I just bought a K-5 Blazer with the LO5 TBI in it.

I want to put some stock Vortecs on it to get some more juice, but I can't find an intake to go with the heads that will work with the TBI and the EGR.

I MUST have EGR so it'll smog in CA.

Anyone know of a company that carries them or makes them?

 

GM Vortec TBI Intake Manifold.

Part #12496821

$330.00


You can buy them from your local Chevy dealer or any high performance company.

 

I need to look at that intake, because the exhaust gasses have to be routed to the intake externally. There is not an exhuast crossover cast in the vortec heads like the older heads had, so there is no place to get exhaust from. If that intake does have an egr port, then I guess you could just bolt on an egr valve and pretend that it works, unless you have to do a sniffer, then your screwed.

I remember there being a small comment in hotrod mag. about guys running into problems running the vortecs in cali just for that reason.

 

when you order the tbi/vortec intake you order the egr kit also it taps into the drivers side ex manifold back to the drivers side of the intake its legal and functional..

 

GM Performance Parts Vortec TBI Intake Manifold

This aluminum small-block Vortec manifold was designed for maximum horsepower with throttle body fuel injection and EGR usage. The manifold will fit all Vortec design cylinder heads.

Technical Note: To use EGR, the gasses must be plumbed from the exhaust manifold into the intake manifold. Many exhaust manifolds have drilled and tapped holes that can be used to fabricate a tube.

 

ahhh, now I know for sure. Good info.

 

Thanks for the info.

Man that is an expensive intake. So total it'll cost me around $800 to do the swap.

You guys think it is worth it?

How much power should it add?

Right now it is a 350 TBI with a mild cam, open element, and a Flowmaster on stock pipes.
soon to have: 2.5 inch y-pipe (going to keep the stock manifolds for a while) to a 3 inch exhaust, TBI spacer, and a better filter in the open element.

The Cam is a Comp Cams .425/.440 with 206/212 @.050 and 112 lobe separation.

This 4x4 has 38 inch tires on it so I am trying to get some decent power out of this motor.

 

I was wondering about the E-tec heads from Edelbrock. Do they have the internal exhaust crossover? A guy from GM warned me about the Vortec's because of this and said I could get ice inside my carburetor here in Denver. He told me with Vortec style heads you pretty much have to run fuel injection or your throttle plate will stick. I don't want to have all the EGR crap because I'm sick of all the vacuum hoses.

 

No.

 

Why not?

 

Probably because he's running ported 416's in the mid 13's. If you can get Vortecs cheap and a cheap manifold they're worth it. But if you need EGR functionality they're kind of a hassle. You may be better of picking up a set of 416 or 081 heads and porting them, then getting any manifold you want.

 

Your best bet if you want some good performance is get some other heads that have the crossover, then buy a carbureted intake and a TBI adapter plate, or find heads with your bolt pattern intake and run those.

Vortec heads add a fair amount of expense unfortunately. There are a few "flaws" in them anyways, so you can't feel bad about not using them. The chambers and flow are excellent, but you've got press in studs, no guideplates, have to run rail rockers, thin castings, and so on, that are all downsides, plus the exhaust crossover/intake issue.

I don't know whats out there now, but a fast-burn chamber, in a head with exhaust crossover, and standard runner location, would be ideal. I thought E-Tecs had the crossover with fast burn chamber, but I'm not positive. Unfortunately in the lower priced aftermarket heads, it seems that "flow isn't everything" hasn't caught on yet, and you don't see much other than vortec replacements with fast burn chambers.

 

i thought about getting Tec's too for mine, but because of CA smog, i coudlnt... i was going to get the GMPP Base motor, the 350cid with vortecs, but damn vortec and external plumbing... now im running a wimpy LO5, but getting the lame cam and those damn swirl port heads out of there will help out tremendously... ive got a set of 083's that i picked up from a guy on the boards for 150 bucks, ready to be worked and an lt1 cam on the way... total cost - under 300 bucks so far... and ill make about the same power as adding the tecs, and im still smog legal

 

What exactly is it in the heads and intake manifold that heats up the base of the carburetor to keep it from icing? Is it this exhaust crossover passage or something else? I'm not worried about burning clean. I'm sure fast burn chambers burn really clean and I'll let the catalytic take care of the rest. And I don't think it will be hard to make it look legal either. The stock EGR is hidden by the giant air cleaner body, and it's not like they ever take that off and look underneath it. But I don't want cold weather problems either.

 

i have a crane 2040 cam for sale with 2 seasons on it. 210/216 @.05 114 LSA. may be a good match for your motor. $45 plus ship cost.

 

My motor already has a cam in it. A COMP computer smog legal one.