Heads up for any of you guys thinking about going the vortec route on your small block.

by TWBouska AKA Wooderson Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:53 pm

doing a cam and top end swap on the 350 in the elco, knew that you need special intake for vortec heads because they have a different than stock bolt pattern. What i didnt know is that stock style valve covers will not work either. vortec heads will only take centerbolt valve covers. found this out the hard way today so now my car is down another few days...which SUCKS...copied the chevy high performance "QUEST FOR POWER" build which was good for 408 horses and 430 lb-ft of torque. I just really wanna fire this baby up.

by coreys73chevelle Sun Mar 28, 2010 7:14 pm

thanks for the info! just remember to get a video of it Smile

by ant7377 Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:32 pm

You can get adapters to use regular valve covers.

by Limey SE Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:07 pm

Or buy the center bolt covers NIB I have here for 35 plus the ride, AND FOR ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED I HAVE A COMPLETE VORTEC SET UP WITH MANIFOLD NIB AND FRESH VORTEC HEADS FOR SALE

by JB2wheeler Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:14 pm

Limey wrote:Or buy the center bolt covers NIB I have here for 35 plus the ride, AND FOR ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED I HAVE A COMPLETE VORTEC SET UP WITH MANIFOLD NIB AND FRESH VORTEC HEADS FOR SALE

Thats exactly what I need, but am in such bad financial shape I will have a "check" to bounce because it goes thru automatically 2 days before I get paid next week. The last 12 months have been hell for me financially. I sure hope my luck changes!!! JB

by Limey SE Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:17 pm

keep your spirits up JB it will turn around for you soon
and this is the first time I mentioned them here so I will hold off posting them to see if your rubber check doesnt bounce to high

by novaderrik Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:40 pm

centerbolt valve covers should be nice and cheap- any decent junkyard will have dozens of them on trucks and Caprices for a few bucks.
look at a few different engines, tho. there are actually a few different configurations of breather, PCV, and oil fill holes. i think the early 90's TBI Caprices have the best layout, and they even use slick looking torx head bolts to hold the valve covers down instead of the regular 5/16" hex head bolts. but the bolts are interchangeable among all the center bolt valve covers, with the exception of the 90's Vettes that had the plastic covers.
while you are looking for valve covers, grab the plug wire looms from a TBI pickup or suburban. they are about the cleanest factory plug wire loom setup, and look and function better than any aftermarket setup i've ever seen.

by TWBouska AKA Wooderson Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:28 am

thanks for the heads up...i went ahead and ordered them already though, but now i know for the future. J2B i hope that your luck turns around soon, i was where you are about a year ago myself, so i know how you feel.

by The Dude Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:49 am

Limey wrote:Or buy the center bolt covers NIB I have here for 35 plus the ride, AND FOR ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED I HAVE A COMPLETE VORTEC SET UP WITH MANIFOLD NIB AND FRESH VORTEC HEADS FOR SALE

Limey's shameless plug of the day, LMAO!

Most any heads you find that were made from the mid 80's-on will be centerbolt. They seal better anyways, so you just helped yourself out without even knowing it! Just make sure if you try to buy roller rockers in the future to look carefully at the description. You need self aligning narrow style arms that clear centerbolt valve covers.

Heads up for any of you guys thinking about going the vortec route on your small block. Xowner

Heads up for any of you guys thinking about going the vortec route on your small block. Xowner

by JB2wheeler Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:50 am

Limey wrote:keep your spirits up JB it will turn around for you soon
and this is the first time I mentioned them here so I will hold off posting them to see if your rubber check doesnt bounce to high

Dont hold them for me, Limey. I always take the attitude that Doris Day did, Que Sera Sera. You dont get to my age unless you do take that attitude. JB

by TWBouska AKA Wooderson Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:14 pm

[quote="Rago"]

Limey wrote: Just make sure if you try to buy roller rockers in the future to look carefully at the description. You need self aligning narrow style arms that clear centerbolt valve covers.

thanks for mentioning it i did get the self aligning ones but im glad you mentioned it for anyone else on here that is thinking about doing this swap

by TWBouska AKA Wooderson Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:15 pm

novaderrik wrote:
while you are looking for valve covers, grab the plug wire looms from a TBI pickup or suburban. they are about the cleanest factory plug wire loom setup, and look and function better than any aftermarket setup i've ever seen.

thanks for the heads up, next time i hit the yard ill see what i can find.

by BlackChevelleSS Tue Mar 30, 2010 6:05 pm

I dont know if you done the research or not but there are better vortec heads than others. I dont remember the numbers are the moment, but just to let you know. I got buttloads of them all up at the shop. (lots of motor swaps)

by The Dude Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:19 pm

And you gave me some swirl ports on the trade? Thanks buddy, lol.

BTW, 062 castings are the more desirable castings. SOME 906 heads flow just as well, but some were modified to use an exhaust seat insert.

by BlackChevelleSS Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:15 pm

Hey I didnt have any of the Vortec stuff until recently (like in the past 6 months)

by The Dude Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:25 pm

That's cool. Just a little razzing. Smile

I was going to ask what all of the white caulking stuff was that's in all of the threaded holes on that 350? Somebody must have gotten bored & decided to do some drywalling, lol. I think I'm gonna use those heads for practice to see if I can do something with the swirl vane though. Might be interesting to see what kind of flow #s can be acheived. It almost seems like such a waste that the exhaust flows so well (allegedly on par with Vortecs) & the intake is corked up like that. Worst case scenario is I waste my time entertaining myself, right?

by TWBouska AKA Wooderson Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:19 am

BlackChevelleSS wrote:I dont know if you done the research or not but there are better vortec heads than others. I dont remember the numbers are the moment, but just to let you know. I got buttloads of them all up at the shop. (lots of motor swaps)

i did quite a bit of research, i found that the patriot versions are probably the best but their sold out until the end of april, then theres the GM performance versions, and then summitt and jegs each make their own versions, as far as bang for the buck, i really recommend the summitt ones, i got a cam/lifter kit, the heads, the self aligning rockers, edelbrock eps intake, timing chain all the bolts, and all the gaskets and a free air cleaner for about a grand out the door.

by BlackChevelleSS Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:20 am

i dont know never noticed it before.

by Jim_Rockford Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:57 pm

centerbolt covers are the best thing gm ever did , well other than the LT1, but they are a great improvement over perimeter bolt covers.

by 74Malibu383 Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:13 pm

Not so sure I agree with that.... I've yet to find a decent looking set of centerbolt valve covers, and you can't fit the big roller rockers under them without a spacer. And the LT1??? The LS series blows the LT out of the water.

by Jim_Rockford Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:15 pm

LS series sucks for affordability, frigging plug wires for a LS cost as much as a set of headers for a LT1..lol and I personally Like stock black center bolt covers.. Chrome don't get you home.

by 74Malibu383 Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:56 pm

Suppose you're right on both accounts. Can't deny the power of the LS motors though!

by TWBouska AKA Wooderson Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:40 pm

yeah i was going to do the 5.7 liter swap out of a silverado into my elco and we were gonna pick up an LQ4 for my girlfriends chevelle for about 500 each but with all the either B.S. that comes up when adding it up its not worth the money...if only i had disposable income...although im pretty happy with the set up i just finished...probably a little too much cam though.

by BlackChevelleSS Wed Apr 14, 2010 11:13 pm

hey rago found out that three sets of the 4 of the vortec heads we got were cracked right at the exhaust valve seats on the two inner cylinders.

by TWBouska AKA Wooderson Thu Apr 15, 2010 2:51 am

Sh1t....if i crack another set of heads im gonna be pissed.

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Heads up for any of you guys thinking about going the vortec route on your small block.

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