Hello,
I am new here so please be patient. I have been around cars all my life. Now it has come to the 91 Z-28 that I have, and the need the car has for a new motor. I am building a 350 and I want to use the Vortec heads. I am aware of the differences of these style heads. My question is, has anyone here made a TPI intake fit with the raised runners? I am running out of ideas.

Thanks,


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Joshua Johnston
1991 Z-28

 

I don't think there is an intake you can use for that yet, however I did see a dealership in hotrod or car craft selling vortec heads that were drilled to fit older style intakes. I am looking at the ad now. It's jim pace www.paceparts.com For $484.28 they have heads drilled and tapped to fit 86 and prior manifolds. I guess that includes tpi intakes. You might have to hog out the center holes in you intake to fit the older bolt pattern but that's not to hard. good luck!

 

Scoggin Dickey is coming out with a TPI/Vortec intake. I just got an email from them saying it won't be out until April now. Their expected price is ~$430

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Randy
84 Trans AM LG4, 700R4 T-tops
84 Z28 L69, 5 Spd, T-tops
"Don't sweat the petty things...Just pet the sweaty things"

 

I heard they were coming out with one also. I read it in one of my car magazines. I sent Scoggin-Dickey an e-mail, but have not recieved one back yet. The engine I built has everything done except for the heads. I need longer valves, and offset locks to accomadate the springs that I have. I hope the motor is big enough for the cam I have!! I guess I am waiting until April.

Thanks for the info.....

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Joshua Johnston
1991 Z-28

 

Yep they have a intake in the works for TPI. They actually have an engine built up with the first prototype TPI vortec intake. It is going in a 89 Pontiac Firebird that is one of the parts employee's cars. The intake looks really nice though. I believe the only problem causing the delay was the EGR casting. I wouldn't use EGR anyways

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-Joseph
ASE Master Automobile Technician
Scoggin-Dickey Chevrolet

1967 Camaro (Vortec Heads, GM ZZ4 intake manifold, ZZ4 roller camshaft)
1992 Firebird (Weiler Vortec Heads, LT4 Hot Cam, GM ZZ4 Intake, Edelbrock 750, eventually will be Ram-Jet)

 

I am waiting for this intake...

my 305 combo should be close to 380 peak HP at the flywheel...

just hope i can tune the prom to be able to drive it..

 

Chris what are you doing to get 380HP out of a 305? Suercharging? Is it going to be a TPI?

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FOR SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
86 Trans Am 355 TPI Rebuilt 700R4 with Corvette servo, modified valve body, and a B&M Torque Converter (2000 rpm stall w/ lock up), 87 350 block bored .30 with new crank. Reworked 305 heads with 3-angle valve job. Added in the rebuild was an SLP TPI cam, BBK 58mm Throttle Body,MSD 6A, Hypertech Power Coil,MSD Wires, 1.5 Crane roller tipped rocker arms, SLP Intake Runners and Port matching in upper intake including fully ported plenum, TPIS adjustable fuel pressure regulator @ 46psi, Hooker shorty style headers w/ Thermotech heat wrapping, Custom 3” exhaust with Flowmaster muffler and chrome quad tips, Hypertech Thermomaster Computer chip, K&N open element cone filter on modified MAF per TPIS specs, removal of A/C hardware and added a 1LE firewall cover installed. Also there has been a PST front suspension kit with Hotchkis strut tower brace added.
Stereo has 2 Clairion Pro Audio dash plates, 2 Sony 6X9s, 2 Kicker 12's in a custom Carpeted box with a custom amp rack Holding 3 MTX 280 Amps, and a MTX electronic Crossover all wired with EFX cable.
Asking $4200 with all extra Parts that are needed to fix most apearance flaws. ie Complete hatch and wing from a 91 GTA
http://geocities.com/feltsb/kyle.html
Kills:
95 Talon TSI, 96 Probe GT, 91 T/A L98, 89 RS, 86 Mustang GT, 88 Mustang LX 5.0, 92 Thunderbird V8. couple or ricers that I think were Civics or Preludes not sure what year, 95 Celica GT-S, 94 Chevy 1/4 ton 350, one of those NASCAR F150's

The Third Gen Will Never be Forgotten

 

well i used the cam specs for the zz9 /w 1.6 rockers... with the vortec heads specs... headers and 10:1 compression...

with a carb it should reach about 385hp at 6000rpms...

but that is just based on the info i had ... and the tpi will probly suck out at least 20hp but give more torque and i will have clearance issues using the 1.6 rockers...

but the figures look promising...

later,
Chris

 

You know, if you buy Vortec heads any competent machine shop can drill and tap the heads to accept the older style manifolds. It was rumored that Chevrolet even sells a template to make this easier also.

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79 Cherokee 305 TPI
All Wheel Drive
6 inch lift
35 inch tires
3.54 Gears (Kind of suprised that it moves)

 

Search the archives for Vortec and read about this. It's not the bolt pattern that's the issue as much as the raised intake runner of the Vortec heads. The ports on the heads are larger than the intake. You can weld the outer edge of the intake, then port it and have it milled, but I still don't think you'll have a good match. There are also issues with redrilling the heads for the old style intakes, especially for performance applications. Your best bet is to either wait for the Vortec TPI manifold (to be released next month - for the last 1.5 years), or buy heads that will fit correctly (what I did).