whats better? double hump heads or vortecs?

355 CId, xe274 cam, 3.73 gears. 700r4

 

There are many different kinds of double hump heads... which in particular are you talking about?

Vortecs probably will have more potential, but you are limitted in what intakes you can use. Double humps are good heads, but dated in their technology, but you can use any intake you want.

 

i wanna shoot for 12s, would the double humps get me there?
im not sure, im asking for the casting number from the guy tonight
i was gonna run vortecs, but he wants 400 for the double humps and they are redone. i just figured it was worth asking
mike

 

It will take alot of work with either of those heads for 12's, you need performance heads, those are not.

 

well my friends dad has a 81 camaro with a 355, .125 dome speed pro pistons, a huge mechanical cam... cant really remember exactlly but i know its over 300, camel hump heads with no work done to them except bigger springs, 750 holley and he did some kind of modification to it, not sure but he grinded out the top of the holley for more air, so it looks like a proform main body, victor jr. intake, 1 3/4" super comp headers with exhaust cut outs, 3" cowl hood and slicks... maybe 300-400lbs dropped from the car too.... anyway he runs 12.4

 

Yeah thats alot of work.

 

well if u know an easier way to 12's with camel humps lemme know.

 

Replace them with better heads. Spend your money on good heads and you won't have to spend it on everything, else. Heads are what make real power, not bolt ons. Good heads will make way more power without having such a radical setup.

 

I have said it before and i will say it again, why spend all the money on GM factory heads when you could by aftermarket heads for a little more.

There are many more variables that go into making power other then what the heads flow. Port velocity, chamber design, spark plug location ... all weigh heavily into the power equation. Now if you want some 35 year old heads that require several crutchs to work, go for it waste your money. Old heads also probably have been rebuilt several time and are then end of their lives. Old heads also will require new valve seats to run on pump gas, new valve guides, and a rebuild. And depending upon what double humps dome pistons to raise compression to a usable level. Combine that with crap bathtub combustion chambers and you will run into detonation problems...

Now vortecs they require tons of machine work, specific parts and are lightweight castings that are prone to cracking. Vortec heads also don't like to be rebuilt alot and will be substantially weakened by having the spring pockets enlarged for bigger springs.

IMHO its not worth rebuilding any stock parts anymore ( heads, rods, cranks...) when there are much better aftermarket parts for a little more. Aftermarket parts will last a lot longer and will be much better.

I would never buy GM heads, but thats me, i would spend my money more wisely. That being said i have some 416 heads on my 305 that i am going to port, but i didn't buy them i already had them.

 

I run 12.28's with lightly modified vortec heads. I would run in the 11's with more hook. You just need to know how to set a car up.

 

Vortec heads run $400 for a set. I have $0.00 in machine work on my heads, $39.99 in valve springs and I run close to .500 lift. If you cant figure out how to get around retainer to guide clearance issues, you should have someone else doing your work for you.

Find me a set of aftermark heads for $440 that flow in the 230-240 cfm range.

 

IMO, dollar for dollar the Vortecs are the easy winner. I've seen the flow sheets on stock vortec compared to the fuelie heads upgraded with the 2.02/1.60 valves and the vortec simply flow more. On top of better flow number they're just so effeicent in design.

So take that for what it's worth, a close friend of mine has 2 69' camaros with mild 355's running small hyd flat tappets/vortec headed-rpm air gap manifolds and runs mid 12's with both, the other has a 100 shot and he runs in the 11.6-7 range on a average summer day.

Also depending on the casting number of your camel backs, the true fuelie heads did not come with accessory holes so they will have to be added which will add to the cost also, unless they've already been done.

Cars are running better today than yrs ago for a reason-technology!!

 

Since you posted the same thing here and on the Tech/General Engine forum, I'm going to kill this one.

That way, IHI won't artificially boost his post count answering on both forums...