So I got an older 350 from a friend thinking it was going to have vortec heads based off its casting numbers. Well I got the engine today, popped off the valve cover and.....oh no, head casting number 14102193. I don't know much about these heads but I have heard they are total junk. I already have a cam and intake for vortec heads picked out. I see on summit there are several different vortec heads however i am not sure which I need to order. Which one is similiar to the L31 vortec heads? (aka the heads i was thinking this engine was going to have)

 

Personally i wouldn't even go through summit ide go strait through GM and get a set of their bowtie vortech heads (basically a high performance version of the already great vortec head). Best yet there like $700 for an assembled pair. I know Summits vortec are only like $300 per head but there also just standard vortec heads. So for the extra $100 bucks (per set) why not get the better version right? Plus dont forget about shipping cost from summit vs just going to your local GM dealer to pick them up aka no shipping expense.

 

Yeah people are bad about passing TBI motors off as "vortecs". I've been excited so many times and always ask for the casting number and it's ALWAYS "193"....

Also the heads you're looking for, if you go for stock heads, are 060, 062, or 906. 906 have 1 angle valve jobs in the exh seat which hurts flow, but you should get a valve job done on them anyway, and as soon as you get a 3 angle valve job done it will flow just like the other casting numbers.

People tend to shy away from the 906 heads because of that, but that's the only difference and it's something that you'll take care of in the process of getting them ready for your motor anyway.

Or you can go new and get RHS Vortecs, or Fastburns.

 

you have to give them credit... "pre-vortec" took alot of thinking to get the buzz words just right...

 

not all 906s are 1-angle.