Are a set of bare vortec (96 350 20k miles) worth $125? I found this low mileage set locally. Is it worth the low cost for the casting even after i have the work down to move to bigger valves (1.94-2.02, 1.5-1.6) and all new parts? Would I be better off just buying a complete set from GMPP/Summit for $519? THese would be for my TBI 350 project

 

well lets see

bare heads $125.00
new valves $ 88.00
new locks $7.00
new retainers $ 45.00
new springs $66.00

Thats $331.00

not to metion you need new rocker arms $280.00 (summit brand roller self-aligning)

now your at $611.00

not to mention the machine work to get the 202/160's in dont know how much that would cost? and iam not even sure if some of these parts will work. just going off the cheapes from summint.. so in my mind no just order them..

 

yeah for 125 bucks thier worth it. for assembled thier 500 new and SD has them for 400 assembled but that doesn't included any mechining or anythign don't know why he added that. plus i would upgraded everyting you woul get on a assembled head. so for the most part thier a good buy

 

do you guys suppose i could resell them at a profit if i got them and then decided against them? It seems like a good deal but if they dont work into the whole setup then I wouldnt want to be stuck/take a loss on them

 

he said he wanted 2.02 and 1.60 valves and the vortecs come with 1.94 and 1.50 thats where the machine work comes in..

 

not worth upgrading valve size for flow at all.

 

This is what always happen when you try to max out a set of stock heads these days. With CNC casting as cheap as it is, really good heads are just too easy to buy, for it to be worthwhike tweaking out some stockers like all us old geezers are used to having to do.

The Vortecs don't flow much better with any change at all to the intake side. I wouldn't bother with the 2.02" valves. Undercut-stem 1.94" ones, like Manley Street-Flow, are all you need. 1.6" exhausts, maybe; and some exhaust port work. But LEAVE THE INTAKE SIDE ALONE. Nothing beyond casting-flash cleanup.

But, $125 for a set of desirable cores, is a good price. Even if you decide they'd take too much money to do for yourself, you're not going to lose, paying that little for them.

 

Here's some info on Vortecs that was posted by Gary Penn of GMPP, on Team Chevelle a while back. I saved it for reference. It doesn't really help answer your question, but I figured I'd pass it along anyhow.

Two years ago we undertook an exhaustive (no pun intended) study of the Vortec head in numerous modified states with different valve sizes, throat cuts, valve jobs, port mods, guide mods, etc. We used up about 10 heads, numerous valves, and about $50,000 worth of labor. The study generated 100+ pages of flow and swirl data, which I have at my desk.
Here is the short version. Out of the box, .480” valve lift, 350-400 HP dependant on the CR, cam, ring seal, oil control, blah, blah, blah.
More than .480” lift cut the guides down to clear the retainers.
Straight mill up to .060” safely, .080” with low CR of 10 to 1 or less. 0.100” is living on borrowed time. Always use flat top or dished pistons to enhance flame travel and intake swirl.
Angle mill up to 1 degree (about .110” off the exhaust side, .000” off intake side) safely for about 12 to 1 CR with flat pistons with little valve relief. Angle mill to 2 degrees (about .200” off exhaust side) if you like to live on the edge, it has been done.
Larger valves increase flow, chamber mods not needed, trade off between shrouded verses unshrouded valves not worth the decrease in laminar flow and swirl.
Throat cutting behind larger valves compliments the larger valves. Open the throat to the seat then remove the edge left by the cutter in the port.
Blend the seats into the chamber, you don't want an edge here to disrupt flow and create turbulence.
"Bowl blend" and shortened guide in port also improves flow. Taper and blend the iron boss.
Minumal porting increases flow, too much increase in port size or loss of the benefits of the shape of the stock port will decrease efficiency.
Vortec heads (and most others) like straight stemmed valves. Undercut valves create unwanted turbulence and a decrease in intake charge velocity (they add volume (slowing the gases) to the overall "port" volume just behind the valve where max velocity is required.)
Generally speaking, Vortec's stall at between .500” and .550” valve lift. This is where flow actually begins to decrease. But their true strength is low lift flow which gives more area under the total flow curve. And if you think about it how long are your valves at peak lift? They spend much more time at .400” and below, where the Vortec’s outperform most other heads. This combined with high velocity, lack of turbulence and superior combustion chamber design are where the Vortec’s stand out.
Unported, with all the other tricks in place, the Vortec’s will flow about 235-240 CFM at .500” I and 165-170 cfm at .500” E, on a 4" bore at 28" H2O, with clay radiused port opening. With some careful porting there is another 5-10 CFM or so to be had. But again the low lift numbers are unsurpassed at .100”, .200”, .300”, etc. lift. For example the Vortec’s flow as much air at .400” as .500” and no 23 degree head that I'm aware of can match them at .200”-.300” lift for the combination of flow and swirl. Even the Fast Burn head can't touch them at low lift, it's ports are too big (flow is similar, swirl is less), it does of course out perform them at lift over .500”.
Unported Vortec’s with the "tricks" can produce 500 HP on well built, high CR, drag race short block. 425-450 HP is more realistic for a killer street engine running on pump gas.

 

Did he mention vortecs for $400.00?, what was the name of the company?

 

yeah bare uncracked heads it's worth it.

odds are you won't need the bigger vavles in the heads, if your content to use the vortec heads the 1.94-1.5 will work fine for ya.

if your gonna be using roller cam i'd say put the screw in studs, if your gonna use a standard cam no need to put the screw in studs on it. with the regular cam your looking at like 50 bucks for valve springs, locks and retainers about another ten. and about 300 bucks for a set of crane race gold 1.5 rockers. i'd call it good at that and drop em on.