Aluminum Vortec Heads?

[kyotey1693]

Have you guys heard of these heads or this company


http://www.motorsports.com/sbcaluminumsbchevycylinderheadsvortecrace.aspx

I have an 89 c1500, 5.7 tbi (with all the tbi mods), 5spd, long tubes, full exhaust, crane cams ignition and coil, 1.6 roller rockers, open element air cleaner, etc. The usual stuff.

I have a bad lifter and would like to swap cams and would like to throw some better heads on at the same time. The truck is a street truck. It's a daily driver. It is a work truck for me but it's pretty light duty work. I run a pool cleaning business, so, no heavy loads, trailers, etc.

I haven't decided on which cam for sure, I want more performance obviously but I want a lopey idle as well. I plan to stay flat tappet because I doubt my block has provisions for a hydraulic setup. I also figured I would go with a regular sbc intake and a tb adapter. So, I have questions...

Are those heads really what I think they are? Aluminum castings of the vortec heads that are so popular? What do you guys think of them. They are 2.02/1.60's. That shouldn't be an issue, should it? One of the other reasons I like them is for the weight savings. I would like to drop some nose weight off the truck. I plan to add one of the Weind superchargers later down the road. I also want to retain my 1.6 RR's, will they cause and ptv clearance issues with this head combo?

What cam recommendations do you guys have?

Seems like tbichips.com has a pretty bad wrap on tuning these things. Who do you recommend?

Will the injectors need to be upgraded or just a new regulator spring and will the stock pump be able to handle the job or does it need to be upgraded as well. It's has been replaced recently but it was just a stock replacement.

I realize some of what I have planned may not be the most cost effective in but that's ok. I like where this project is going and I intend to have fun with it. I'm not trying to make a street monster, I just want to make what I have better and more fun. I know many will say to do an ls swap but that is out of the question for the time being. If I had the time, resources, and location, it would have already been done.

 

[slippy3002]

Read this
http://www.gmt400.com/forum/showthread.php?p=264596

I am pretty sure putting vortec heads on is a little more work than one thinks.

Sent from Robland

 

[kyotey1693]

Thanks for the link. I have read through that a few times and narrowed it down to the few questions I have above. I realize I will need more than just a set of heads. Still trying to work out a full parts list before I start spending money. Do you know anything about the heads I posted above? Thats the first I have ever seen or heard of aluminum vortec heads.

 

[FastOrange]

Thanks for the link. I have read through that a few times and narrowed it down to the few questions I have above. I realize I will need more than just a set of heads. Still trying to work out a full parts list before I start spending money. Do you know anything about the heads I posted above? Thats the first I have ever seen or heard of aluminum vortec heads.

link doesnt work.

 

[DGA1]

Sorry, but the last link takes you to the Edelbrock Vortec, MPFI intake manifold. You could run it with the vortec heads, but then you'd have to upgrade to MPFI, a 411 ECU, wiring, etc., etc. At that point you might be better off with a L31, L31-383, or a LSx swap. Just a running L31 will be less money than a head, intake, tune swap, on your TBI motor.

 

[kyotey1693]

That link is some bs that viglink adds automatically. The link I posted in the very first line is still a good one to the heads I'm talking about.Here it is again too.

http://www.motorsports.com/sbcaluminumsbchevycylinderheadsvortecrace.aspx

I'm not planning to do mpfi. I'd like to run those heads, sbc intake with adapter for my tb and a flat tappet cam that will give me a lopey idle and increase hp/tq as much as possible while retaining some street manners. I'm not too picky on the street manners but I do need the brakes to work and for it to stay running.

Do you guys know anything about the heads? Any cam recommendations? Fuel pump and regulator recommendations? Tuner recommendations besides tbichips.com?

 

[jdyates]

Do you guys know anything about the heads? Any cam recommendations? Fuel pump and regulator recommendations? Tuner recommendations besides tbichips.com?

Cam depends on what you want. Youre gonna want a pump that will go as high as 25psi or so to the injectors. Stock TBI is usually 11-13. I bought a fuel pump for a 1990 Camaro IROC with the 5.7. It puts out 50psi or so? To the rugulator that needs to provide 20-25psi to the injectors. As far as tuning go to gearhead-efi. Lots of smart guys over there that will tell you everything you need to know about the swap, as well as setting you up with a custom chip to help it all work together.

 

[kyotey1693]

Thanks man. I will check them out.

 

[jdyates]

Thanks man. I will check them out.

No prob. I'm almost done with the same swap, but with iron heads. Easy so far.

 

[DGA1]

Sorry, but the link does not work for the aluminum heads. Regardless if they are aluminum or not, as long as you have a correct carburated vortec intake manifold and a adapter for the TBI you are more or less in business. Cam choice will really be up to you and what you want out of it, I'm sure you can find a grind that would suit you. It would not be a bad idea to call Comp Cams, or Lunati and talk to their techs about what you want. They should steer you in the right direction.