Beat my old 1/4 mile time twice today with my vortec headed 350.Ran 105mph @12.90secs and then 105.5mph@12.83secs.This was done after installing my new 390's.awesome cruising gear. Update I just got back from the track again today and broke my previous record twice. Ran 12.75 @106 and 12.69@106.

[This message has been edited by cattmann1 (edited July 03, 2005).]

good times
what's your combo?

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Click here, it'll explain it all (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/luda79/sig.jpg)

I am running a 355 with light weight Federal Mogul pistons on 6" Eagle rods with a set of unported 062 vortecs.Also a 750 vac holley.Little bit of a tail wind today which made my times better but I will still claim the time.

i'm thinkin' about goin with votecs, just wonderin, what cam did you choose? I'm wantin' to run mid to low 12's!: http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif:

Awesome times!

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Custom Auto, your source for quality machine work, cores and new parts at competetive pricing right here in British Columbia 1-888-563-4050
A Canadian, EH? (with a 10 second street car)

Great times there, cattman.

http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/cool.gif

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'Silver Bullet' 1977 Z-28 413" SB
11.73 @ 115.10 on drag radials
Old Vortec combo:
12.15 @ 110.52

Thanks guys . Don I am running the XE 274 comp.Its a nice cam on the strip or off.

Nice times Cattman!

Are the Vortecs awesome or what!

Cripes! Thats a very mild, streetable combo running real nice! Great job http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif

Slicks or drag radials?

BTW, thats a beautiful car you have there. I've never liked the red interior but it works good on your ride!

I run 26"x10" slicks Thanks guys.I wasn't going to post these times but decided to for encouragement to all you vortec people.I would love to run this engine in something lighter to see what it would do.

Good times!

What gears did you switch from and what were your bests with those gears?

great times! sure there is more to come too.

I changed from 373's to 390's last week.With the 373's I would run a consistant 13.0 or maybe drop into the high 12.9's on the best conditions.On Saturday the humidity was very high and I ran 13.2at 103.0 and by the afternoon I broke out in the gamblers race with a 12.83 at 105. I was kind of discouraged at first as my times were high after the change but on Sunday morning with nice dry crisp air I ran a 12.79.and three runs later I dropped to a 12.69. Later on in the day as the heat increased I ran 12.78 with a 12.79 dial.I had the 390's sold after saturdays performance but on Sunday the price trippled .They stay,as they are not for sale anymore.I really don't know where I am going from here as I can't afford a top end change with 2 in College so I will have to inquire as to what might be possible with the vortecs as my cam and heads are pretty well flowed out at a 4.90 lift.I am sure someone in here has some interesting tidbits to share with me like porting and or cam change.I hope Rust bucket hears me as he has been very helpful on my success so far along with many others in here.I would like to maintain my original car with no weight removal and still drive it to the track with the slicks wrapped in a blanket in the back seat.I have a question for racers. What is the easiest way to ensure the rubber comes off the rear quarters without wearing the paint off .

[This message has been edited by cattmann1 (edited July 06, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by cattmann1 (edited July 06, 2005).]

A little Pam Before a burn out.

Pam works good from what I heard also.

Catt - if you lived closer to me I'd port your Vortecs and intake manifold for you gratis. After the work I did on mine I shocked a couple of buddies when the car hit 12.15 on drag radials. One of them ended up buying all my old Vortec stuff including the cam I used. I know there was an 11.80 or .90 in the car but I launched off-idle instead of using some RPM. We figured that was pretty good considering I still have a flat-steel stock hood and weighed over 3750#, and was running a cheap $120 Crane hyd cam & lifter kit and unported RPM dual plane intake.

The Vortecs do require some knowledge before laying carbide cutter to metal. You have to decide how the heads will be used, and what the net valve lift will be so that certain areas can be either worked or left alone.

I have to admit, even though I run a more powerful combo now, I do miss the Vortecs and how simple and easy it seemed to be to make a super street powerhouse of an engine using the most basic and economical parts. I am strongly considering going back to Vortecs for that reason, and also to reduce the CR of my engine which is 12.39:1 with the current Phase 6 alum Bow Tie heads I have now.

I would not give up on your Vortecs - they are far from maxed-out yet. With the right cam and compression they will support up to 480HP in unported form. If you want my 2 pennies worth, I'd suggest you consider screw-in studs and guideplates, and run a bigger cam, preferably a solid-lifter. Go for some RPM because with a 350 that's where you'll tap into some power. Run a tighter lobe sep angle and really enhance the mid-range torque of the engine. That will accelerate the car harder although you will give up some street manners. I'd suggest the trade-off is worth it. You are right to keep that 3.90 gear - that will work super with a bit more cam and some head work will really ice the cake. You are actually doing very well for your combo - 12.69 is moving for a budget street 350.

BTW, I'm originally from Nova Scotia and have raced at Maitland (closed now for the past few years). I know what you mean by that cold crisp atlantic air. On the right day you can really feel the engine pick up power. I also had a 1980 Z-28 identical to yours in colour and interior. You must be racing at Penfield I think it's called?

I think if we talk it out we should be able to come up with a more potent engine combo with those Vortecs.

http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/cool.gif

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'Silver Bullet' 1977 Z-28 413" SB
11.73 @ 115.10 on drag radials
Old Vortec combo:
12.15 @ 110.52

Check out a nice solid cam in the area of low 240's intake duration/high 240's low 250's exhaust duration with a 106 lobe sep to really wake your engine up (you are currently using a XE274 correct?) from your favorite cam manufacturer (FM CS 1226R is an excellent choice), of course you need screw in studs and guideplates (no more rail tips, can't use them with a solid cam) and a decent set of springs and you'll be running a few tenths quicker for sure.

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Custom Auto, your source for quality machine work, cores and new parts at competetive pricing right here in British Columbia 1-888-563-4050
A Canadian, EH? (with a 10 second street car)

This all sounds awesome boys.When the heads were new out of the box I had screw in studs installed,guides cut down,spring pockets cut and guide plates installed.I am running old style rockers instead of selfaligning also.I would love to get some more out of the heads Dirt.I don;t understand what you mean about porting when it comes to decision making.If the heads are ported will this make a less streetable engine?I dont want to cut them up so as not to be able to run on the street by i am more than willing to port some.I am running on the Miramichi dragway.Its on the old airforce base here on the Miramichi but a beautiful drag strip..Rust I will check out this cam.I am not sure of the piston to valve clearance and I had originally thought that I wouldn't benefit much by going to a higher lift because of the flow issue with the heads.I might pull the heads off this week.

Catt - porting the heads won't make for a less streetable engine. What I meant is working certain areas makes for more airflow while working other areas net very little reults.

Here (http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/116_0306_vort/index1.html) is agreat article by "Dr. Air" Roger Helgesen on porting Vortecs. Check it out.

http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/cool.gif

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'Silver Bullet' 1977 Z-28 413" SB
11.73 @ 115.10 on drag radials
Old Vortec combo:
12.15 @ 110.52

The CS 1226R will work with your stamped steel rocker arms and quite possibly with the springs you already have on your heads, keeping in mind once you remove the lash this cam specs out at around .472/.498 lift. I think you're running the FM fully machined forged pistons (the noisy ones lol) in which case valve to piston clearance shouldn't be an issue.

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Custom Auto, your source for quality machine work, cores and new parts at competetive pricing right here in British Columbia 1-888-563-4050
A Canadian, EH? (with a 10 second street car)

Thanks guys for the info.Rust I dont have the exact specs at hand but what would be the benefit of going to this other cam as I am sure the lift is lower than the XE274.Is it to change over to solid lifter s for a higher rpm or what?Dirt I printed off the article about porting and will try to find someone willing to port them as I am too inexperienced in this area.I compared the flows before and after that they had to some I got off of a site called sumners and their flows are not the same at all.Sumners info came from a guy named Paul Shufelt and chevy High performance Feb 2001.Before they did the porting their flow numbers were a way slower than sumners.Is there any other source out there with good flow numbers on these heads or was it the method of testing each that came up different?

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by mycamaros:
A little Pam Before a burn out. </font>

Isn't that what Jungle Jim used to do?

Catt - the difference is probably in the way the heads were flowed - maybe 28" of water vs 25", for example. Maybe a different flow bench also.

Most published head flow #s I've seen for stock Vortecs is around 239-243 cfm @ .500" lift, 28" water. That much airflow at .500" lift is a lot of the reason why the Vortecs make a lot of power in a street application with hydraulic cams. Even at .400" lift, there are not a lot of heads out there in the same category (170cc intake port)that flow as well.

If you don't have any experience porting heads then certainly seek out someone who knows Vortecs or at least has some experience porting heads that you trust. I've been porting heads for 15 years and am always learning. I did a lot of research on Vortecs before I started working on mine.

The valve lift that Rust mentions for his cam recommendation is fine for these heads. One of the great things as we discussed, is the Vortecs do not require a lot of lift to flow the air. The extra duration will however give you more power over your old cam. I'm kinda surprised Rust didn't recommend a tight-lash Comp solid as I would think one of these would really work awesome with the Vortecs. Maybe something along the lines of 250 int 260 exh on a 106 LSA. Whatcha think, Doug?

http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/cool.gif

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'Silver Bullet' 1977 Z-28 413" SB
11.73 @ 115.10 on drag radials
Old Vortec combo:
12.15 @ 110.52

Check out my signature, I finally made it into the 12s as well. Feels good, doesn't it?

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1970 Camaro RS
355 roller motor with Vortec heads and a 700r4
3.73 and posi

Best e/t: 12.72 @107.3mph 1.85 60'
All times on et streets

[This message has been edited by 1970camaroRS (edited July 10, 2005).]

With all this talk about Vortec heads regarding their efficient chamber, great low lift flow numbers, etc, etc....I'm wondering???....how do the Edelbrock e-tecs compare to Vortecs???

I'm sure a few here have contemplated between the two before making their purchase.


Gord.


P.S. Awesome numbers for such a heavy car running only a 350!

I don't have a decent explaination other than to say that cam flat out makes power.
As Dirt was suggesting a Comp tight lash cam would make a few more ponies however the one's I've seen are hellish rough on stock rockers and they need more spring to take advantage of their inherent aggressiveness. We all know Comp's record on cam failures so you can understand my apprehension to recommending one.
The FM cam and lifters should set him back about $250 whereas the Comp requires at least roller tip rockers, better single springs such as the 941-16 singles, getting him into open pressures in the 350# range which translates into short cam life, or a 987-16 Comp double spring, getting him into machine work, new retainers, etc. Being a 350 with relative low compression I feel he's better off staying around the mid 240 range for duration, that will still get him a power peak in the 5800 to 6300 range along with decent torque in the high 3000 range and up.

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Custom Auto, your source for quality machine work, cores and new parts at competetive pricing right here in British Columbia 1-888-563-4050
A Canadian, EH? (with a 10 second street car)

Doug - makes sense to me. I didn't catch the part where roller rockers weren't in the budget. That being the case I wouldn't run a tight-lash solid with the stock rocker arms. Your recommendation seems to be the best route.

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'Silver Bullet' 1977 Z-28 413" SB
11.73 @ 115.10 on drag radials
Old Vortec combo:
12.15 @ 110.52

Welcome to the 12 second club 70comaro RS.Nice times and speed

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by twinkies:
[B]With all this talk about Vortec heads regarding their efficient chamber, great low lift flow numbers, etc, etc....I'm wondering???....how do the Edelbrock e-tecs compare to Vortecs???

B]</font>

They work awesome, but keep that quiet. It's hard enough to get a set of bare heads as it is. Long back order time.

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by onovakind67:
Isn't that what Jungle Jim used to do?</font>

Guess they missed it http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by twinkies:
With all this talk about Vortec heads regarding their efficient chamber, great low lift flow numbers, etc, etc....I'm wondering???....how do the Edelbrock e-tecs compare to Vortecs???

I'm sure a few here have contemplated between the two before making their purchase.


Gord.


P.S. Awesome numbers for such a heavy car running only a 350!</font>


http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/41598/index4.html










[This message has been edited by D Stroud (edited July 11, 2005).]

nevermind http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by luda (edited July 11, 2005).]

Yeah I saw that article comparing cyl head flow....but as they say you don't race flow benches or dynos.

Anybody have real world experience with E-tecs???

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by rscamaro73:
Guess they missed it http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif</font>


Caught that one, decent enough. http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Custom Auto, your source for quality machine work, cores and new parts at competetive pricing right here in British Columbia 1-888-563-4050
A Canadian, EH? (with a 10 second street car)

JBE who posts on here has a set of E Tec 200's on I believe a 400, perhaps he will speak up.

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Custom Auto, your source for quality machine work, cores and new parts at competetive pricing right here in British Columbia 1-888-563-4050
A Canadian, EH? (with a 10 second street car)