Small Block & Big Block Chevy Specific - Need help with stock 350 short block and vortec heads combo

I have been searching for three days now on the site to try and find some answers with what I have, so far I havent found many answers.

Before I deployed to Iraq last year I had my brother take my motor up to his house to freshen it up, needless to say as far as he got with it is pulling the intake, heads and oil pan off. What I do know about this motor is it is a 4 bolt main 350 with factory dish pistons.
I am on a REALLY tight budget so funds aren't easy to come by but I want to freshen this motor and put a set of Vortec heads and a cam that will let me have fun at the track from time to time.
Would factory Vortec heads with mods to run a 500-525 lift cam make good power and still be able to run pump gas??
I am worried that the dish pistons are going to hurt me on the performance side so I need some help from those in the know.

You mean you have flat top pistons.Vortec heads w/ a 525 lift cam will be fine.I just last year put a motor together like that one.Does the motor already have vortec heads if not you will need a different intake for the vortec heads.

Well, I talked with my brother and he said the pistons are dished and not flat tops.
I don't have the vortec heads yet but I am looking at a set that are local that have been opened up with 2.02/1.6 valves but I don't know how what springs. He also has a vortec intake to go with them.

The vortec heads will have a smaller cc head than what your motor came with so you will be OK with your pistons.That sounds like a good deal w/ the heads & intake w/ bigger valves.Just buy a cam kit & it will come w/ matching springs & timing chain,lifters,retainers and valve locks so all you would need is a oil pump and gaskets for a basic rebuild.W/ a 248/248-525/525 cam & Vortec heads that motor should make between 350-400hp.

Who makes the cam kits like that??

Sorry,it's a Comp Cam Kit but the one i said to go w/ is a soild cam. You want hydraulic which is 244/244-501/501 or something close to that.Just go to Summit Racing .com or Jeg's .com they have some good deals on everything you need.

Ok thanks, I will check that out.

I have a 350 bored over .040 and vortec heads with a carter 600 carb and zz3/4 roller cam (you can find the specs easy its a baby cam) hooker headers and a aluminum intake from edelbrock... this was under 2 grand and i make around 300 to the wheels and 350ish at the crank vortec heads are great

You will want to check your valve spring retainer to guide clearance, as the stock Vortec heads are not supposed to be able to handle more than .480" lift. I wouldn't run more than a 224/230 cam with the compression ratio that you will be running with a non-decked engine & dished pistons.

You will want to check your valve spring retainer to guide clearance, as the stock Vortec heads are not supposed to be able to handle more than .480" lift. I wouldn't run more than a 224/230 cam with the compression ratio that you will be running with a non-decked engine & dished pistons.

This man is about the only one who has posted helpful and CORRECT advice!

A .525" lift cam will NOT work with a set of out of the box Vortec heads, and he's right on the money with what he's telling you.

Read this here!
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/small-block-big-block-chevy-specific/1022153-my-engine-thoughts-need-cam-help.html#post10526724

Thanks guys for the info.
The heads I am looking at have already had the valves upgraded to 2.02/1.60 but I am not for sure yet what the install height or coil bind height of the springs that are on them. I do know that they have bigger valves and have not been ported or polished.

I just found out that the spring height is 1.800 installed and 1.125 coil bind with 110lbs.
does this sound about right?? What size of a cam can I run with these?

This is about the size of cam that you will be wanting to look at http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__COMP-CAMS-SB-CHEVY-268-XTREME-ENERGY-CAMSHAFT-12-242-2_W0QQitemZ200267916705QQadiZ2865QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q2 0TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQ ptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item200 267916705&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A543%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 . I still wouldn't run anything without checking your valve spring retainer to guide clearance with the valve springs installed @ 1.75". This should get you up to the old Z-28 spring pressures (approx. 120lbs.). It doesn't cost very much to have the guides cut down to insure adaquate clearance it there.

This man is about the only one who has posted helpful and CORRECT advice!

A .525" lift cam will NOT work with a set of out of the box Vortec heads, and he's right on the money with what he's telling you.


It is correct that you have to have a different intake too and that is helpful if you already have a sbc intake and plan to use it

If I buy the heads the intake will come with them.
I need to find out from this guy if the guides have been cut.

yeah because when we started up my engine we had an exhaust valve stick and got a new one put in then put it back together then had another exhaust valve stick and got it replaced... then guess what... another one stuck so we finally made our machinest get different exhaust guides and have never had a problem since then

I have built several vortec headed 350's if you want to have both good street and strip performance I would go with the comp xtreme energy 268,it only has 480 lift so you won't have to worry about retainer to seal interference,plus I wouldn't mess with going to 2.02 1.60 valves because these heads come factory with a five angle valve job and you will probaly be getting a 3 angle when they are upgraded which will hurt flow.We had a 70 camaro with a dished piston stock shortblock with the xtreme 268 bone stock vortecs,rpm air gap,and 650 holley with turbo 350,3000 stall and 411 gears and it ran 8.0's all day.Plus you could drive it anywhere,the cam has a choppy idle it actualy sounds pretty mild that car weighed 3400 with driver.If you run this combo you will not be disapointed,hope this will help you out.

The higher the number of angles in a valve job doesn't always mean that they will out flow a smaller number of angles. I have built alot of Vortec heads and haven't seen a GM 5 angle valve job yet, which doesn't nessisarly mean that maybe they did exsist. By chance are you counting the angles on the valve with the ones on the seat? Anyway I would suggest a 15*/35*/45*/58*/75* valve job on the cylinder head seat and have the valve backcut at 30* to go along with your 45* margin, this would give you a 6 angle valve job that has worked quite well for my race engine's.