what is the problem now.

 

It's all a big gag dude...there is no vortec tpi base. I don't care what everyone else says...they have a template if they were really going to make them they could have done so by now. Save your money and buy some iron eagles or afrs.

 

No joke man. Screw the vortecs. Everyone acts like they are the god of heads. They dont fit anything, their intake runners are too small for anything serious, and their 71.07% intake/exhaust ratio sucks. Get some Darts, they rock. 80% out of the box

 

They're right. You can also get trick flows for like $850. For the same thing you'd pay for the Vortec TPI setup you can get brand new aluminum heads that flow BETTER than the vortecs, and can handle a bigger cam. There's no debate.

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1980 Camaro, '88 Police 350 engine, Headers, full exhaust, completely redone, my baby!
1988 Iroc-Z L98, MSD 6a, Accel coil, K+N's, Airfoil, Coolant Bypass, Flowmaster, Gears, Late model Bose, I like the 80 better

 

Where could you get the trick flows for $850?

I'm starting... (Two ugly cores in my yard today) a buildup and was leaning toward the vortecs... But screw in studs and self aligning rockers add a couple bucks to the good deal so I could be swayed... (Especially since I saw those new perimeter bolt valve covers from GM in the new jegs...With "Chevrolet" on them... Picturing black with red letters...)

Can't use those valve covers on the vortecs (unless they're double patterned, but i doubt it)

Do you have flow #'s on the base trick flows? Whats the chamber? 64cc?

Thx for input.

 

I got my TFS 23* heads for $855 when we had the discount rollin with Summit. Mine have 64cc chambers but I think you can get other size chambers if you want. You can get them with three different valve spring setups to accomodate for whatever lift cam you get. I got the ones with the 1.47" valves that handle up to .540" lift (my cam has .525"). I don't have the engine back in the car yet so I can't tell ya how good they work but I can tell ya that I had to do a lot of porting on the intake to get it to match the intake ports of the heads.

Hope that helps..........

Laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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Matt

1987 GTA L98 MD8 GW6

"Stop Lights timed for 35Mph are also timed for 70Mph"

 

The amazing thing is that edelbrock has got "vortec style" aluminum heads out faster than the tpi intake. I at least like to think to myself that this is proof edelbrock actually cast the tpi vortec pattern base.

 

Edelbrock is doing the casting on the Vortec TPI base. Nothing new there, kinda like there are only a handful of company's grinding camshafts.
Those E-Tec heads look nice though Good price from what I've seen. Seems like they were about $750 for the cheaper set and just over $1000 for the better ones. You could spend that much having a set of Vortecs done up good, with buying them stock and machine work included.

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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)

 

Can someone please expalin to me why anyone would waste their time with the Vortec head??? Please? Their flow numbers SUCK. So what if they have great swirl, that doesnt mean crap if they cant suck in and push out efficiently. The thing doesnt bolt on, has small intake runners and there are many other heads out there in the same price range that flow much better and bolt on. Vortec is just like Vtec. Sounds intimidating, doesnt actually make power.

----------------------
Dart For Life Racing

 

Price is my reason for using Vortec Heads. That and most of my engines are supposed to look "stock" appearing, and they do a great job at that.
I spent under $150 on my last set of Vortec heads that I had done including the spring upgrades and machining. $80 for the take-off GM intakes

------------------
-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)

 

Two things:
1) Someone's fiddle fartin' around on this intake. Which is sad because I think alot more people would have bought them if they were released on time or with only a slight delay.
2) I wish people would quit bitching about vortec heads as being ****ty. People, they are a factory service part. They're not gonna flow like aftermarket heads. But they do flow damn good for a factory head. Keep in mind that that 350 they came in was A) a truck engine and B) made more power than our 5.7 TPI's did stock. You can do a helluva lot more with them than vette' heads for about the same price (when including avg. mods). They were designed after the LT1 cast iron head which flows better than it's aluminum brother does. And if anyone thinks an LT1 is a slow engine...I'll kiss your *** and give you an hour to gather a crowd! Aside from being offered as a service part, GM offers them as a budget performance head and to meet certain racing classes and for "claimer" engines. And trust me alot of good 'ol boys have vortec headed motors in circle track cars that have alot more power and cost alot less than what some of these AFR,Brodix,Trick Flow., etc. motors that are in some of the sig's I read. For every fast motor on this board their's at least 2 or 3 that cost just as much that are slow because the person had too much money and not enough knowledge. I'm not trying to flame anyone...just think about something before you start knockin' it. Use your head for something beside a hat rack! I'm done, I'll shut up now. "Draino"

 

I agree with drain89. Chevrolet didn't make these heads to compete with the aftermarket. They are on the other hand the best flowing, cast iron heads that Chevrolet has made for a production vehicle. I should also add that they may have been hyped up to be what they are not. This is why most everyone wants them. AFR, Dart, Brodix all make heads that would stomp these in the ground. But you pay alot more. Vortec heads are good for 400hp easy. I have read 3 magazine articles where this has been done. But by no means does this make them the best, just the cheapest, best iron head available from GM.

------------------
Joshua Johnston
1991 Z-28
Flowmaster
K&N
305 / 5spd. (Temporary)

 

As I stated above, I just purchased the TFS 23* heads with the discount for $855 from Summit. I can get GM parts from the dealer I worked at for cost, so at first I was thinking about vortecs or Fastburns - until I noticed the intake bolt hole/alignment problems. My price for a set of assembled Vortecs is about $550 and $1100 for the Fastburns. If that intake was ready to go back when I purchased my heads, I still wouldn't have gotten it. The price of either of the GM heads and that intake still would have been way too much when compared to the discounted price on the TFS heads. I think that my TFS heads will outflow those Vortecs in stock trim and pobably come close to the Fastburns - for a way lower total cost of implementation.

Just my $.02

Laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Don't be too sure since the iron vortecs outflow the fastburns under .50"+ lift where most of us run our cams.

Slapping super flowing at .650" lift heads on a tpi either stock, modded, whatever is ludicrous!

I want to drive my car and would problably not get a cam that sacrifices too much MPG's and performs with my flat-tops.

Vortecs would definatly fill my bill but hey edelbrock: WHERE THE F IS THE BASE?????

I didn't buy the heads yet or i'd really be bitchin' but for cheap as s heads that flow nothing from JC Whitney that are GM takeoffs cost more! So I have to go aluminum? 496 heads are held by the old timers who still believe they are worth anything for bragging rights so I con't afford them 'freshened' nor do I want them, they are junk by todays vortecs. Bowtie heads are good. World (not S/R's) are OK, but the cost is just pennies away from aluminum.

Where's the base.... I agree, it's costing them alot because I'm giving up on them, and the fact pisses me off so I WILL not buy edelbrocks aluminum heads.... I'm still holding out for awhile, but when the time comes and they don't have the base for around $300 or less I'm not buying it, nor the vortecs.

 

Vortec's are pretty damn good for a factory cast iron head. They reason the flow numbers aren't very high is because they need to keep a decent size to help throttle response, etc. They outflow ported 'Vette heads stock. I have my set because they were free. They can be bought cheap, especially if you know someone who works for a dealership ( !)Mild pocket porting and polishing, springs, and some rockers, and these will work great. I don't like the bolt pattern, though. I wish they'd come out with that base SOON!

 

Could someone please show me figures for the vortech heads outflowing the ported aluminum vette heads, cause I'm having a hard time believing it, unless the head-porter really sucks.

 

I think the Vortec heads flow around 220-225 cfm@ .525 28 inches..There is almost no room for porting these heads due to the thin walls. But for 500 bucks, you can have a fully assembled set of heads that flow a decent amount. damn good deal But the intake thing will run you more money .

Oh BTW, Ported "Vette" heads, can easily exceed 250cfm with the right head porter

[This message has been edited by Kevin G (edited May 11, 2001).]

 

I know a gentleman with a set of aluminum "vette" heads ported by lingenfelter and his car runs mid 10's.

Now granted that is LPE at its finest but its still a "vette" head.

------------------
-86 IROC
Jacked up like a mother!
this years goal: 10.50 @ 130+ mph
-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

The problem with the vette heads is that they are to thin to go really wild with port jobs on them.

 

That's what I said.

Anyway, the Vortec head is supposedly nothing more than a cast-iron LT1 SBC truck head. That's why they flow well. About the thin walls, I never heard that. Really? Still, I think if Vortec's need to be ported that much, you're better off with another set of heads. These are good for an economical mild engine. With a little cleaning up they will work OK, but they're not a good race head, just for street. I just read the article, it says 226 or 228 (cant tell)@ .500" lift stock, 6 or 8 more than ported 'Vette heads. I know those 'Vette heads have more potential though (hmmm...)

Here's one place that has that info:
http://www.aros.net/~rbuck/chp/Welcome.html



[This message has been edited by dhirocz (edited May 11, 2001).]

 

If someone could tell me how to load up pictures here, I have a few of the Vortec heads that I am almost done with. (Porting) I haven't gone really wild, but the throat area below the valve is real bad in original form.I have cleaned that up, and polished the exhaust ports pretty good.

------------------
Joshua Johnston
1991 Z-28
Flowmaster
K&N
305 / 5spd. (Temporary)