I have 8 of these junk heads piled up in my garage right now because the machine shop found cracks every time I bought some and had them checked. I've talked to so many others who have had exactly the same experience, and the machinist said about 1 out of every 12 he checks is actually good. There may be about 20 good GM-produced V8 Vortec heads left out there somewhere in the world, but going forward I'm treating all used Vortec heads as cracked. In the end I ended up buying some aftermarket heads for my build. Even the cheapest Chinesium heads have a revised design that solves the main problems that caused all of the factory heads to constantly crack. To save everyone else the same heartache, I recommend EVERYONE treat used factory heads as cracked and just spend the money on some reproduction heads. I got mine for about $700 for the set in 2024, and now I don't have to worry about them being cracked or likely cracking in the immediate future.

Thanks for the video awesome info....I just replaced my vortec heads with some Darts....you want to talk about my old chevy coming back to life....wooh baby!!

Maybe a dozen years ago, I was preparing a set of the vortech heads for a circle track racer. I could visually see a slight difference in the ports. I ran a single intake and exhaust through the flow bench and found the numbers were way off. -- I checked the port volumes for cc's finding the ports were way small. I checked these against another set which were larger and produced the normal flow numbers. I have the phone number for GM Engineering so I gave them a call to report this issue. I've got the fellas name in the shop but it wasn't Ron Sperry. After explaining the problem, this man asked for the information to be faxed back to GM. -- What the deal was, GM pays Mexico to cast these for them. He was HOT !! He did say there was going to be Hell to pay for this if we find the same ! All I know is that he was going to get to the bottom of this. Just be aware that you may get a set of these that are weak for power. You have to check the cc's. -- I don't recall the volumes however I would think these are easily available.

thats soo cute at the end your doggy. thanks for this video. its great info that vortec head users need to know before they get their heads, and ones driving with them that may want to improve performance or mod them. i feel they are a great head to improve stock performance even though they have potential for some real street performance also.

Thank you bud your information was very helpful

Great video. Thanks a Lot!

Mine came off a gmpp crate motor with .460 exhaust lift and I measured .465 clearance. Luckily the valve seals weren’t seated all the way so I ended up with .525-550. I got a good deal and needed a better intake anyways but I ended up pretty close to a set of nkb or similar

I pulled a set from pull a part a year ago no problem. The truck still had coolant in it which was good thing no overheating issues maybe I got lucky. Sent to machine shop check for cracks installed my ls6 springs comp retainer and locks good to go

Very nicely done. Thanks for the video

Run the Bowtie Vortecs. No downsides.

Guess I got lucky I took a set of 062 vortec heads off a junk engine and ran a 490 lift comp hyd flat tap cam and never touched the heads put them on the tbi short block

Really liked the video but like the ending with the yellow lab. we just had to put our yellow lab. "Blossom" to sleep and are devastated over it, only 8 years old and she had small intestine cancer.

I wound up going with beehive springs & offset locks to get up to .470 lift. I did have to measure but there was some room. Not enough room for the springs, however - bosses had to be trimmed to fit them.

I just built 3 engines right in a row, a 355 on a 96 Chevy truck, a 358 on a 77 K20 and a 383 on another 77 K20, all 3 had the identical prep, Elgin rv-943x valve springs, 3 angle valve job and .530 valve stem seals. I hate having a single spring, when that goes, so does your engine. For a daily driver to a strong running truck, they work great, I have seen a minimum of 2 mpg on previous engines

Stock vortec heads are thin casting. When pulling heads from used engines almost 1 out of every pair are cracked between the 3 and 5 exhaust seats and or 4 and 6 not including occasional cracks going from the water channels to the chambers......before dumping a penny more into those factory heads have them checked....I gaurantee you most 906-602 casting head vortec engines sitting in your local car yard have milky oil. For a few bucks these heads make great power but they are ticking trouble bombs. Spend a few more bucks and get aftermarket vortec style or bowtie heads if you prefer iron heads.

906’s on my 350/290hp crate are great!! Low 8’s in the 1/8th in a G body street car in full trim. 1.84 60’s on a 3.73.

Something that just popped into my head is how much does just a vortec head swap change the compression ratio? Let's just assume my 86 K2500 still has the original LS9 350 with its 8.2:1 compression. What would the compression jump up to just by going to vortec heads?

Been running vortec for years. A good up grade is 1.06 exhaust valve. Thats the only downside of the heads is the exhaust. Other then that good heads. Stay around 500 lift were they were ment to run you will be happy.

Dont forget screw in studs.#1

I just picked up a nice set locally for $100. Going into my 88 C1500 after the engine gets rebuilt.

One bad thing not mentioned is Vortec heads have thinner castings than old school chevy heads and are prone to cracking if overheated. Be wary of high mileage pull offs and walk away from any head that's been decked.

What reference intake used

Great video, I just got a rebuilt heads set, the 12558062

Is there any particular cast numbers I should look for?

What Head Gasket do I use on my 1982 Chevy 350 engine with a pair of 1998 Chevy 350, 062 Vortec Heads ? Any recommendations for Headers, short tube, Long tube (I heard the long tube may hit the oil filter on the Driver's side rear of the block.) Thanks in advance...Liked/Subscribed a long time ago !

Is a flat tappet 444/467 cam too big for a stock head?

So what kind of rocker to use..slotted rockers ok??..my cam is .454/468...

These are great hot street heads, better than the old Camel Hump 2.02's. Definitely go with screw-in studs, and open and mill the spring seats if you want to go a little beyond .500, but only if building a 383 stroker or adding forced induction, otherwise they won't breathe enough. Another thing is to drop in 1.64 exhaust valves and work the exhaust just slightly. If you know what you are doing a mild porting and gasket match is a good investment. I have a Vortec 383 in my '91 RS and run a pretty peppy Lunati cam and valve train. The heads came on the car and only had 100 miles on the build, so the little "tweaks" were worth it considering the heads were well built and I did my own work. Otherwise... AFR street aluminum or even Summit aluminum heads may be a better choice. The little 383, like most street engines, is a torque monster and the power all lives under 5,200 RPMs.

I installed a set of vortec 062 heads on a 1993 350 block. I went with a slight milder cam. My question is what length push rod do I need? Will is change much or could I use stock vortec push rods?

Looking for a "Accessory Hole" solution for my 291's.... Seems the 350 is 350 saying is getting a little thin! don't wanna mix on my 67 motor. Ever seen a 2690 crank???😉

I’m building a 355 Chevy with Vortec heads now for my Squarebody, I got the heads off of marketplace...they ended up needing a valve job and one exhaust valve. But they came with good springs, cut down guides, brand new Summit aluminum roller rockers and screw in studs. But you’re absolutely right, you have to factor in the price of an intake, intake bolts, and valve covers (and I had to get tall) My total investment for the used heads, machine work, intake and valve covers, I’m at $900. Not sure I’d do it again, considering BluePrint sells aluminum heads for $900/pair. 🤷🏼‍♂️

vortex ...060 ? still have the 64cc chambers. what do you think?

Just picked up a zz4 block with 062 heads missing crank cam and caps...and a summit aluminum intake for 100 bucks...their goin on my 350 in my 82 c10

3rd gen camaro hood behind you?

Thank you for a great video. My question: If you slap Vortec heads on an older motor with a flat tappet cam/lifters, do you use the Vortec pushrods or the SBC pushrods (or are they the same length)?

Coolant passages ??

You can by an adapter to run the old style valve covers. But they are pricey.

What Camshaft Do You Recomend For The 062 Heads, I Have A 1998 GMC Z71 And Am Looking For A Upgrade On The Cam For A Bit More Power And A Better Sound. I'm Still Using The Spider Injection Setup Also. Camshafts Are Real Tricky On Finding The Right Ond For The Right Price. ??

Can I reverse. History I have a TBI sbc motor that I changed to the old heads. I did this because the heads were cracked. Well turns out so is the block. I have a vortex motor that rans decent. That I pulled. The truck that had the TBI that I converted to carb. Ran but the block was also cracked. I want to use the heads, intake, carb, and distributor. On the vortect motor. And put it in the truck that the TBI was once in. Can I do this? In short 1976 sbc heads, intake on a 1997 Chevy 5.7, vortec block.

My 906 castings had a .9" valve guide boss and the comp cams beehive springs did not fit with out machine work. Also my exhaust ports were raised .2" which for most is not a problem. If a person is running pre vortec exhaust manifolds this can require a little grinding to the top ports of the manifold. They make great power though.

As someone with a SBC with vortec heads in a 1975 corvette I think I can give a little good info on installing these heads. The best airflow you can get with the intake side is 240cfm and that's with the 1.94 intake valves at .500" of lift. If you go over this lift you'll just lose power to valve train losses and valve instability. Putting bigger valves in like 2.02s doesn't help airflow either. These heads are thin cast so it's generally not a good idea to port them or put bigger valves in them as they are more likely to crack. A 3 angle valvejob helps a little. The lt4 hot cam is probably the best camshaft you can get for these heads as long as you use 1.5 ratio rocker arms.

I am running these on a Gen II 350 crate motor. Great power for the price, but cold weather running with these heads are horrible due to not having the exhaust crossover.

I need help I have a 355 I want to put 906. Vortec heads on It has a nice size cam in it an dont know anything on it I bought it... will the vortec heads go right on it? Anything will help me out

How much more hp roughly, would aluminum heads make over the factory gm vortec heads?

Can you explain or better yet show the difference between 95 and earlier and 96-2000 sbc coolant bypass. I hear the early engines had the hole below the water pump opening. Now the 96 up blocks don't have the extra passage as I hear. I know coolant needs to circulate prior to the thermostat opening to prevent hot spots before the t-stat opens. How is this accomplished? And do you need to make any changes when Installing a Vortec style head on an earlier block or installing early heads on a Vortech block without the extra passage? I've heard suggestion that a hole is drilled?!?

You also need Vortec specific exhaust manifolds or aftermarket headers. The old style ones will bolt up, but the exhaust ports won't match up.

you need to mention the shape of the combustion chamber. it's a much more modern better and efficient heart shaped combustion chamber than the old style bathtub shaped combustion chamber. If it didn't have the heart-shaped combustion chamber the smaller size alone wouldn't do that much

What are 217 heads they came on my 98 Silverado 2500 350 vortec motor

What would be a good cam to run after you put these heads on an older 350?

I should have waited and I would have heard!

Go ahead and tell them about the guides height having to be cut so the retainer doesn't smash the seal and contact the guides.

The real issue with vortec heads is that they stall at around .500" lift. If you want to run anything more radical you will need a different casting. These are still the best production SBC heads.

It is possible to buy valvecover adapters that allow any valvecover to fit on any head. I got some from Ebay years ago. Sleath city.

You forgot the press in studs as a down side. Best to have them tapped for screw in.

Bolted some onto my 87 k5 with a carb intake. Left the tbi but the heads demand waaaayyy more induction so the tbi can't keep up

Would they bolt up to my 1993 Chevy blazer motor 5.7 350 tbi?

.480 lift stock.. with beehive ls6 .525 is pushing it .

85-92 IROC style hood behind him.

These heads are prone to cracking because Chevy put a 210 degree thermostat in the Chevy truck so when the fan quits the heads and gaskets go I run a 180 thermostat Comp cams LS6+ valve springs and 787-16 retainers and now I have .570 valve clearance. But as a professional engine builder I've only came across 1 set that was cracked and that block hit 250 degrees it also fried the rod bearings and main bearings the guy toasted the block

Bolting on the heads and new style intake are one thing.... Replacing the tbi is another. So is raising the compression. Now the ecu has to be changed.

Anyone know if it's better to buy remanufactured heads or get heads from a junkyard and have to take them to a machine shop?

I have a 78 Monte with a 305. I’ve already put in a mild cam in to it with dual exhaust with a whimpy 2 barrel carb. I want more. I would really like to put on fuel injection, eventually and have other guys saving go LS, but at the moment all numbers are matching...so In my brainstorming BUDGET conscious situation, I found an old 5.7 Vortec in an old suburban. Could I take the whole intake, heads, injection system...everything and mount it up to the block I’ve got now? Would it work? Would I gain anything? Or would I be better bolting on an Edelbrock system into this 305?

you didn't mention the press in studs!

Bro que intake manifold you use

Reading through the comments makes for a negative feeling about picking up a set of these heads.

Just bought a set with NO casting numbers. Do not appear to be removed. How can I identify these?

What about the pitting on the intake manifold side?

don't forget about converting the pressed in rocker studs to threaded.

Will they work on a stock 91 Corvette TPI motor?

If you google max lift of vortec heads it pops up .420, when stock is .414 in .428 exh lol david said they get ABOUT .450 on engine masters too. .460 is what ive seen others say but no where on the internet has anyone said theyve ran a stock vortec cam with 1.6 rockers, which is .453 sooooo

I want to put a set of these on a 307 I removed from my 82 cutlass!...what year should I look at i know I need them off of a 305 vortec engine!...

will exhaust manifolds off a 86' 305 fit them? my L69 shit the bed and am looking at a L31.

I have 3 trucks, 2 96's and a 99 with vortecs. One thing I hate about the heads is the intake is only bolted down at the front and rear. The intake gaskets can sag and suck oil into the cylinder and cause misfires because it is burning oil. I would never use vortec heads. There are alot better heads out there.

You need to change your rocker arm the stock one will bind need long slot

.450 is a sweetspot for stock

I just scored a gm bowtie highrise vortec intake with open plenum for a 100 bucks. for my Prostreet truck setting on a full tube chassis.

😢spend just a bit more and get much better alloy heads ready to go 😅 way better and new

I heard they was prone to cracking how true is that

Can you run a 1103 cam with those heads stock

Speed costs money! How fast do you want to go?

Interesting but most likely would buy an vortec engine and upgrade the heads ,intake,add an for barrel carburetor etc

Did the engine crap out due to sniper

Chevy Performance Bowtie Vortec heads are the ONLY way to go. Spend the money, you'll be glad that you DID... lol

Cracks, 292 which sum 292s were 200 cfm, if not good set of double humps, no cracks,

what big issue did i need to know?...

Not a lot of room for porting I've heard.

Cant buy a tunnel ram for them

What about you'll need screw in studs and watch for cracks.

Really, the biggest disadvantage is that they don’t install themselves!

Chevy 350 TBI to the day I die

Bahahahaha love that Pup

I can think of 3 things not mentioned

They also crack easy.

If someone wants to tradee good old heads. I have a good set of vortec heads. I pulled the motor because I had a power issue. It wasn't the engine. It's in the computer. Because a crate engine didn't fix the problem. I have another truck with a bad motor. Cracked block at freeze plugs. I'm wanting to use the vortec block in it. Because I know the block is good Any how if anyone want to swap my vortec heads for old heads let me know.

the other disadvantage 9 out of 10 are cracked

Just take out the thermostat

Wont find any in the junk yard that ain't cracked

They aren't worth it

Click bait... issues??