Vortec 305 up and running!!
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Engine: 305
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Vortec 305 up and running!!
Finally got around to doing my vortec head swap, it took a while but it was well worth the wait. I started off with a brand new set of 062 casting vortec heads and topped it off with a marine vortec TBI intake without EGR. Heads were milled .030 but other than that they are completely stock. This is what my car needed, these heads really do wake up the 305 it pulls hard on the top end. As expected it is in need of a good tune, but it has a very noticeably louder idle
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Car: 91 RS
Engine: 305
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Sounds like it worked out well.
The Vortec's made a good increase in power over (if I read your sig correctly) the stock TPI heads?
And is that a 14 x 2" breather that you have on there?
Later DM
The Vortec's made a good increase in power over (if I read your sig correctly) the stock TPI heads?
And is that a 14 x 2" breather that you have on there?
Later DM
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Car: '90 RS
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Good to hear man. It is amazing how hard a little 305 can pull with vortec heads and an LT1 cam. Keep us posted on the tune.
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Car: 88 Camaro SC
Engine: SFI'd 350
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Originally posted by Pablo
Sharp looking engine bay
Sharp looking engine bay
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The intake I found on Ebay some guy was selling them for 140$ plus shipping brand new. They have no EGR and already come with the 2" bore. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=4511959355
He has about 30 intakes left
I always try to keep my engine bay as clean as the outside
He has about 30 intakes left
I always try to keep my engine bay as clean as the outside
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Car: '90 RS
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Originally posted by ZRATED
The intake I found on Ebay some guy was selling them for 140$ plus shipping brand new. They have no EGR and already come with the 2" bore. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=4511959355
He has about 30 intakes left
I always try to keep my engine bay as clean as the outside
The intake I found on Ebay some guy was selling them for 140$ plus shipping brand new. They have no EGR and already come with the 2" bore. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=4511959355
He has about 30 intakes left
I always try to keep my engine bay as clean as the outside
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I was suprised when I saw it too and for 160$ shipped it beats the 330$ GM intake. I guess becuase its for marine applications it has not been seen around here, but its still made by edelbrock.
DM91RS Its a 14x3in OE and I did have 305 tpi heads on there before that I had ported my self
Im looking for at least mid-12s on the spray with this new setup, with tunning, bigger injectors, and a 3000 Edge stall cause this slp stall I have now is a little sloppy on nitrous
DM91RS Its a 14x3in OE and I did have 305 tpi heads on there before that I had ported my self
Im looking for at least mid-12s on the spray with this new setup, with tunning, bigger injectors, and a 3000 Edge stall cause this slp stall I have now is a little sloppy on nitrous
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Car: 91 RS
Engine: 305
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Originally posted by ZRATED
DM91RS Its a 14x3in OE and I did have 305 tpi heads on there before that I had ported my self
DM91RS Its a 14x3in OE and I did have 305 tpi heads on there before that I had ported my self
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Car: sunset orange 92
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also were you running the stock 1.84 valves on the tpi heads?
i was looking at buying a set of those that were ported and had the 1.94 valves. but if they aren't going to make a diffrence the i will go with vortecs?
i was looking at buying a set of those that were ported and had the 1.94 valves. but if they aren't going to make a diffrence the i will go with vortecs?
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Im running the stock vortec springs with my Lt1 cam its running great. The lt1 cam is at about the limit for the vortec head springs.
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Originally posted by ZRATED
Im running the stock vortec springs with my Lt1 cam its running great. The lt1 cam is at about the limit for the vortec head springs.
Im running the stock vortec springs with my Lt1 cam its running great. The lt1 cam is at about the limit for the vortec head springs.
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I don't think there is any diff. in the vett. cam from the F-body cam. Basicly any production Lt1 cam is about the limit for vortec head springs.
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The vortec head that I measured looked to be at the safe at .450 lift, so anything past that will be pushing it. Don't take my word for it, go measure your self, I had tons of valvtrain problems because I listened to what every one told me and just assumed they were correct (local guys). Low and behold when I actually went and measured my heads (not vortecs) I was kissing the valve seal every time the valve opened. My mysterious valve spring breaking problems went away, luckily none of the 4 valves that had broken springs droped, the damper held them open enough to keep them out of the pistons.
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Car: C1500
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https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=81659
I found this thread, but I can't find the link that I used to go to, to find the cam specs.
The Corvette had a different cam because it didn't have an EGR vavle, the EGR effect happened with the cam, instead of with a valve.
My cam is the one with .450/.460 lift. That puts me a little over the .450 limit
So could I still get away with it?
I found this thread, but I can't find the link that I used to go to, to find the cam specs.
The Corvette had a different cam because it didn't have an EGR vavle, the EGR effect happened with the cam, instead of with a valve.
My cam is the one with .450/.460 lift. That puts me a little over the .450 limit
So could I still get away with it?
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Ok, I found on the Jegs website, lift is ok up to .475
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...42&prmenbr=361
# Material: Cast Iron
# Intake Runner Volume: 170cc
# Combustion Chamber Volume: 64cc
# Vale Diameter: 1.94'' Int./ 1.50'' Exh.
# Spark Plugs: Straight
# Special Note: Valve Springs - .475 Max Lift
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...42&prmenbr=361
# Material: Cast Iron
# Intake Runner Volume: 170cc
# Combustion Chamber Volume: 64cc
# Vale Diameter: 1.94'' Int./ 1.50'' Exh.
# Spark Plugs: Straight
# Special Note: Valve Springs - .475 Max Lift
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Engine: 355 6"rod tbi - in the works
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kickass 305, man I really need one of those intakes! that xtremefi guy is selling a similar or the same intake on ebay for $279.99 pre-shipping!!!! and I was blocked from his auctions for asking him to lower shipping by $5 since I live 60 miles away, and I felt $20 for shipping a bored TB was alot... I paid $20 a piece to ship 53lb (each) heads across the country, so I'm not liking him too much right now lol.. nice build again bud
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Car: 91 RS
Engine: 305
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Originally posted by Keith5
Ok, I found on the Jegs website, lift is ok up to .475
# Material: Cast Iron
# Intake Runner Volume: 170cc
# Combustion Chamber Volume: 64cc
# Vale Diameter: 1.94'' Int./ 1.50'' Exh.
# Spark Plugs: Straight
# Special Note: Valve Springs - .475 Max Lift
Ok, I found on the Jegs website, lift is ok up to .475
# Material: Cast Iron
# Intake Runner Volume: 170cc
# Combustion Chamber Volume: 64cc
# Vale Diameter: 1.94'' Int./ 1.50'' Exh.
# Spark Plugs: Straight
# Special Note: Valve Springs - .475 Max Lift
Later DM
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Originally posted by Keith5
The Pace Parts website says that they are good for .480 lift.
The Pace Parts website says that they are good for .480 lift.
Here's a cut and paste from the Vortec's for sale at good old SDPC
GM Performance Parts L31 Vortec Cylinder Heads. The best out-of-the-box head for the money. Excellent flow produces broad torque and killer power. Stock springs are good up to 0.450" lift. Requires special intake manifold to fit the Vortec bolt pattern. Price is per head.
It seems that the GM sites that sell these parts cannot get their facts straight.
Last edited by DM91RS; 02-12-2005 at 07:51 AM.
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Maybe Hot Rod was lucky a few years back. They took a pair of vortecs straight out of the box and bolted it to their Junkyard 350 short block with a Comp XE268 cam. That is way over .450" of lift. Its like .477" intake and .480" exhaust. They were running their engine to 6,000 without problems.
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Originally posted by Fast355
Maybe Hot Rod was lucky a few years back. They took a pair of vortecs straight out of the box and bolted it to their Junkyard 350 short block with a Comp XE268 cam. That is way over .450" of lift. Its like .477" intake and .480" exhaust. They were running their engine to 6,000 without problems.
Maybe Hot Rod was lucky a few years back. They took a pair of vortecs straight out of the box and bolted it to their Junkyard 350 short block with a Comp XE268 cam. That is way over .450" of lift. Its like .477" intake and .480" exhaust. They were running their engine to 6,000 without problems.
"the safe valve lift is around .420"
and then went on to show how to cut down the guides. They may have had the retainer touching the seals on their dyno engine in which case it did not matter since it was just a dyno eng.
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Hot Rod doesn't always tell you everything you need to know, it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't run the valve seals, that would give them the clearance they needed.
Keep in mind it's not the springs that are going to hit first, it's the retainer hitting the valve seal thats the problem. Trust me you really don't want to round a lobe off your brand new cam, the metal shavings make their way through the rest of your motor taking all the bearings with them, your left with a motor that won't cary any oil pressure and has no power, and if your lucky the shavings won't drop off the cam onto your cylinder walls, because then you'll also have to get it bored again. Ask me how I know.
Trust no one but yourself! when it comes to valvtrain geometry. Your dealing wth a casting and castings aren't perfect. There could be one guide that wasn't cut right or one seat thats a bit high that will totally funk up your motor.
Measure your self and know for sure. I used a piece of brake line carefully trimed to fit between the vale seat and the reatainer (without the spring in the way) then used it on the rest of the seats to quickly check for installed height. I then took that feeler guage and put my spring on a drill press and compressed it with the drill head till I got to my installed height, then just go another .450 or whatever the lift of your cam is and check for coil bind. Then make another feeler guage that is the max lift of your cam minus your installed height and check for seal to retainer clearance. If you want to see what your actuall installed pressure and open pressure of your spring is, barrow the bathroom scale and put it under the spring on the drill press.
Keep in mind it's not the springs that are going to hit first, it's the retainer hitting the valve seal thats the problem. Trust me you really don't want to round a lobe off your brand new cam, the metal shavings make their way through the rest of your motor taking all the bearings with them, your left with a motor that won't cary any oil pressure and has no power, and if your lucky the shavings won't drop off the cam onto your cylinder walls, because then you'll also have to get it bored again. Ask me how I know.
Trust no one but yourself! when it comes to valvtrain geometry. Your dealing wth a casting and castings aren't perfect. There could be one guide that wasn't cut right or one seat thats a bit high that will totally funk up your motor.
Measure your self and know for sure. I used a piece of brake line carefully trimed to fit between the vale seat and the reatainer (without the spring in the way) then used it on the rest of the seats to quickly check for installed height. I then took that feeler guage and put my spring on a drill press and compressed it with the drill head till I got to my installed height, then just go another .450 or whatever the lift of your cam is and check for coil bind. Then make another feeler guage that is the max lift of your cam minus your installed height and check for seal to retainer clearance. If you want to see what your actuall installed pressure and open pressure of your spring is, barrow the bathroom scale and put it under the spring on the drill press.
#30
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ZRATED- a marine Vortec TBI intake, eh? Now THAT'S using your brain!! Good job on researching the entire combo before laying down the cash.
I've gone to marine parts on rare occasion when I just can't find exactly what I'm after in the automotive world. It's good to know that such an intake exists. Have fun with it!
I've gone to marine parts on rare occasion when I just can't find exactly what I'm after in the automotive world. It's good to know that such an intake exists. Have fun with it!
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Originally posted by RS Chris
SDPC sells modified Vortecs that can handle .525 and .600 lift cams for about a hundred bucks over the normal cost.
SDPC sells modified Vortecs that can handle .525 and .600 lift cams for about a hundred bucks over the normal cost.
Those vortecs that can take .525 look tempting, but what about you guys that modified your own heads? How much did that cost you?
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You will read a lot of different values for max lift on vortec heads. The castins of those heads were not consistant and some were as low as .420 while others were .500. As stated above you should always measure if you think you will be borederline. Most times magazines and such will measure their one set of heads to get their published values. The next magazine or parts place will do the same thing with a different year casting and report another value. This isn't really any different when dealing with any other stock GM head casting.
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Car: 91 RS
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Originally posted by Keith5
I don't like SDPC, they charge more than Pace on just about everything it seems.
Those vortecs that can take .525 look tempting, but what about you guys that modified your own heads? How much did that cost you?
I don't like SDPC, they charge more than Pace on just about everything it seems.
Those vortecs that can take .525 look tempting, but what about you guys that modified your own heads? How much did that cost you?
Cost; shims $25 I think and locks around $25. These are prob high but its been a while.
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