Well i jsut got my vortec heads today and i have a freind who works on race cars coming back up in a week to put them on for me(he owes me so he will)but my question is a got a mild 350(dont know the cam or anything aobut the bottom end really but it was jsut rebuilt at around 3k agoand i am told its a pretty mild cam). I currently have a pair of old truck heads on it so i know these vortecs should make a diff(cast iron ones). My question is what else do i need to buy for these heads? and will the 25-30 hp they shuld make feel significant?

 

You need SA rockers, a Vortec intake, bolts, Vortec Gaskets. Since you don't know what cam is in there, after heads are on, rotate the engine over and check all of the spring clearances, and also the guide to retainer clearance.

 

Before you get all excited about bolting on the new heads, it would be a really good idea to get your cam specs.

You probably should have soem decent springs on hand, instead of the stock springs that come with stock Vortec heads.

 

The stock as assembled GM Vortec heads are only good for about
.450" of valve lift before bad stuff can happen.
There is not enought clearance between the spring retainer and guide boss/seal at high lift.

Best check all valvetrain clearances at full lift before you fire it up.
Don't expect much (rpm) out of the stock valve springs.

Get better ones.
This should be looked after before you bolt the heads on as
machineing is usually required no matter which springs
you go with. This is not a bolt on.
Do a search here on the tech board on Vortec heads for info.

You'll also need a Vortec manifold.
Expect a 50 to 80hp gain. Expect broken valvetrain parts if you don't do the head mods and install right.

 

Anyone kow how i can find out what kidn of cam i have. Also, i know a guy that said he will pull my engine and have a new cam installed in for me. How much does this usually run(just for install).

 

Ask whoever bought it. Get a part # or grind # or something, not "a mild one" or "¾ race" or "a little more than stock" or crap like that.

But if you're going to get another one, it hardly matters.

You WILL need new valve springs. DO NOT thinnk that you can squeeek by with what's on there; they are barely enough to control valve motion with the weenie little cams teh factory uses with little tiny nubs on them for lobes, and they WILL NOT work right or even survive with a decent aftermarket performance cam.

I have no clue how much people would charge to do that, since I don't pay to have that done; but I'd guess it would be around $450 or so; somewhere around 8 hours of labor, at typical $60 or so for shop rates. Head machine work would be in addition to that; expect to pay about $300 more or less for all the machine work necessary to turn a set of stock Vortecs into a performance-ready part.

 

How would a set of comp cam springs(lift of up to .500),Proform Aluminum Roller Rockers with Poly Locks, and a set of vortec gaskets match up with the vortecs?Would i need anything else done to the heads besides this?

 

Depends on the cam.

Like F-bird said, as those heads come from the factory, you can only use gross valve lift of up to about .460" or so. Beyond that, you risk having the retainers smash into the top of the valve guides, which will result in instant destruction of lots of valve train parts. At about .480" of lift, it's no longer a risk, it's a certainty.

I'd suggest getting the guides cut down, and use a Comp XE268 cam with Comp 981 springs, and the retainers and keepers to go with them.

You'll need a Vortec-specific intake manifold and a carb that can flow 350 cubic inches worth of air. A 600 won't cut it. Get a Holley or Demon 750. "Vortec" = GM-speak for "raised ports"; a regular intake may not even cover the ports completely, let alone flow right, since the ports are in a different place.