Switching to Vortec Heads? Watch before you buy 

They do, BUT if you can pick up a good set of used castings cheap you can have em rebuilt, milled for higher compression, and put your choice of springs on for less than a new set

@@Texassince1836 great idea. How much you think that will cost?

@@jamalcole1985 machine shop costs vary. My local machine shop runs $180 to clean, pressure check, mill, and do a valve Job on a pair. Add in ~$150 for springs and you're still under the cost of 1 new Vortec head. If you can pick up a used set cheap it works. If someone wants $400 for a used set of Vortecs that will eat up all the savings

@@Texassince1836 At least 80% of used Vortec heads will be scrap due to cracks.

@@prevost8686 you're a little high on your estimate, Ive seen less than 1 in 4 being cracked

Awesome man! Be sure to check out my vortec porting videos coming up

You won't be disappointed! They work quite well Race on!

Need a different intake

If strapped for cash, you can boil them in purple power or simple green, and when you pull them out, you have to look them over closely and quick because the cracks will hold water, and show themselves until the water evaporates. B U T !. the best way is to magnifluxed them. Remember, to be "magged" the ferrous metal needs to be as CLEAN as possible.

Thanks for the positive feedback!

@@cuttersperformance Do you sell the ones you remanufacture? email me if you do certifiedweld@gmail.com

If you can find a good seat of vortec heads they work great but the aftermarket ones are better for sure

@@cuttersperformance Just wondering could a cracked set be repaired, or would they be a bin job? Used ones are a bit of a gamble, but can be picked up for a bargain.

@@DeliriumElectric it depends on where the crack is and how bad it is. The vortecs commonly crack by the center water jacket between the exhaust valves. But it is possible and not uncommon to crack on the exhaust seat themselves. If this us the case depending on how small the crack is the seat can be cut out and a new seat pressed in

@@konnerkramer329 thanks

Most are cracked in ways which aren't easy to detect when they are pulled. Some can be repaired but finding a shop that can repair them isn't easy. I've never heard of a Vortec head actually leaking.

706 vs 862 on 4.8/5.3. Wiki it. If you get 5.0 heads just port them. Also get thick deck units

Good choice!

Ive been planning on getting a set to do a review on them. Alot of guys have been asking about them

It was either those or Summit vortecs. Summit ones seemed a little odd especially around the intake runners and no where did it mention where they were made. JEGS only had 2 reviews on their heads but they appeared to look closer to the actual GM casting and USA made confirmed

​@@frostyz2851I went with the summit ones. Worked just fine for me. Though I didn't care for the summit engraving on the front of the heads. It was easier to buy these than to find good shape stock replacements.

Unless your are using beehive springs. You can get up to .580 lift with the proper springs, seals, reatiners and offset keepers without cutting down guides at all

PISS-CUTTER Performance OK, it's been a while since I messed with one, I put the GM Hot Cam Kit in one years ago and I'm pretty sure I had to have that done with that kit. Thanks!

@@ralfie8801 its common practice to cut the guides but its not necessary if using proper spring kit

The factory retainers have alot of extra metal on the bottom. Comp cams have retainers that clear 0.525 lift easy with no cutting to the head.

@@Texassince1836 having all that extra meat allows for machining .100 off the bottom of the retainer, then there good for .525 or so lift...just another inexpensive way to do it...

Usually, the only time usually the guides get really loose is if they were cut down previously for high lift, and thats why I try to avoid cutting them of possible especially engines that will see lots of mileage

Thanks brother! Feel free to ask if you have any questions and be sure to Subscribe to the channel for more vortec videos

Why would you put an old Vortec in a 05 when you can get. 5.3LS and make a lot more power per dollar?

@@robertries7774 Not building a race truck, and don't like computers. Truck has a NV 3500, I'll be running a carb and GM HEI distributor. Can do away with ECM, evap canister, O2sensors, cats, ABS, all that BS.

You will notice a good difference with switching to vortecs over 882s. Yeah you will need a different intake for sure. Vortec heads with upgraded springs But your headers should work, just gotta make sure you have spark plug wire clearance. You want heads off a 350 vortec. 906 or 062 (last 3 digits) Check out my other vortec videos, should answer some of your questions too

Either one will be an improvement but the 350 head isnt over sized for the 307 and its overall a better design (combustion chamber)

Yeah they can bolt onto a older block Intake, self aligning rocker arms needed Stock pushrod length should work fine but you will need to check the pattern once they are bolted on Check out some of my other vortec videos and they should answer some more of your questions Cheers!

Yeah I've been trying to get a decently price set of 305 vortec heads, I've actually never flowed a set. I want to compare them against the 906/062s

They don't have the general "kidney bean" layout like the 5.7 from what I've seen, still I'm curious about their possibilities.

@@christianmotley262 that's true! Check out my flow video I have on them now

It's a waste of time installing 305 vortex heads even on A305 because even The TPI 305 we're making 235 horsepower without vortake heads

@@Tomcat71 I'm keeping my Camaro's TBI system, with an Edelbrock AirGap Vortec Intake Manifold and a set of 059 Vortec Heads. As his new data shows, the 305 Vortec heads are way better than any other factory GM heads for SBC engines.

They should be pretty close to stock length but youll want to check once the heads are bolted on

Few things to check if you have oil leaking around the base of the distributor. First obviously make sure your gasket is ok as im sure you already have done that its probably not that. If the block/heads have been deck there is a chance your distributor is bottomed out not allowing it to squeeze down on the gasket properly. The simple fix for that is to just use two gaskets on the base of the distributor to shim it up and help it seal

Yeah thats exactly what i tell guys. Vortec heads are great but not worth it of you already have everything else for regular sbc heads. At that point it would be cheaper and less work to just get a better set of aftermarket heads

So first off vortec will be a huge improvement over the stock swirl port heads that you have now. But if you really need to upgrade the camshaft to utilize the vortecs. They have adapters plate that bolt onto a carb spread bore intake to adapt to TBI. That leads me to the next thing....the stock 5.7 tbi fuel injection is good for maybe 275hp and not sure about the 454 version. But either way if not tuned correctly (ECM flashed) it will run poorly and make any mod you made basically useless If you looking for a decent power upgrade it may be worth also considering aftermarket fuel injection. I went holley sniper with a air gap intake on my daily truck and it was a huge improvement 👌

@@cuttersperformance - so maybe i shall go on the replacing the complete old weak engine to a 96 and later 5.7 GM original vortec ..and than install a new intake manifold conected to the holly sniper , thanks alot my friend 🙏🏽

If it was me I would go with a 305 Vortec head. The smaller valves are well suited to the smaller bore, and the smaller combustion chamber of the 305 is better for keeping the compression up on a 283. A 10:1 283 with vortec heads and a decent cam would be a great combo 👌 👍 I have some 305 vortec head flow videos coming up! Cheers!

@@cuttersperformance 520 and 059 after reading some great comments, thanks

I'd say yes same thing basically

The push rod length should be near your stock 7.800 on older flat tappet cam even with vortecs. A OE roller cam sbc (or vortec) use a 7.200 pushrod It's always a good idea to check pushrod length once the heads are on

@@cuttersperformance Ok. Thanks.

You can easily hit 300 hp with that. A very basic vortec build with a very mild cam will make 300hp+ / 400ftlbs with only 9.3:1 compression. I have a video coming about one I installed this week

A little tip for searching the junk yard. Bring a gasket scrapper and brake clean so you can look for cracks in the head surface prior to buying the heads. If you go to my channel you will see a video talking about vortec cracks. The pushrod used will be your old ones (or similar length) the vortec push rods will be too short

@@cuttersperformance Cool thank you so much for the reply!

@@cuttersperformance What head gaskets do you like running? Do you have a part number?

Eq, jegs and summit and a few others all have their own versions of vortecs Often with screw in studs installed already 👍

Chevy Performance sells a steel Bowtie Vortec; the deck of the head is thicker, screw in rocker studs, and have a 2.00 inch intake valve, like the "fast burn" Chevy heads. Better flow, and in a street application, you won't lose as much bottom end torque as you would with a 2.02 valve head. Any "stock" Vortec heads will have the thinner deck, and are susceptible to the issues pointed out in the video. 1.94 intake valve heads are sufficient, I believe, but with the right cam, you would make better (more) power, especially in mid range, with the BowTies--air flow equals horsepower, doesn't it? lol

You must drill steam holes (use gasket as template) And you must have a coolant bypass. Check out my video on that I also might make a video on doing vortec heads for a 400 and what should be done to prevent cracking and hot spots

If you want to stick with the tbi you have two options Buy a tbi intake thats fits vortec heads or buy a carb intake and use a adapter. Then the ecm will need to be tuned to run properly

Yes you can!

Vortec 906 heads have straight plugs

Good point! With the center bolt valve covers there can be clearance issues

@@cuttersperformance I have been racing and building from 1968 , yes I am old.

@@dynodon100 not old....experienced 👌 🏁

Then you can get those nice leaky gaskets to go with it.

@@michaeldose2041 You use Permatex Right Stuff for the adapter to head. and rubber gasket for valve cover.

@@DynoPete Okay just not sure why someone has a fetish for the four bolt valve covers. The vortec manifold and valve covers were a major improvement to the old inherently leaky sbc set up. Sounds like some backward thinking there to me.

@@1white732 and some old school leaks, just can't let go of that crap.

@@michaeldose2041 says somebody working with 20+ year old parts!🙄

yes you can swap vortecs onto a tbi block. youll need a different intake though. Pushrods should be fine I actually have some tbi head porting videos coming up

This is correct! What gives away the vortec heads are the 8 vertical intake bolts as mentioned in the video Don't be fooled by the pre 96 TBI heads, they are not good for performance that's for sure!

@@cuttersperformance Trust me I know. My trucks are just for hauling stuff and occasionally driving to and from work. The performance of the '95 is not bad. The '87 not so much. 1987 was the first year and 1995 was the last year for TBI. I'm 60 now and am not worried about racing. I have a 1968 Olds Cutlass for spirited driving. Take care Buddy.

906 vortecs dont have the saw tooth they have a single hump

@@gmcman355crazy you might wanna double check that. I have a set of both 906 and 062's sitting right in front of me both with sawtooths on them. If anything youre probably referring to the 1st generation vortecs (which have totally different casting numbers starting with 3) or some kind of marine head.

If you running a stock tbi unit youll have a hard time with a real lumpy cam even with tuning. Might be better to swap to carbs or aftermarket efi before you go to a bigger cam or at the same time

@@cuttersperformance I thought so I just being cheap minded lol

Vortec heads dont have 12 bolts. But you can buy a tbi intake that bolts to the vortec heads. Or you can use a carb vortec intake and get a tbi adapter

Correct they have what they call a saw tooth pattern on the front of the head 3 bumps but there a thin wall casting do not over heat this head or they will crack

You can get offset keepers that will allow you to run .050 more lift. You have to upgrade to ls1 or ls6 valve springs.

I think that voodoo cam is for a bb chevy But I think your on track for a good mild cam with the 12-235-2

I have a Voodoo. Put it in the first engine I ever built 15 1/2 years ago that still runs today. Cool thing is you can call them up and have them put it on a different LCA than the 110 they normally come on. 350s usually like 108, 383s 106 (general rule of thumb, real aggressive cams, angle milled or real high cr changes it but for the street those work well).

With a stock cam maybe abit. The difference would be more if it had a larger cam. It is easily 20 to 50hp depending on the setup

@@cuttersperformance yeah I am also putting a hotter cam in. Don't know what cam yet. But definitely a cam. I'd like to be in the 450 hp range. 500 would be great. But I'd be happy with 450

Yeah with a vortec intake aswell

Yeah I have a video about that

The vortecs have a different bolt pattern for the intake

I would run them if it's for yourself, I have personally used atleast 6 different sets of heads on multiple engines that had the center crack that runs vertically in the center with zero issues. Yes for a customer build it's not recommended but 99% of the vortec heads out there are that way and if there are no other cracks that go into the chamber you will be 100% fine. The vertical cracks in the center are only on the coolant side and do not protrude into the chamber, if the heads are flat, wire wheel the chambers clean and pull all the valves and check for cracks in the chambers and seats and if there are no other cracks you will be good to go.

@@briang4470 thanks for the reply Brian. I was gonna angry put them on and say fuck it. Now I'll have some beers and relax while doing it. They're all for my builds. Seen another 080 long block for sale cheap and was like why would I, but I'll probably go pick it up now also.

@@chinstrap5233 yeah man dont be discouraged by the little crack, it is only on the cooling side and will not enter any of the cylinders or the oil. 99% of perfectly fine running vortec motors will have that crack when you pull the heads, I have seen it so many times that it doesnt even bother me anymore, just pull all the valves and check the exhaust seats and ports really good because that is probally the 2nd most common spots for cracks but 9times out of 10 if they are cracked you will see it and usually the port will be rusty but if it has dry carbon and the seats are crack free, just stick em on there and let it roll.

Check out EQ heads

Excellent question! This is something that I will be making a upcoming video about to clear up some confusion I use NGK-TR55 gapped at .040 (most of the time) I've had good luck with these on many builds

@@cuttersperformance solid. Appreciate it. I'll keep an eye out for the video 👀

Video is up if you haven't seen it yet Cheers!

@@cuttersperformance I did and already have a set of TR55GPs on the way to try out! Thanks!

Champion plugs are usually the best for vortech heads, perferably from a push lawn mower.

4 out of 3 huh ...those must be real thin castings !

Stuck closed thermostats will destroy any motor.

Alot of aftermarket head manufacturers have copied the vortec design and improved them with thickener decks and larger runners/ports. GM did a great job with the vortec heads, improving from the LT1 head. If only they made the decks thicker haha

If you're going aftermarket, there are better heads than a vortec copy.

Can fill the heads slightly to thicken the deck?

Chevy Performance Bow Tie Vortec heads---2.00" intake valves, thicker deck, screw in studs. Worth the $...

Awesome man! You would get alot more power buy switching out those swirl port heads. That's if its in the budget

Yah 2000 instead of 200 for a little bit more flow, total no brainer 😂

@@bobvomhof5699 guess I didn’t get my point across . I don’t think you could even put a set of heads on for $200 if someone gave you the heads . Oil change and filter , head gaskets , valve cover gaskets , intake gasket . Gasket sealer . ?? Antifreeze.? Probably missed something else . Those LS heads are pretty notorious for cracking . I know I wouldn’t think of putting a set on another engine without having them surfaced and checked out . What you gonna do if they are cracked . Go spend another $200 hoping to get another set then another 2-3 hundred on gaskets ? Unless a fella was the kind to just slap anything together ? I’d venture to say that a man wouldn’t do a head swap in the yard with junk yard heads at $200 for any less than $700-$800 including the machine work ,providing they did it right. And still …. You got an old set of iron heads . As for me .. even compared to $200 a wing and a prayer ? I’ll drop an extra $1-2,000 for peace of mind . We all have our priorities I guess . Little better flow , little less weight , little better cooling , little more peace of mind .. #BRODIX 😎

Because of the siamesed cylinders of the 400 block mixed with the thin decks of the vortecs I would highly suggest drilling the heads, to prevent hot spots. *Also make sure you have a coolant bypass*

@@cuttersperformance what do u mean by a coolant bypass?

Check out my video, very important when putting vortecs on a older block ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vdaxLzQZsXQ.html

That is correct! Did a video comparing them ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qy90bOCTpjM.html

@@cuttersperformance yeah I put L30 heads on my LB9 in my 86 trans am with a cam and stealth ram I made over 290HP

Wheel hp?

@@cuttersperformance yeah but everything was new a T-56 manual transmission and 3.70 gears in a 9-bolt

@@kennethrand1032 damn thats pretty good for a 305 man

If you want send me an email with pics Pcperformance1@outlook.com

Intake bolt pattern is different

Chevy Performance sells an intake that's compatible with both...

It will not fit, needs to be a manifold with the vortec bolt pattern

Yeah vortec intake bolt pattern is different than the TBI

@@cuttersperformance ok appreciate it

Yeah, 96+ 305's came with vortecs Last thre digits on the heads are 057

Most of the time I take the complete engine

If the engine is already out,like if it's in the core engine area. Probably less than 10 min. I used a cordless impact drill. If the engine is in

I did it last week on a 2500 Silverado from 1998 took me about 2 hours a hour a head because the engine was in the truck and fully assembled I just took the exhaust bolts head bolts center valve cover bolts and yank the 8 bolts off the intake pull upwards take the heads out it’s not hard at all just gotta have patience and I did this while it was snowing and 20 degrees outside at a boneyard

Yeah but your stock intake won't wok. You'll need a vortec intake (8 bolt)

$100 to $400 per set

About 6 weeks ago I bought a set from a guy who said he worked at a Pick a Part here in Oregon..he advertised a pair of 906 Vortec heads for $100.00. Turns out they were 062 Vortec heads...but I had driven 75 miles to buy them so I bought them even tho they were pretty dirty... I cleaned them up and they looked good...and the day before yesterday I took them to the local Automotive machine shop for Maga Flux and to have them Decked...they had no cracks and look perfect... I got lucky big time ! Heads $100.00 Maga Flux and Decked $180.00....$280.00 for a great set of SBChevy heads !

A set of 059s would work on a 350. Ideally you want a set of 350 vortec (906 or 062) heads but....059 vortecs still flow better than most stock sbc heads even with the small intake valve. You do a good pocket port on them, good valve job, valve springs ect...you can have a decent set of heads. Torquey cam, dual plane intake...you can have a nice street set up

No LT1 head not work on a traditional or vortec block. The lt1s have a reverse cooling system than a traditional SBC so the coolant ports in the heads are different. Also LT1s dont share the same intake bolt pattern as a vortec

@@cuttersperformance thank you

Yeah

He has better luck than my customers then. 2 out of the last 18 heads I have inspected were good. And those two, were not even a pair or from same customer.

The 416 heads aka "305 HO heads" are a ok head but they take some porting and a valve job just to flow almost as good as a completely stock vortec head. The vortecs also feature a much better combustion chamber

@@cuttersperformance I would LOVE to see a comparison of the 416's vs later Vortec 305's vs Speedmaster 59(?) cc heads on flow. Of course, this would be for the smaller gen1's, like 283, 307 etc. Side note. I self ported a pair of 062's on a .060 over 283. Took a picture from the bottom of the bore, and there didn't look like any horrible "shrouding" like most cry about. With a Comp 268 flatty Comp bee-hives, machined guides, china intake, TBI adapter, CHINA HEI, in my 95 chevy ext cab, long bed, NV4500, 2500/3.42 would've EATEN the "stock" 350 that came in it. PIG RICH (burn your eyes) at idle, but got 17-19 mpg hwy!! Pretty darn good for a 6000lb truck!! So, could you PLEASE do a comparison of you have the resources?? Thanks for the videos!

@@blownaway4371 what he said.

I'm a big fan of the Edelbrock RPM Air gap but the Summit racing brand air gap is very nice if you want to save a buck or two

Don't use the Summit Racing vortec manifold. It might not fit very good. And its made in China. My friend has one on his 383. Had to grind on it to get the valve covers to bolt all the way down. I'd get the Edelbrock. I've installed several. They usually fit pretty good.

@@Thundarr995 o thats really weird I've use probably 3 or 4 of the summits air gaps on budget builds and they have been pretty good. I did try a professional products air gap once and the casting was terrible haha would not install on a customer's engine that's for sure

Victor junior by eldebrock

With vortec I only resurface enough to flatten them. The decks are already pretty thin

The stock 1.94/1.5 valves should clear the small 305 bore no problem

Yes they can!

I like to do a 1.6 exhaust valve and leave the 1.94 valves on vortecs. There are gains going to a larger intake valve but porting is key. The issue is that vortecs have some pretty thin areas in the casting that you can blow through trying to utilize the larger intake valve. But a 1.6 exhauat valve with even just a bowl blend has a great increase in flow. Adding th 1.6 without blending the bowl will increase flow under .400 lift but hurt it by 10 to 20 cfm past that