Hey guys I was looking into getting some Vortec heads for my car but I realized that for the same price I can get a set of world S/R Torquers with the 2.02/1.60 valves and all. What Do you think would be a better choice??

 

Vortech....everyone will tell you it's all in the design or the head.

 

Define "better".

What do you want out of the heads?
Do you still have to be emissions legal?
Are you going to race this car a lot?
What cam are you going to use?
Etc....

There are drawbacks to each, but IMO, the drawbacks are more with the Vortecs.

I have Vortecs, and I'm using them. They came on one of my cars. But if I had to go out and buy heads, the Vortecs start to look a little less "great for the money".

 

S/R = Stock replacement, while Vortecs have proven they flow very well. The vortecs will net you some HP. Since you have a carbed engine you dont require a new intake, only to slightly modify your exsiting one.

You can make your RPM intake work with vortec heads by elongating the bolt holes. We have done this on our race truck.

make sure you get the right vortec heads: (Info from here)

"For you junkyard hunters, be forewarned that some ¾- and 1-ton trucks came with Vortec heads equipped with a specially hardened exhaust seat that kills low- and mid-lift flow. Casting number 10239906 should be avoided."

"The easiest way to identify a Vortec head is by the sawtooth pattern cast into the front. Look for casting number 12558062, but avoid casting number 10239906, which has a modified exhaust seat and loses 20 percent of its flow at 0.120-inch lift."

 

Good for you, but don't recommend that people do that. 99.9% of the time it won't work.

The runners on the Vortecs are higher up than other stock heads. IIRC, it leaves ~1/16" of gasket to seal the intake on. Not safe at all.

That's a wives tale. Later, CHP corrected themselves, and appologized that the rumor was not true.

 

Here's the post I made about it.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...&highlight=906

 

I only reccomend what had worked for me, its worked for 3 years with no problems. As for the CHP I didnt see that.

 

Vortecs all the way. I'm totally unimpressed with just about any World head. Modifying a regular intake to work with Vortecs is a pretty dumb idea. The ports will NEVER line up right. Sure you might get it to work and seal properly but you will be SERIOUSLY hurting performance and completely defeating the purpose.

 

Maybe thats why we never finished a season above 6th place overall, lol

 

"S/R" = "Stock Replacement"

"S/R Torquer" = "Stock Replacement but better".

Worlds are good high quality castings; Vortecs are standard high-volume factory production quality castings - for trucks, to boot. Worlds need some basic porting to clean up what is beyond what their machines clean up; Vortecs require significant work in order to be used with performance cams. Worlds use "standard" intake manifolds, Vortecs require their own. S/R Torquers have larger valves than stock, Vortecs have stock 350-size valves. Worlds are emissions-legal replacements; Vortecs are not.

 

I guarantee my Pro-topline vortecs in the classifieds are alot better than those SR Torquers!

Guys if you're keeping the long tube TPI setup...you can work a set of OEM TPI heads to take you to 350hp. Which is about the max that the average joe who has a real good clue on part selection is gonna get out of a tpi setup. hi-flow intake/runner/TB and all that included!
If you're building a LTR motor, keep what you got and work it. New undercut valves, parts, machining, a standard abrasives porting kit, and a couple carbide burrs....still way less than what you'd spend for the others.

If you're not going tpi:
If you're gonna build a 400-475 horse motor 350 or smaller. Go with my heads.

If you're gonna build a 383 or more ci motor or going more than 475 hp on your buildup....get some real heads. Whatever you can afford. But bigger than 170cc runners. I'd go with Dart Iron Eagles for an affordable head. AFR's if you got a big wallet.
Good luck!