Etec aluminum heads vs stock vortec heads

[2drXmobb]

Hey guys I have a 99 5.7 vortec thinking about getting elderbrock aluminum etec heads I heard the 170s are good anyone with experience have these? Are they worth the upgrade or should I just save money and get ls6 beehives springs and lt4 hot cam and put it in my stock cast iron vortec head ? And if I do go etec heads what can should I get? I will add a blower sometime in the future.

 

[2drXmobb]

*cam

 

[DamHoodlum]

I would use your steel heads for a mild build, Not confident they could support the added airflow of a blower. Depends on how competent your machinist is.......

If you are wanting vortec heads only, you could use these heads, good for .600 lift

Edelbrock 60985 Edelbrock E-Tec Cylinder Heads | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Edelbrock E-Tec Cylinder Heads with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Cylinder Heads at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

This would make a nice street engine but you could make more power with different heads

AFR, Brodix, Trick Flow, etc...... will outflow just about any vortec head available. Find a PROVEN HEAD MANUFACTUER with actual flow numbers. Then you can pick a cam based for your application
If you are wanting to add a blower later you would have the additional air flow capacity

 

[LC2NLS6]

Don't vortecs need screw in studs and milled down the spring pockets so they don't bind up on a cam over 450 or so lift? They had an EngineMasters episode on motortrend on upgrading those heads.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Plus Vortec heads flatten out over .500" lift.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[DamHoodlum]

Don't vortecs need screw in studs and milled down the spring pockets so they don't bind up on a cam over 450 or so lift? They had an EngineMasters episode on motortrend on upgrading those heads.

These particular heads are good for .600 Lift

Edelbrock 60985 Edelbrock E-Tec Cylinder Heads | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Edelbrock E-Tec Cylinder Heads with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Cylinder Heads at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Better heads are available

 

[BOOT]

Vortecs are pretty decent heads and can support 400hp ish untouched IF your build will do that. Cam, comp & other...

I've never been a fan of eddy heads, lots of other better flowing/design heads. Dart just revised their 180 SHP head and it looks like a good head. I made a video comparing it to the Old 180 SHP casting. Still there are better or comparable cheaper heads and I don't mean just overseas ebay heads. In my opinion 190,195,200 or larger are too big for a heavy mild truck, so that does kinda limit the choices. But unless you wanna go down the 383 rabbit hole then I'd stay on the small safe side.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Erik the Awful]

What's your goal for your truck? If you're building a tow pig, go with the Vortecs. If you're building a race truck, go with aftermarket heads.

If you run your stock Vortec heads, have them magnafluxed and checked for cracks! That may be a bigger deciding factor on which heads to use. If you can get a replacement Vortec head under $100 it may be worth it, but anything more and you're better off just buying aftermarket.

Don't vortecs need screw in studs and milled down the spring pockets so they don't bind up on a cam over 450 or so lift?

Not if you run the LS2/LS6 beehive valvesprings with Comp Cams 787-16 retainers. My Vortecs are untouched and my measurements said I could easily run up to .530 lift. It's been running fine with a .507/.515 lift Lunati cam. The LS valvesprings are only 10% stiffer than stock, so I didn't bother with screw-in studs.

The Hotcam is $500. In my opinion there are better, less expensive cams out there. Call your favorite cam maker and tell them what you're building. They'll hook you up.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Vortecs are pretty decent heads and can support 400hp ish untouched IF your build will do that. Cam, comp & other...

I've never been a fan of eddy heads, lots of other better flowing/design heads. Dart just revised their 180 SHP head and it looks like a good head. I made a video comparing it to the Old 180 SHP casting. Still there are better or comparable cheaper heads and I don't mean just overseas ebay heads. In my opinion 190,195,200 or larger are too big for a heavy mild truck, so that does kinda limit the choices. But unless you wanna go down the 383 rabbit hole then I'd stay on the small safe side.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

200cc ran great on the 350 in my Express van. Offshore castings flowed about 265 cfm with a decent valve job. Also the same casting runs great on my 383 after Lloyd Elliot got his hands on them.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Best head for the stock intake manifold unported and stock spider is hands down the 170cc Etecs. Even with a fairly mild cam they make 30-40 hp more than a set of stock Vortecs.