How much will you have to shave a vortec head (062) to reduce the head from 64 to 58-60 cc. If I reduce to 58cc, then I will have 10.0 SCR and 8.0 DCR. If I reduce to 60cc, then its 9.75 SCR and 7.8 DCR.

Right now I am at 9.3 SCR and 7.6DCR without shaving the heads? Would the shaving be worth the hassle and any potential risk to heads. I want a strong running motor running on pump gas with good torque for the street. The car will likely never see the strip.

Clyde

as you may know some people frown on the vortecs because they are made from a lighter casting than other gm heads. I have heard that the only advised shaveing of these heads is a slight angle mill i believe .040 off the exhaust side but this creates other problems for you like intake alignment and cutting. I I would advise getting a set of pop up pistons with some dome before i would cut these heads. what pistons do you have ? flat tops with 4 valve releifs perhaps.

Have you cc'd the heads?
Vortecs are usually closer to 62cc's.
Atleast all the ones I've checked.

.006" per CC is close.

DON'T USE A DOMED PISTON!

1/2 point in compression is worth about 2% in power. You could just leave them alone, accept the 7hp loss and run a grade cheaper gas.

Ditto what Greybeard said.
You do not want to run a domed piston with the Vortec even if you could find one.
These chambers were designed to make good torque & power with flat tops & chances are you would lose power with a dome.
.006/cc is very close so you would need to cut approx .024 off for 58cc's on most of them as they usually run about 62cc's as Umass said.
Can you run less head gasket?

Thanks for the help. I run 4 relief flat top's. My biggest problem is that my pistons are 0.045 down the hole. I found out that some aftermarket manufacturers purposely make their pistons run about 0.020 farther down the hole than the general so that they are conservative and don't get a bad rap from people who deck their blocks too much. At least this is what I have read. I'm not willing to take the motor back out of the car and have it decked so i was trying to make some of it up on the heads. I bought a set of Fel-pro 1094 head gaskets that are supposed to be 0.015" compressed to gain back some of my compression lost when I went to the vortec heads. I haven't cc'd them. I hope your right about the 62 cc's.

Any way, its not worth it to me to gain 7 hp. Looks like we're sticking with them as they are. Any suggestions on the type of coating to put on the 1094 steel shim head gaskets?

Clyde

I thought everybody raved about Vortecs. I didn't realize these were considered light castings.