Hello Everyone, I need a quick answer that I cannot find. I have purchased a set of vortec 062 heads that came out of a 98 Truck. Please forgive me in advance, I am just learning as I go...

My question is, do I NEED to do anything to the heads, before I put them on my pre 87 355?

Do I need new springs, retainers, locks, etc? Or can I just bolt them on with a vortec style intake manifold?

Any suggestions would be great!

My current setup is as follows:
Edelbrock Carburetor 600 cfm
performer eps
Comp Cam
Inatake Lift...........454
Intake Duration (adv)..........268
Intake Duration @0.050..........218
Exhaust Lift...........454
Exhaust Duration (adv)..........268 int.268 exh.
Exhaust Duration @0.050..........218
Camshaft..........Flat Tappet - Hydraulic

Exhaust Type..........Hooker Long Tube Headers

Springs would be a MUST.
Youre also getting really close to needing the stock valve guides machined down to allow for the lift of your cam. From experience the valve retainer will strike the valve guide boss when you have more than stockish lift on the cam, others have said the limit is .450" to .460ish" lift.
I have put an engine together with a .515" lift cam and I had problems.
I would talk to your local machinist, it isnt horribly expensive to have the guides cut and it its good insurance before you bolt them on.
Also would be smart to have them checked for cracks. As that is fairly common in those heads.

The stock springs are crappy.For the lift of your cam,you could use the drop in springs,or,the behives from Alexsparts.com,or,the Z28 springs from SDPC.They definitely need to be ckd for cracks befor putting any money into them.Machining the guides would be good insurance in case you decide later to use more lift.I would also open up the pushrod holes before putting them on in case you decide to go to a 1.6 rocker @ anytime down the road.You will also need self aligning rockers if you don't have them already.For your current cam,the studs should be fine.If you increase the lift later on,you may wanna either pin them,or,swap to screwins.I also notice you have a single pattern cam.Vortecs seem to repond better with a dual pattern.A 1.6 & 1.5 rocker combo would work if you can't swap cams rite away.

Thanks for the info, So if I just change to a roller cam with .450 lift I should be okay...

@ .450 lift,you should be ok,but,you need verify the retainer to seal clearance.Make sure the seal is fully seated on the boss.Measure from the seal to the bottom of retainer.This will be your total clearance.Subtract the lift of your cam from this measurement.You want to have approx .050" clearance over the lift of your cam.Example...If seal to retainer is .520" - .450 = .070" clearance.Most Vortecs run in the .520 range,but,it needs to be ckd.Most will be ok with up to .470 lift.The Ramjet 350 uses a .451 lift cam w/ 1.6 rockers for a total of .480 lift w/ stock L31 springs & retainers.Again,you just need to verify that you have sufficient clearance.The beehive springs from AlexsParts provide approx .525 lift with no other modifications.

If it were me, Id cut the guides and have the press-in style rocker studs removed and drilled for screw in studs. That way, if you want a bigger cam down the road, you can just slap it in and you know your heads will handle it.

With the press-in style stock studs, you run the risk of them slowly pulling themselves out over time, even with only .450" lift.

The Vortecs hold studs a lot better than previous SBC heads.When you start getting into really aggressive lobe profiles & the stronger springs needed to control them,then screw in studs are a good idea.

Okay wow, thanks guys. With that info I might as well do it right the first time. So, before I get ahead of myself

get pressure checked, machine the guides for more clearance, Get the screw in studs, self aligning rockers, and a new roller cam. Any other suggestions?

Any recommendation on roller cam and intake manifold that won't break the bank?

Thanks

Do you have a roller ready block?You need all the specifics of your engine before deciding on a cam,so,you can figure your compression ratio.Deck hgt,piston type & volume.If your block is already a roller block,all you need is the roller lifters,spider'dog bones.If it isn't setup for roller,you'll need to use a retro roller kit.

wow retro roller kits are pricey. Looks like i'll have to stick with flat tappet for now.

Thanks

another thing is please have those heads checked for any cracks.........ive seen many that have cracked and caused a coolant consumption issue.

Yeah, i'm looking for a machine shop to get them checked and machined for more clearance. As well as swap out the studs for screw in kind...

Thanks for all the help. I feel like i'm somewhat educated on vortecs now

If you use guide plates w/ the screw in studs,do not use the self aligning rockers.You can use either,but'not both.