Wife's 67 with a 350 needs a rebuilt going to put new heads on. Looking at the Vortech's, Dart Iron Eagle 180cc's, and Pro Top Line 180cc's. Car uses a M-20, 3.55 gears, be getting a new cam also, leaning towards a hyd. roller for her. I know with the Vortech's I will need a different intake. So any one out there using any of these heads? Thanks! graemlins/beers.gif

Yes, there are quite a few of us running these heads.

My current combo is a 350, bored .040 over (357), flat-tops, Summit cast crank, stock 5.7" rods, .035-.038 quench (piston/crank/rod/deck variations???). I'm running a Crane solid flat-tappet cam with 278/288 duration (seat to seat) and .480/.500 lift (minus lash).

The engine was sweet with a 278 hydraulic cam, but it's much better with the 278 solid.

Comparing the Vortecs to Chevy heads I ran in the past is like night and day. They did the job right with these heads.

You may get more peak power from a pair of aftermarket heads, but I don't think you'll get the same response across as wide a band.

I'm getting plenty of streetable low-end torque and this engine pulls all the way to 6000. I've seen 6500 with it more than once.

I have another pair of Vortecs awaiting a little port work on the exhausts. These will be on my 383 that I've been working on little-by-little for quite a while now.

So it's safe to say that I really love Chevy's Vortec heads. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Check the sig. They are awesome!

I have them on my 350 HO motor.Course they came on from Chevy.It's the 330hp crate motor :D
Great motor to build from... graemlins/hurray.gif

graemlins/waving.gif
Rick

Yep, I've got them too. I liked them so much I am using them on the 388 I am building.

Love EM! Ours are very simular to the recent buildup in one of the car magazines where they show the porting work by a well know head guru (Don't remember the mag or the guys name).

graemlins/thumbsup.gif

We found the article just mentioned in the July 2003 Carcraft-

Porting GM's Iron Vortec Heads and the guru is Roger "Dr. Air" Helgesen.

A great article to save and refer.

We forgot to mention in our earlier post, that we followed the advice and tech articles (Located on this site) of Gary from GMPP.

graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Both my small blocks run vortecs. One is a stock vortec 350 from a 99 pickup. The other is my 383. I love these heads. Great torque across the rpm range, one of the best combustion chambers out there, and fairly cheap for a set.

Thanks for the replys guys. A guy in my neighborhood runs these heads in a 70 chevelle 350, M-21, 4.11 rear, and a custom solid flat tappet cam (mild) from Crane and runs 12.60's on 28x 10.5 slicks, with a dual plane Edlebrock and a Holley HP carb says it flows around 750cfm. He likes these heads says they have good crisp throttle response with good torque from idle on up. graemlins/beers.gif

travis;
what is the 388 going in?the nova?if so ,what trans?do you think they will rival the 200cc lightnings?
i think the high runner design gives the mixture a better entry angle,improving velocity with longer cams.like switching to 14 or 18*heads,but not as pronounced.this may be why they give a nice wide power band

I also like the Vortec head. In addition to being a strong running street head it also makes a great, no E, foot brake drag race head. It's broad power curve makes the engine responsive at the start and still pull hard the entire run. Two other items of mention, it is the lighest of all popular iron heads by several pounds. Also, since most of us are Chevy guys, it was engineered by GM. In IHRA Crate Motor classes the 330 horse based, Vortec head engine is a popular and strong runner. I have two Vortec head 355 engines, one is for local brackets and the other is a class legal 330 Crate Motor. The engines a much alike with the bracket motor having more cam and more compression being the biggest difference.
Larry Woodfin
Crate Racer

I love my vortecs on my 383. 10.8-1, RPM, 280* .500"
cam. You might try the Hot cam kit if you have a later block. It's probably the cheapest way to go for a HR. You'll need screw in studs. I tried to save a buck the first time. So when I wanted a solid cam, I had to pull the heads for studs.

Originally posted by Scott_68_SS:
So when I wanted a solid cam, I had to pull the heads for studs. You sure you had to?

I've had the same solid cam for over a year now on a daily driver with no issues. No screw in studs either.

Originally posted by SLEEPER86:
travis;
what is the 388 going in?the nova?if so ,what trans?do you think they will rival the 200cc lightnings?
i think the high runner design gives the mixture a better entry angle,improving velocity with longer cams.like switching to 14 or 18*heads,but not as pronounced.this may be why they give a nice wide power band Wow, this post was brought back from the dead
tongue.gif Heres the deal. I built a 388 to go in the nova...vortec heads, dished KB pistons (9.9-1), performer rpm, and a custom ground Isky solid flat tappet (247/254@.050). However, a ex-coworker buddy of mine needed a replacement engine for the worn out 400sb in his street rod, so he bought my engine (after I swapped the isky solid for a XE284 comp cams hydraulic), and I built another 388 (the one listed in my sig now).
FWIW, I got another set of vortecs to build another 383 with...just haven't gathered all the parts yet.

Thanks CJ... ;)

I didn't want to take the chance. Not with 135 on the seat and 330ish on the nose. It's a UD276/284F10. A little bigger than your 278.

CompCams Tech told me I'd be ok with the 981's on new heads with pressed studs. Meaning heads that had never been overheated any.

I run the Dart IE 180's, and they picked my car up from 14.40 ET's to 13.70's. The only reason I didn't choose the Vortechs was my domed pistons...compression would have been too high. The Dart IE is available in a 72cc chamber, which is what I'm using. The Darts may have a little more high rpm potential, the Vortechs are probably better below 5000. By the time you buy a Vortech-specific intake and modify them for higher lift, the price probably works out the same as the Darts.