1993 350 block. I went with a slight milder cam. My question is what length push rod do I need? Will is change much or could I use stock vortec push rods?
I should have waited and I would have heard!
What reference intake used
What Camshaft Do You Recomend For The 062 Heads, I Have A 1998 GMC Z71 And Am Looking For A Upgrade On The Cam For A Bit More Power And A Better Sound. I'm Still Using The Spider Injection Setup Also. Camshafts Are Real Tricky On Finding The Right Ond For The Right Price. ??
With my recent rebuild I've installed a new Comp Cams 12-234-2. It has decent lift and duration and shouldn't cause any issues with vacuum like the thumpr cam did. Check in and I'll make a video about it soon hopefully!
Zanes Garage I have the thumper cam 283 going in my Vortec with shaved Vortec heads came out with a lot of power
Reading through the comments makes for a negative feeling about picking up a set of these heads.
Negative comments always stand out more then positive ones that's for sure. Definitely a lot to consider and be careful about with any cylinder head. For the price it was worth it to me.
My 906 castings had a .9" valve guide boss and the comp cams beehive springs did not fit with out machine work. Also my exhaust ports were raised .2" which for most is not a problem. If a person is running pre vortec exhaust manifolds this can require a little grinding to the top ports of the manifold. They make great power though.
Can I reverse.
History
I have a TBI sbc motor that I changed to the old heads. I did this because the heads were cracked.
Well turns out so is the block.
I have a vortex motor that rans decent. That I pulled.
The truck that had the TBI that I converted to carb. Ran but the block was also cracked.
I want to use the heads, intake, carb, and distributor. On the vortect motor.
And put it in the truck that the TBI was once in.
Can I do this?
In short 1976 sbc heads, intake on a 1997 Chevy 5.7, vortec block.
Go ahead and tell them about the guides height having to be cut so the retainer doesn't smash the seal and contact the guides.
No need for any machining!!!
Can you explain or better yet show the difference between 95 and earlier and 96-2000 sbc coolant bypass. I hear the early engines had the hole below the water pump opening. Now the 96 up blocks don't have the extra passage as I hear.
I know coolant needs to circulate prior to the thermostat opening to prevent hot spots before the t-stat opens.
How is this accomplished? And do you need to make any changes when Installing a Vortec style head on an earlier block or installing early heads on a Vortech block without the extra passage? I've heard suggestion that a hole is drilled?!?
Just use the mr gasket high flow thermostat and drill 3 holes in the top 0.120" or buy it that way from speedway motors.
All carbureted vortec intakes have the bypass port cast into them, you just run a heater hose to the top of your water pump, the same way Oldsmobile did it...
you need to mention the shape of the combustion chamber. it's a much more modern better and efficient heart shaped combustion chamber than the old style bathtub shaped combustion chamber. If it didn't have the heart-shaped combustion chamber the smaller size alone wouldn't do that much
You also need Vortec specific exhaust manifolds or aftermarket headers. The old style ones will bolt up, but the exhaust ports won't match up.
Not true.
@@zachwilson9608 which part?
they do
Yeah find a couple of hundred dollars extra and buy something much better alloy heads
You can by an adapter to run the old style valve covers. But they are pricey.
So what kind of rocker to use..slotted rockers ok??..my cam is .454/468...
don't forget about converting the pressed in rocker studs to threaded.
I was looking for this. Unfortunately I don’t believe my engine builder thought of this when I got new springs and bigger cam. Two days ago engine was running like trash. Pulled covers to find 4 rockers loose and 4-5 lifter retainers broken. The press in studs started backing out. No bueno. Getting heads machined now for screw in studs
@@Se7enthsonSS could have been alot worse, at least you caught it in time
@@yurimodin7333 honestly that’s the way to look at it for sure. It also happened at home instead of needing towed. I have my intake off already. I can pull the heads to take to shop and look at pistons as well. Tedious but necessary
I need help I have a 355 I want to put 906. Vortec heads on It has a nice size cam in it an dont know anything on it I bought it... will the vortec heads go right on it? Anything will help me out
The stock cam that came with the zz4 create engine which had my 906 heads on it was around a .460 lift. Like Chris said .480 seems to be the limit for any stock heads.
What would be a good cam to run after you put these heads on an older 350?
About a .480 lift cam
I used comp cams xe274 , just make sure you get springs to match, it sounded good and it pulled really hard.
vortex ...060 ? still have the 64cc chambers. what do you think?
It is possible to buy valvecover adapters that allow any valvecover to fit on any head. I got some from Ebay years ago. Sleath city.
Good to know I haven't seen those yet!
I thought there were aftermarket ones that were already set up for any SBC valve cover as well. Or are those just the GM Performance ones if such heads exist under the GM Performance name?
3rd gen camaro hood behind you?
.480 lift stock.. with beehive ls6 .525 is pushing it .
Oh good glad to see this I ordered a .480 lift cam. And then I heard him say .450. Glad my cam will be ok
How much more hp roughly, would aluminum heads make over the factory gm vortec heads?
Bolting on the heads and new style intake are one thing....
Replacing the tbi is another.
So is raising the compression.
Now the ecu has to be changed.
I have a 78 Monte with a 305. I’ve already put in a mild cam in to it with dual exhaust with a whimpy 2 barrel carb. I want more.
I would really like to put on fuel injection, eventually and have other guys saving go LS, but at the moment all numbers are matching...so
In my brainstorming BUDGET conscious situation, I found an old 5.7 Vortec in an old suburban. Could I take the whole intake, heads, injection system...everything and mount it up to the block I’ve got now?
Would it work? Would I gain anything? Or would I be better bolting on an Edelbrock system into this 305?
Unless you're raising your compression you're pissing in the wind, and the last thing you want on a low compression engine is a bigger cam
Have you looked at the vortec 305 heads? High compression Pistons? Everybody thinks bigger is better on the 305s it's the whole package you can do a lot with them actually. You probably need a new distributor by the way. Put in an advanced curve kit block the heat risers a 160° thermostat so you can run all the initial timimg and possible. I run a e85 mix so I don't have to buy premium.
@@christianmotley262 oh I have bigger problems at the moment. Every connecting rod bearing is worn down to the copper. So the crank is being ground and polished, and possible the cylinders getting honed out as well.
What would you recommend as far as trying to raise the compression?
Bolted some onto my 87 k5 with a carb intake. Left the tbi but the heads demand waaaayyy more induction so the tbi can't keep up
😢spend just a bit more and get much better alloy heads ready to go 😅 way better and new
Coolant passages ??
Anyone know if it's better to buy remanufactured heads or get heads from a junkyard and have to take them to a machine shop?
Ever figure out?
@@jordans03 no I never really found a solid answer
Would they bolt up to my 1993 Chevy blazer motor 5.7 350 tbi?
Shouldn't be an issue. That engine might already have center bolt valve covers and the different intake manifold you would need for the Vortec Heads. Good luck with it!
Zanes Garage appreciate it man I figured they would fit, my only problem is finding a intake to fit the vortec heads.
What are 217 heads they came on my 98 Silverado 2500 350 vortec motor
85-92 IROC style hood behind him.
Yeah its a 90' iroc hood and its back on the car now!
you didn't mention the press in studs!
Just bought a set with NO casting numbers. Do not appear to be removed. How can I identify these?
If they have no casting number, they're chinese clones.
If you google max lift of vortec heads it pops up .420, when stock is .414 in .428 exh lol david said they get ABOUT .450 on engine masters too. .460 is what ive seen others say but no where on the internet has anyone said theyve ran a stock vortec cam with 1.6 rockers, which is .453 sooooo
I have 3 trucks, 2 96's and a 99 with vortecs. One thing I hate about the heads is the intake is only bolted down at the front and rear. The intake gaskets can sag and suck oil into the cylinder and cause misfires because it is burning oil. I would never use vortec heads. There are alot better heads out there.
Will they work on a stock 91 Corvette TPI motor?
Should work on an l98 you'll just have to get an adapter for the tpi intake because of the bolt angle being different from a traditional 350 intake.
@@thevortec983 Gotcha
Chevy Performance Bowtie Vortec heads are the ONLY way to go. Spend the money, you'll be glad that you DID... lol
I heard they was prone to cracking how true is that
Most that have been hot are cracked for my experience looking through the junkyard
9 out of 10 crack. Mostly stress cracks. I repair them with bronze mig or safety-silv 56. Some are cracked into the water jacket and need plasma weld.
Oh and chamfer all sharp edges. Exhaust seats were hardened but no tempered. Torque them in reverse order so they dont banana and crack in the middle. There are repair tubes for cracks going into a bolt hole.
Their thin and they crack and you dont very many options for intake manifolds. You can buy a lot of cast heads for cheap I wouldn't waste my time
@@rtkl13 you're better off getting an aluminum set and they're cheaper
Bro que intake manifold you use
I run a dual plane jegs brand intake
Part number 555-513002
Speed costs money! How fast do you want to go?
I want to put a set of these on a 307 I removed from my 82 cutlass!...what year should I look at i know I need them off of a 305 vortec engine!...
That is likely a 307 Oldsmobile engine, can't use Chevy heads.
They made a Chevy 307 back in the day, real beefy block but a lot of guys cried about it like they did about the 305s it only came in two barrel and low compression but all that can be changed and I know some people that race them
@@RSAW73 yep, nothing will work on the Olds engine except Olds
will exhaust manifolds off a 86' 305 fit them? my L69 shit the bed and am looking at a L31.
Yes but if in a car then you will have to run with out the very rear passenger exhaust manifold bolt because there is no hole drilled. I did it for a year without issues before getting headers.
@@AustinHarmon1994 i wound up getting the L05 from pace instead for 2900 cuz the l31 didn't have the cam eccentric for mech fuel pump. still a decent engine steel crank 1 pc rear main & roller cam ready... headers are out of the question been there twice.
Bahahahaha love that Pup
Interesting but most likely would buy an vortec engine and upgrade the heads ,intake,add an for barrel carburetor etc
Can you run a 1103 cam with those heads stock
Yup! That's the same cam I have in my Nova. With 4.10 gears, 200-4r tranny, 1103 cam, & vortec heads....car runs like a possessed rocket ship from hell. I love it.
@@qgarvin1 did you change spring or anything
Nope! The stock springs on the Vortecs work fine with the mild 1103 cam. Any cam bigger and then you would probably have to change the springs. If you have a low compression engine and a stock block, use fel pro 7733SH1 or fel pro 1094 head gaskets. They both have a compressed thickness of 0.015 in. That will up your compression a few notches and you”ll still be able to run pump gas. I run 87 octane all day everyday with this beast.
No not yet
@@qgarvin1 thanks for helping
You need to change your rocker arm the stock one will bind need long slot
I just scored a gm bowtie highrise vortec intake with open plenum for a 100 bucks. for my Prostreet truck setting on a full tube chassis.
Good score there 👍
What about the pitting on the intake manifold side?
Did the engine crap out due to sniper
No the sniper has been running great for awhile now. The issue was a bad oil pickup tube which destroyed the #3 rod bearing. Getting ready to put her back together soon though!
@@ZanesGarage awesome glad to hear.
Cracks, 292 which sum 292s were 200 cfm, if not good set of double humps, no cracks,
.450 is a sweetspot for stock
Chevy 350 TBI to the day I die
Hey the TBI that came out of my Camaro never gave me an issue! Maybe not the best for performance but still good
@@ZanesGarage exactly reliability
what big issue did i need to know?...
Not a lot of room for porting I've heard.
What about you'll need screw in studs and watch for cracks.
They are light castings and cracks are common in used ones.The rocker arm studs are pressed in. If you run a perfomance cam,it can actually make the stud(s) pull out of the head especially if you're running stiffer valve springs.
Cant buy a tunnel ram for them
Really, the biggest disadvantage is that they don’t install themselves!
If someone wants to tradee good old heads.
I have a good set of vortec heads.
I pulled the motor because I had a power issue.
It wasn't the engine. It's in the computer.
Because a crate engine didn't fix the problem.
I have another truck with a bad motor. Cracked block at freeze plugs.
I'm wanting to use the vortec block in it. Because I know the block is good
Any how if anyone want to swap my vortec heads for old heads let me know.
the other disadvantage 9 out of 10 are cracked
I can think of 3 things not mentioned
They also crack easy.
Just take out the thermostat
Wont find any in the junk yard that ain't cracked
They aren't worth it
Click bait... issues??