My documented TBI-to-Vortec 350 conversion!

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

jdyates

Ghetto Racetruck
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
4,286
Reaction score
87
Location
Weslaco, TX (United States)
To run a cam that big, all you change is the springs? I wouldnt mind a nice, lopey idle. How's your vacuum at idle, Josh? And brakes? No matter the heads I get, I'll end up taking them to get checked and cleaned so This way I know what springs to order and I can have my machine guy install them.
 

RyanR

BAD REPUTATION
Joined
Oct 27, 2012
Messages
498
Reaction score
8
Location
Arkansas
Man honestly if ur going through all the trouble and getting new heads, get away from the vortec style. They're a decent "factory" head but thats it at the most. I'd go with a traditional style head and if ur on a tight budget like most of us, get a set of aluminum Skip White spec'd procomp heads. Good price, good flow, and Skip White is a hell of a guy. Stands behind his work 100%. And I would prolly get a 58cc head to up compression. Then go to Lunati and Comp Cams website and fill out their cam request forms and let them determine what will be the best for ur set-up.... very important to let the pros handle this, a lot of people over cam because they think big *** cam = big power... might for some but not for a heavy truck. You'll need moderate lift around 480-500 and lower duration as well. Keeping the lsa around 112-110 also... anyhow comp or Lunati will line u out on that. I'd get a set of full roller rockers, I like the magnum series. And I guess lastly, your not limited to 480 lift or whatever people say. With the correct spring, locks, retainers, and valve seal u can run .550 lift WITHOUT machine work. Just pm me if ur interested, I'll have to go home and dig up my part numbers for u. That's my $.02

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
 
Last edited:

jdyates

Ghetto Racetruck
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
4,286
Reaction score
87
Location
Weslaco, TX (United States)
I'm trying to make it easy as possible on myself. This is my dd and i dint need any special built heads or crazy cam. I like the sound of a large cam, my truck already has plenty of power, and i dont tow or anything. This conversion is, basically, testing what I can do with direct bolt-on parts. No machining or custom work other than a tune.
 

bluex

Mall Crawlin' ****!!!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
27,166
Reaction score
1,644
Location
Spartanburg, SC
Man honestly if ur going through all the trouble and getting new heads, get away from the vortec style. They're a decent "factory" head but thats it at the most. I'd go with a traditional style head and if ur on a tight budget like most of us, get a set of aluminum Skip White spec'd procomp heads. Good price, good flow, and Skip White is a hell of a guy. Stands behind his work 100%. And I would prolly get a 58cc head to up compression. Then go to Lunati and Comp Cams website and fill out their cam request forms and let them determine what will be the best for ur set-up.... very important to let the pros handle this, a lot of people over cam because they think big *** cam = big power... might for some but not for a heavy truck. You'll need moderate lift around 480-500 and lower duration as well. Keeping the lsa around 112-110 also... anyhow comp or Lunati will line u out on that. I'd get a set of full roller rockers, I like the magnum series. And I guess lastly, your not limited to 480 lift or whatever people say. With the correct spring, locks, retainers, and valve seal u can run .550 lift WITHOUT machine work. Just pm me if ur interested, I'll have to go home and dig up my part numbers for u. That's my $.02

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

He is limited on lift by stock parts, that was my point. I took it he was doing this on a budget an wouldn't want to change the springs an associated hardware.....
 

jdyates

Ghetto Racetruck
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
4,286
Reaction score
87
Location
Weslaco, TX (United States)
He is limited on lift by stock parts, that was my point. I took it he was doing this on a budget an wouldn't want to change the springs an associated hardware.....

Yeah, budget build. Kind of testing how far I can get with (mostly) stock parts and tune.

UPDATE: Found some heads. Rebuilt, ported, polished. Talked to the guy, wants $300 plus core for the set. Why not? Still have to wait on cam, intake, tune and little things like gaskets and spark plugs, but dad said we should be able to have the heads next week.
 

RyanR

BAD REPUTATION
Joined
Oct 27, 2012
Messages
498
Reaction score
8
Location
Arkansas
Well boy, I wasted a lot of typing lol... Anyhow GL on the rebuild man, run into problems post em up.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
 

FastOrange

OBSless
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
5,877
Reaction score
237
Location
Williams Lake
To run a cam that big, all you change is the springs? I wouldnt mind a nice, lopey idle. How's your vacuum at idle, Josh? And brakes? No matter the heads I get, I'll end up taking them to get checked and cleaned so This way I know what springs to order and I can have my machine guy install them.

I would never run my cam with EFI, I don't think it would run actually haha, it makes barely any vacuum, I have a vacuum canister and still get hard pedal some times!

Lopey, plus driveability don't really mix! I would find out what cam you have currently first off!

Sent from my Igloo
 
Top