This has probably been asked in here, but I couldn't find the forum, so here goes....I have an old styld 350 (around '75 or so) with four bolt mains, bored .030 over, w/ flattop TRW pistons, a mild edelbrock cam, new heads, edlebrock: intake and carb, new heads, etc. etc. that's brand new from a resto project gone south. I wanted to know if I could swap my vortec heads and manifold etc., from my 1997 silverado (5.0) to use on it, so I want have to run a carb setup in my '97 chevy. please help

 

I thought 97 was still 5.7 not 5.3. If so, you could use the older 5.7 Vortec heads on any gen I small block with the proper intake and rocker arms.

 

there was no 5.3 in 97 trucks

 

My bad, I meant 5.0, I had just worked a double and was seeing double...... It is a 305 Vortec, and I want to keep my MPFI and use it on my 383.....Should work right???

 

i didn't think the even made a 5.0 in 97

 

If I'm understanding this right, and I've done this with several of the newer 89+ heads/intake and vice versa, just slot the 4 center bolt holes on the intake. I'm not 100% on if this works with the "vortec" heads or not, but you can do it with any of the 90's TB or even TPI motors, hell I think you could do it with LT1 intakes too if you really wanted to. You'd just have to put the distributor hole in the LT1 intake. Anyway, you can do it vice versa - put fuel injection on an older block, or put an older carb intake on a fuel injected block. If anyone needs more clarification just ask.

 

The vortec heads don't have any center bolts, just 4 bolts per side 2 front 2 rear.

 

you want to put the vortec heads on the older motor and bolt on the factory vortec intake, correct?

like mzoomora said you need to use the vortec rockers(self aligning), and you need to check your pushrod length as the vortec motor is a hyd roller and your edel.cam is hydraulic.

if you're going from a 305 to a 383 you'll prob need bigger injectors, and you're prob gonna need some way to tune it, due to the cam ,more cubes and more compression than stock ,at least put in some 350 injectors and either a 350 PCM or get it reflashed.good luck

 

If you want to put the Vortec heads and manifold from your pickup on your 350 then yes, you can do that. The manifolds are specific to the Vortec heads, so the carbed manifold will not bolt up, though there are a growing number of Vortec-compatible manifolds out there.
The Vortec heads use rocker arms that are guided by the valve, instead of using guideplates. The pushrods from the carbed engine should work fine.
Just doublecheck the lift specs of the cam. IIRC the Vortec heads cannot accept more than .490" and you really shouldn't have more than .460". There are other spring/retainer parts out there that will allow a little more. I think you will be fine with the Edelbrock cam.

 

If you're putting 305 heads on a 383 you're going to raise the compresion a lot. I think the votec 305 heads have about a 58cc chamber. the 350 heads have a 64cc chaimber. I used the '96 newer heads on my 4.3 V6 which are the same design as the 350 heads. I have about 10.5:1 comp. I had to use guide plates for the roller rockers. The guide plates helped give me a little more stud lenght that I needed too. I have .454 lift in my cam. I used Victor head gaskets because of the the .029" thickness. I would say get some thicker head gaskets. Standard Fel-Pros are .041 thick and I think the make thicker ones too. I don't have a computer either.

 

www.lt1intake.com

There's a few other things besides the distributor hole that you need to modify to make an LT1 intake work on pre-vortec GM heads. You can use a TPI computer with an LT1 intake and some tuning. The vortec heads have much taller ports than either the regular SBC's or the LT1's, so a vortec specific manifold is necessary. Edelbrock sells a Qjet air gap manifold for vortec heads.

 

I just got a '96 vortec 350 from an engine job. The V8 heads have press in studs, the V6 heads have screw in studs. I didn't realize this until a couple of days ago. So unless you have them machined for screw in studs and guide plates you need self aligning rocker arms.

 

Check the casting # s on the 305 vortecs to be for shure what cc they are if they are 58 cc that is really going to bump you compression up.Good ruck!

 

Do the 305 heads flow as well as the 350 heads?

 

Nope, but they probably flow better than the smog heads on the old 350.

 

Let me say that you are planning to use a 350cid vortec on a 305cid TBI engine but want to run a carb set up.We do not really recommend a 350 vortec head on a 305 (5.0) for the simple fact that it will pull compression out of your motor,and will rob you of the horsepower you are trying to achieve.Yes you can bolt them on ect!What are you going to do with the computer and waht is going to control your elec.trans after the fact?Keep in mind also that a VORTEC head is ONLY good up to a 0.450"lift cam!!!And be careful with the choice on pistons (ft)it does take a unique piston for the vortec (350)chamber.Lastly~the vortec heads are a great source for horsepower,a great cylinder head for carb applications and 350 cid!!
good luck!!

 

I have flat tops w/ four valve relifs in my 4.3(Which are 350 pistons) with no problems. I see what you mean if someone was going to use domes pistons.

 

put the vortecs on ur 350 with an rpm air gap from edelbrock with a 750 demon to top it off. And ur looking at some serious numbers. Especially if u throw a lil port and polish on them, they flow great. I have the same thing in my s-10 except im runnin speed pro 11 to 1's with a nasty cam and all the the other goodies. holley fuel pump,aluminum edelbrock waterpump, all arp hardware, windage tray and lifter valley baffle. the truck goes 12.30s

 

I agree that we know that these heads in a 350cid application will kick ***!they great power!