Chevy vortec heads cracking

On chevys i would not do anything with a block that would have over. Im looking for pics of the plumbing for the front coolant bypass and the rear coolant cross over. Gm introduced its vortec line of engines in the mid1990s, in i4, i5, i6, v6 and three v8 configurations in various displacements from 2. All vortec heads have taller intake ports that make using a standard smallblock intake difficult. Vortec heads look similar to any 87andlater centerbolt headthe ends have the same accessory mounting holes, the exhaust flanges are the same, head bolt patterns are the same, and so on. Vortec, cast iron, assembled, 67cc chamber, 175cc intake runner, chevy.

It had castech heads and was going through a quart of antifreeze a month. From what i have heard some year models of the vortec heads haved problems with the seats cracking. Anything i should know about installing vortec heads. A magnetic test for cracks on chevy heads with an explanation of the 305 head. Vortec heads cab be drilled and tapped for the 5586 style intake mainifolds. Fully assembled as pictured, ready to ship and ready to plug and play. The vortec heads are a little bit lighter than the older heads and have a kidney or. One of my pals has a sbc 400 that he ordered a set of prepped oe replacement vortec heads for. The truth is they do not crack any more than any modern lightweight production head, although there have been problems associated with leaking intake gaskets on vortec engines that may have caused more than the usual number of cracked heads. These heads usually crack from the center exhaust seats to the nearest cooling crossover or center head bolt hole.

Since its introduction in the late 1990s there have been a few versions of the factory vortec head. The productionbased iron vortec head represents one of the best budget investments for power for the smallblock chevy. On chevys i would not do anything with a block that would have over 50,000 miles on it. I bought mine from a local core yard that gets vortec engines in all the time.

Also valve size plays a big roll in how the engine will perform. Any more, spend the dough on some new aluminum heads or better yet, bowtie vortecs. Crack repair has become one of todays hottest topics because good rebuildable cylinder heads for many late model engines are very expensive and hard to. This article will discuss cracked cylinder heads, weak valve lifters, worn valve seals, and positive crankcase ventilation pcv fouling. Chevy colorado history, accolades and cylinder head replacement options. When the vortec heads made their v8 appearance in the late 90s, it was inevitable that the question would be asked. Some vehicles may experience a gradual coolant loss over time. Whether you race pro stock, super comp, or just want to rebuild your old chevy 350 small block, there are cylinder heads just for you. Well i figured out what happened on this 350 engine in this 1990 chevy pickup. Just to let you guys know to keep a close eye on it. Just remember they have miles on them and could need some rework. Ive installed a professional products cyclone 52007 intake on my 99 vortec 350.

If the budget means earlystyle heads as opposed to the later vortec heads. If they are in good shape and you just want a good running engine then i would say how much money does he want for them and if they are a good price get them. We see so many chevy 062 and 906 vortec heads come into the shop with the cracks from the head bolt hole to the water jacket hole. Also if i do this and get heads from the junkyard that are good and not cracked etc. How i diagnosed a cracked head on my 2005 gmc sierra with a 5. The only drawback to these heads is that they suffer from a little more valve shrouding see fig 61 than is necessary, and sometimes chamber cracking details on cracking later in his chapter. Ls cracks in between the valve seats 862s duration. Hi, just going to fit my vortec heads906 ready for the new season,have been reading that they are prone to cracking. Vortec heads outflow bow tie heads right out of the box and are a 20 to 40 horsepower bolton increase over earlier cast iron small block heads.

Often, cylinder heads will begin to crack after about 5 years. Automotive enthusiasts are quick to note that the 350 and the 5. These production vortec heads were used in the new vortec 350ci engine intended for. Chevrolets smallblock chevy was manufactured beginning in 1955, and the firstgeneration engines gen i. I managed to pick up a set of 1999 vortec heads for a reasonable price.

The vortec heads come with various intake and exhaust valve sizes to complement the highvelocity port design and your performance needs. Chevy vortec bowtie heads brzezinski racing products. I have run this combo 64cc heads wflat tops and less than. It is a simple job, if you want to utilize an older intake. Displacement is increased from the vortec 2800 it replaces to produce 185 hp 8 kw and 195 ftlbf 263 nm of torque. Chevy cylinder head identification small block casting numbers, big block cylinder head, camel back heads, double hump heads. Our summit performance vortec cylinder heads have what it takes to get the job done. The complete cylinder head guide for chevy small block engines. Every time ive gone in there they had a few l31s in the cracked head area. Vortec heads instantly added 55 or more horsepower to a regular 350 head with the same displacement. If you are looking for a replacement set of stock heads, try to avoid the later model iron nonvortec heads that are lighter castings and prone to cracking. I also have news on another casting mark that you may see on vortec heads. The iron vortec head is an incredibly durable and strong flowing head for a production casting.

A cracked cylinder head can cause this to leak, which can be most noticed by a puddle of. Vortec heads have gotten a reputation for cracking easily. Chevy truck forum silverado sierra gmc truck forums. They arrived with the correct casting number 10239906, bolt pattern, intake ports, etc.

Reconditioning the heads raises the compression, and the chance of turning the engine into a oil burner. Well, i just disassembled a pair, and heres what i measured for retainertostem seal distance. A very low percentage of cylinder head s manufactured with an embossed castech logo may develop a porosity crack in a very specific area. I think some people plug off the rear cross over but supposedly that cause hot spots at the back of the heads. See warranty page for complete details articles on eq cylinder heads vortec small block build popular hot rodding magazine smallblock engine build son of sledgehammer budget engine build popular hot rodding magazine images of eq cylinder heads view image of ch305b view image of ch350c view image of ch350g view image of ch350h spec sheet. Aside from cracking problems there are, for power production, two distinct groups. Magnetic test for cracks on chevy heads at cylinder head. Also, there looks like something hit the top of the chamber between the intakeexhaust valves, like theres a little piece of it missing, though it doesnt go as far as to actually touch the valves. Take the freakin vortec heads you got to a machine shop and tell them you want a three angle valve job put on them. The 350 designation is the cubic inch measurement that also translates to. Discussion in the hokey ass message board started by roothawg, dec 5. Unfollow chevy vortec heads to stop getting updates on your ebay feed.

After adding coolant the second time i knew something was wrong. Have you ever seen a set of cylinder heads cracked like these. Are you looking for a good set of heads to up the performance factor of your vortec engine. How to build a 400 horse chevy small block 350 it still runs. My gut feeling on this, as previously posted, is that if you put the felpro 1003 head gaskets on this engine wflat tops and vortec 906 heads, you will be fine on pump gas. Ive yet to know anyone personally that had a head gasket or cylinder head problem on a vortec motor. If the crack goes the other way also i just pin it before installing the sleeve. So i finally got around to taking my motor into the machine shop for inspection and cleaning. The casting on a set of oe vortec heads, are thin, and are pron to cracking, also the studs in the oe heads are pressed into the head, so if you bump up the hp, these studs will pull out. Inspect the cylinder head assembly to determine if the casting was manufactured by castech. Chevrolet ck 1500 questions tbi350 vortec heads cargurus. I usually pin the crack through the water jacket,then i ream the bolt hole 916 to a depth of about an 1 14 and use a valve guide as a sleeve,then ream the guide with a valve guide coring reamer.

Small amounts of orange dexcool may be visible in the oil drain wells or around bolt heads as shown in figure 3. Our heads are installed by shops nationwide and are the choice of many. The premier site for everything to do with hot rod, customs, low riders, rat rods, and more. If the budget means earlystyle heads as opposed to the later vortec heads then closed chamber heads are definitely the ones to look for. Cylinder heads are responsible for containing and directing the internal combustion of an engines cylinders, meaning if that ability. Performance cylinder heads enhance the airflow into your engine, giving you improved power and torque. Chevy vortec bow tie small block cast iron cylinder heads talk about awesome torque and horsepower all in one cylinder head.

Featuring wideopen intake runners, efficient combustion chambers, and a highperformance valve job. Modifying and test fitting chevy 350 vortec heads for thread in rocker studs. If the heads are made of aluminum, then they will certainly crack within this time. Cylinder heads are responsible for containing and directing the internal combustion of. Guide to chevy smallblock production heads chevy diy. Repairing cracks in cast iron cylinder heads and engine blocks.

Vortec l31 cylinder head crankshaft coalition wiki. What is the gm vortec engine and why is it goodbetter. Read on to see what attention your silverado may need and how you can protect it from damage. Gm fast burn 62 cc 210 cc intake runner angle plug vortec. Bolt on a set of fully assembled heads for instant power gains or custom build your engines topend.

The l31 vortec heads have larger ports than the older gen i cast steel heads, so they outflow the older heads. Chevy vortec cast iron cylinder heads the chevy vortec head is an excellent choice for a variety of performance and race applications. Chevy performance sbc cast iron vortec cylinder heads jegs. When enthusiasts speak of vortec engines, theyre typically referring t. Agreed with jake, l31 vortec heads are prone to cracking, that is one of their achilles heels, and the major issue that got addressed with the release years back of the bow tie vortecs. The cracked areas will be cleaner and shinier than the surrounding, oil smudged metal as shown in figure 3. I fear that i have the dreaded castech head crack issue. This started about six months ago w only 45000 miles on the truck.

Even gms high performance castings from the late 60s and 70s do not favorably compare to the more recent factory vortec heads. The 185cc vortec bowtie is the best under 200cc intake runner head on the market. I traded it in w 50000 and it was starting to get worse. Reinforced castings make these heads more durable and less susceptible to cracking, should your vehicle overheat. Last week i noticed engine temp was bouncing between 210230. How to tell if your cylinder head is bad or cracked. Well, i bought a used pair of vortec heads and theres a tiny crack at the edge of the combustion chamber, its just big enough that i can barely hook my finger nail in it. The vortec 5300 is a smallblock v8 gm engine that was produced from 1999 until 20. If you get too wild with porting, you run into overheating and cracking issues. Eight budget small block chevy heads tested car craft. I will not use vortec heads on my next chevy motor build. I found out not long ago while doing a crack repair to a 906 casting and.

Buy products related to chevy vortec heads and see what customers say about chevy vortec heads on free delivery possible on eligible purchases. One of my customers made 6 trips to the salvage yard just to find a good casting. Chevy cylinder head identification small block casting. Minor head bolt hole cracking can be fixed by drilling and reaming the hole oversize usually 58 past the end of crack, about 1 18 deep. How to build a 400 horse chevy small block 350 by moss strohem. I chose to replace my cracked factory vortec heads with these and i am not.