Re: Should I go for Vortec Heads? Your Opinions will really help!
...there is a good explanation of porting under
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylinder_head_porting
It is my view (ie my opinion only), that few people really know how to port heads. If you
talk to great builders, as with Indy Car, CART, or NASCAR for example, porting is a science.
The great ones buy two sets of heads, one to cut in half to see water jacket thicknesses,
and the second ones to port.
Removing too much, and you have turbulence, improper flow, low compression, hot spots/swirling
and possibly head breakage. Too little, and you get nothing or stock flow numbers.
But this is stating the obvious...and I would be asking the guy porting the heads "his"
knowledge/feedback on the subject.
I also know, that having seen two Ty`s with bad intake manifolds (very undetectable
leaks, one from the factory, and one due to the welds/buildup to work on vortecs), that
"weird" things can happen if this isnt "perfectly done".
Lastly, many will say the stock exhaust manifolds are okay with your build
(and I ran them for years on my Ty, with a similar build, turning 12.5s consistently/reliably).
But after looking at extrude honing, and noticing how little advantage vs cost that would
make, went to headers, and show improvement on the dyno. Common sense says
increasing the air into an engine, requires proper exiting as well (to a point, since
some backpressure is needed with our application).
I think the advice you have been given in this thread is good and useful, but equally important
is your trust, relationship, and quallity/reliance with your mechanic and engine builders.
Lots of luck, and let us know how things work out..
Larry