hey everyone!!! i am in the middle of putting my new motor in.. its a 406 and i am going to run vortec heads on it.. i know i need to get an intake that excepts vortec heads but.. what should i go with what model??? i plan on edelbrock.. i also plan on using the holley street avenger 770 cfm carb.. i am not sure what cam is in it.. the guy that i got it from said that it has forged pistons and the cam is 3 steps above stock what ever that is i think he said 490 lift not sure though.. so should i go with a performer or the rpm or maybe try to get their new EPS intake??
also i am taking my computer out and i need to know if i can get away with not having my lock up on my converter i have 3.73 gears.. or cani still use the plug in on the drivers side under the dash like i have been doing liek they explain in the tech articles?? also what 1/4 mile times does everyone think i will get and what kindof HP?? thanks

 

anyone???

 

I think you will have to rewire your lockup to work without the computer. If you do a search on the Transmission and Drivetrain boards you will find several posts on that to steer you in the right direction, mainly some re wiring if you are capable of that or you can buy a pre wired kit to do it.
Did the person you got the 406 from build it themselves?
The reason I ask is they say the cam is "three steps above stock"
If I had the engine out in front of me and I hadn't at least heard it run, I would pull the timing cover and see what manufacturer's stamp or ID is on the nose of that cam. Why? Suppose you get it in the car and it won't idle below 1200 RPM and has NO bottom end from having a stock converter behind it. Or that the lift is too much for the valve guides in your Vortec heads, causing coil bind and parts damage.
I'd pull the pan and inspect a couple of bearings, Plastigauge is cheap insurance, and make sure some clown didn't put rod caps on backwards, etc.
Measure the deck clearance, again, going back to the cam issue, this thing could have 11:1 domed pistons in it that will hit your valves, not to mention have so much compression it detonates on pump gas.
I look at it this way, a hundred bucks in gaskets and an afternoon may save you from having to do all the work of pulling the engine back out if there's a problem that could have been seen beforehand.

Just my $.02

Eric

 

i talked to the guy again he is a friend of mine its some what a long stor but the short end of it is the cam is 290 duration and 254 lift or close to that... does that sound like a some what decent cam?? for now anyways?? also it has speed pro forged pistons.. i know he knows what he is doing and he puts 10 sec motors together all the time.. he estimated the motor would have around 375 horse power which i wouldnt see why that wouldnt run 12's as long as i can hook.. he basically got the motor cheap and went through it and cleaned everything up on it.. made sure everything was allright.. now i just have to find a serpentine belt system for it.. would get the march conversion kit buts its like 500 dollars and i know i can rig something up cheaper!!

 

It sounds like it's a pretty hot cam, if it has 290 duration then the duration at .050" is probably 240 degrees or so (that is an important figure) so you may run in to troubles running your power brakes.
If it was a running engine you have to assume it's going to run again.
As far as the serpentine belt setup goes I think there is a place called tacreations.com that is sort of like Hawk's and they advertised serpentine conversion kits for like $200 or so, not a bad price I don't know if that included the alternator or not.

Eric

 

yes it is a running motor in fact it was on a stand and he is going to start it for me on the stand tommorow.. i think my thinking on radical cam and his.. are two different things so i guess we will see he says it wont be to rumpy of a cam but i thought the numbers were a little hot too my i get to hear it monday!!!.. just hope it hits the horse power he thinks it will.. and probably down the road i will have to get a different stall converter with that cam then also but for right now it will have to do.. it stalls at bout 2000 bout dont think that will be enough.. just hope for the 12 sec time slip this spring!!!

 

Here is an economical alterative to the edelbrock vortec intakes.

Professional Products: pn#52007 is a performer like
intake that fits vortec heads. Apparently it works pretty good
too.

Check it out.

http://www.professional-products.com

 

ok i was wrong on the cam specs.. this is a rough estimate on the cam specs.. the guy that i am getting it from went through the whole motor it has flat top pistons and cam spcs that are 451 on the exhaust side and 464 on the intake side i wish i had more specs to go by but someone said that is a crappy cam what do u think?? i dont want a whole lot of duration because it is a street car but i do want some lump so when i pull up people know i am there know what i mean?? if this cam doesnt sound good what should i go with?? thanks and i did find that i can wire my converter with the a lead wire run tha to a 12v when the key is on type of thing ground it to a switch and turn it on and off!!

 

also the professional products parts look good but the cross wind is the closest to the air gap.. and they dont have it for vortec heads.. sucks because they ahve good prices

 

Well, if you want to use fuel injection you can use the Ram Jet intake: P.N. 12489371 $399.95 from scoggins-dickey and find a used LS-1 throttle body from a wrecking yard for $150-200.Or scoggins also sells them new for $280.00 and you can get the fuel rail kit complete from Arizona Speed and Marine for $200.00(and the thermostat neck).And yes they do make this intake for G.M Performance Parts also called their Marine intake.Mine's already being shipped for the 400 small block I'm puttin in an 87 IROC-Z.Just think of the power this thing will make!!!In the article I have with the G.M Performance Parts yellow 92 RS Ram-Jet 350 camaro,(with vortec heads:350hp & 400lbs.)the torque was already at 375lbs. at 2000rpms.Think if this was a 383,you would have one evil engine with a nice price if you went with a affordable hyperuetectic piston stroker kit.Most people don't even know this intake is out yet,but for the same price as a mini ram bare ($899.00 last time I checked and the D@mn fuel rail kit was like $300.-350 i think) you could have basically the same thing:a one piece intake complete that would look awesome when you lift that hood and make enough low end torque that would make even the space shuttle astronauts jealous!And none of the hassel of trying to drill into a $100-250.00 LT-1/4 intake and possibly messing it up not to metion the coolant plumbing nightmare.But the only choice for heads are the G.M. vortec's and fast burn heads or the Edelbrock's E-tecs, and the G.M.s only accecpt centerbolt valve covers.But there is a adapter that allows you to use perimeter bolt valve covers but I don't know if it would actually work very good.Just trying to help.

 

thanks for the help gene but i am going carb... but how do the cam specs sound anyone?? 451 on the exhaust end and 464 on the intake side thanks

 

anyone else?? i have been told by some that this cam is a good size acm others say its punie. any help would be great..

 

that sounds pretty decent. That is also about the limit on the stock Vortec springs.

My cam is only .422&.444, im gonna upgrade it soon though, but it still is a pretty quick engine.

 

do u think i should hit 12's with it?? i should be able to hook well with all my new spohn suspension stuff i got.. also i now plan on running the edelbrock air gap intake and a SA 770 holley.. the guy that built the motor said i should be at bout 375 hp.. also someone on here said with the flat top pistons that i would be at a higher compresion ratio something like 11:1 but the the guy that built the motor said it should be around 9:5.1 what do u guys think thanks for all the help!!
also will that cam be pretty lumpy or just a good lump.. i dont want a hole lot of lump but somethign that sounds over stock will this??

 

anyone else??

 

do you think the vortec heads flow well enough for a 400? I know that hot rod just got 500hp out of a 383 with a 282 roller cam and those heads stock. Thats alot of freakin power, what would they do on a 400? especially if you cleaned them up a little bit, theres another thread on here talking about vortcs and scoggin lower TPI intake, and someone said with some small clean up work, these heads will flow like 270 on the intake? is that true? because they are alot cheaper than AFR's and flow a heck of alot better than the edeljunk heads. thanks.

 

well my heads have been cleaned up and a 3 angle valve job done on them.. the machinst said that that there really wasnt a whole lot of clean up to be done on them but he did some.. he also said that most that he had seen was like 186 valves and mine are 194.. not sure of the signifigance on that but anywyas.. i am still trying to figure out if this cam is allright some say yes and some say no.. i just want some lump and like i said already if this cam doesnt work out i guess i will have to change it.. just would like to know what i am going to have to look forward to..
and all the flw tests i have seen the vortecs were right up with the other big name heads.

 

anyone have flow numbers for vortecs, or AFRS? i know the vortec's flow better than edeljunk heads. i didnt know how they compared to AFR's or Trick Flows.

 

not sure how they flow compared to the rest of the heads u can run a search on your browser just put in vortec head flow comparison charts.. still wondering bout the cam thanks

 

can anyone tell me if this cam will have a better lump then a stock cam?? or do u need the lift??

 

Speaking of VOrtec heads and intakes, a friend of a friend of mine just got a used set of heads and a four barrel intake from a marine motor (there's a source we don't often consider) for two hundred bucks.
THe engine had frozen in the winter due to not being drained and the guy bought a new engine, the guy at the machine shop cleaned the heads up and did a valve job on them, I don't think they were hurt by the freezing.

Eric

 

Not flaming here, just clearifying. Hot Rod got 500lb. ft. of torque, and 463hp. These are good numbers for a 383. Personally, I would go with something a little bigger for a 406. The Vortec-factory truck-replacement iron-production cast iron-whatever you call them are good, and I love mine. But they do have a cutoff point just like everything else. There is a point where they are better left alone. For a 406, unless I had no other choice, I would go bigger.

 

sooner or later i will but for the money u cant beat them when they flow just as good as heads that are 1,200 or more dollars.. and u can port them out to a 2.02 so what more can a guy ask for when i picked them up for 150 and put a little more into porting and new springs stuff like that.. but..... still trying to figure out bout this cam