Vortec cylinder head crack check

This is probably the best cylinder head casting that chevrolet has ever produced for a production small block chevy. Enginequest performance vortec heads competition products. Because of this, it has become a very popular swap. I checked my spark plugs and they had 85,000 miles so i replaced them. Autozone carries hundreds of thousands of parts and accessories. Vortec l31 cylinder head crankshaft coalition wiki. In essence, the vortec head uses the iron lt1 chamber intake and exhaust ports in a standardwaterflow iron head. This is due to a poor water chamber design that cannot withstand the fluctuations in temperatures, and the faster speed limit in the uk when compared to japan which is where the engines were originally designed for. Some of the more popular gen i cast iron gm cylinder heads. Jim richardson shows how to easily magnaflux engine parts for crack detection. The name vortec can be confusing because gm used that name for their v6 and v8 truck engines as far back as 1985. Installing a cylinderhead is, generally, the reverse procedure to removal. Chevrolet performance parts l31 vortec cylinder cast iron heads have set the standard for proven performance and budget spending.

Also, there looks like something hit the top of the chamber between the intakeexhaust valves, like theres a little piece of it missing, though it doesnt. Its got a regular hei and 600 holley from a 350 ho deluxe crate engine, cheapo professional products intake, and a set of shorty headers, other than. The bolts and threads into cylinderblock must also be clean. A magnetic test for cracks on chevy heads with an explanation of the 305 head. These cylinder heads are ideal for applications up to 350 horsepower, but they require vortecspecific intake manifolds. Enginequest, chev sb vortec performance cast iron heads, 170cc64cc vortec intake, assembled stage 1, pair. The first thing we needed was a small block chevy engine on which to evaluate power. One quick check for coolant leaks in used cylinder heads or blocks that requires no equipment. Vortec heads tend to crack in the center two cylinders more than the ends. Why is it important to magnaflux test cylinder heads.

You will need to check the following and figure whatever it costs to do could have been money spent toward new aftermarket heads. The small 99cc combustion chambers raise compression by 1 full point from the stock 119cc heads. Chevrolet s10 valve, valve cover and cylinder head. Flotek 102505 aluminum cylinder head for small block chevy. Vortec cylinder heads significantly outflow nonvortec service replacement cylinder heads and earlier oem castiron heads. Well, i bought a used pair of vortec heads and theres a tiny crack at the edge of the combustion chamber, its just big enough that i can barely hook my finger nail in it. A cracked engine head, specifically one with a large crack, can leak oil. The trouble with junk yard vortec heads is the whole reason they ended up in the junk yard instead of being rebuilt with the original vortec motor and put back into service is they got cracked in the original trucks.

Such a sign can be a cause for concern, as oil or coolant may also back up into the engines internal chambers if. I run vortecs on my truck, actually the whole vortec engine from a 96 chevy truck. Dream big, be fearless, take risk, challenge everything and put jesus christ at the center of it all. As a result, most motorists try to prevent cylinder head cracking.

An engine head houses the valve train, which is bathed in motor oil throughout engine operation. How to tell if your cylinder head is bad or cracked. In some cases, cracking may result in such severe injury to the engine that it must be replaced. By the time you purchased a used double hump cylinder head and had it reworked, the cost was the same as buying a new vortec head that produced more power. There are a few common symptoms of a cracked engine head. Requires special intake manifold to fit the vortec bolt pattern. The large oval port design flows better than any factory oval port head. Getting more life out of your agile pickup is easy when youre. Magnaflux test cylinder heads clearwater cylinder head. Vortec heads look similar to any 87andlater centerbolt headthe ends have the same accessory mounting holes, the exhaust flanges are the same, head bolt patterns are the same, and so on. If the crack is wide enough, youll be able to easily see it. Valve lifter noise is a light, rapid metallic clicking.

Chevrolet performance 12558060 cast iron l31 vortec sb. Some vehicles may experience a gradual coolant loss over time. The eq heads i did for unk are a vortec chamber head but have the older valve cover bolt holes and the old style intake bolt pattern they are not re. If you get too wild with porting, you run into overheating and cracking issues. Magnetic test for cracks on chevy heads at cylinder head. In fact, it can cause you headaches in nearly every facet of an engines operation.

Some cylinder heads, made by the supplier castech, began to crack, allowing coolant to seep into the oil. A cracked cylinder head can cause this to leak, which can be most noticed by a puddle of oil forming on the ground. The l31 heads from the latemodel 350 vortec engine, introduced early in 1995, is the other type of cylinder head you need to look for on the used market. Are you looking for a good set of heads to up the performance factor of your vortec engine. I didnt detect any unusual deposits that would indicate a coolant leak in the combustion chamber. Checked 2 ex and 2 in valves on each head using a dial indicator. Assault racing products sbc20064a small block chevy 205cc bare aluminum cylinder heads angle plug 64cc sbc 350 400. This is how i check cylinder heads for cracksleaks at home. A new stock mexican vortec head will flow in the 210 to 215 cfm range on the intake and about 145 cfm on the exhaust. The cylinder head has to be removed from the engine to find out.

When performing your own check for cracks, you need a method of testing that does not use expensive equipment and works with a nonmagnetic metal. Step 2 valve lifters and camshaft noise and damage. Manufactured from cast iron, promaxx performance small block chevy vortec 185cc cylinder heads include 2. Select your year, make, model and engine to find those that fit your vehicle. Also, the mexican vortec head is brand new and are much less prone to cracking.

Dart oe vortec replacement head 165cc intake runner. A couple of weeks ago i decided to run another pressure check. I always recommend starting with new gm 062 or 906 castings for a vortec head buildup. Castiron vortec cylinder head assembly completely assembled with 1. The gm performance parts l29 vortec big block cylinder head was used on 199799 pickups with 7. Minor head bolt hole cracking can be fixed by drilling and reaming the hole oversize usually 58 past the end of crack, about 1 18 deep. A guide to vortec vs oe small block chevy heads onedirt. Such a sign can be a cause for concern, as oil or coolant may also back up into the engines internal chambers if the crack is large enough. A very low percentage of cylinder heads manufactured with an embossed castech logo may develop a porosity crack in a very specific area. If not, the machine shop thatll resurface the cylinder head must pressure test them to find the cracks if any. The constant change in temperature causes cracks to form in aluminum heads. The cylinder head is a crucial part of all combustion engines, and cylinder head cracking can result in catastrophic damage to the engine.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about crack detection, but this is really just scratching the surface on the topic. Since this was a lowbuck cylinder head test, we decided. Eight budget small block chevy heads tested car craft. Featuring wideopen intake runners, efficient combustion chambers, and a highperformance valve job. So far so good, heads look great out of the box by amazon customer. Small block chevy heads have been manufactured since 1955, and have been. Excellent flow produces broad torque and killer power. Cylinder head due to constantly changing temperatures and high pressure levels, the head has to be robust enough to withstand the. Chevrolet performance vortec cylinder heads 12558060. For more information, we recommend the book, engine service automotive machining and engine repair by gary lewis or sunnens complete cylinder head and engine rebuilding handbook by john edwards. Part 3 of 350 rebuild a magnetic test for cracks on chevy heads with an explanation of the 305 head. During the 2001 to 2006 silverado model years, gm had several different suppliers making the cast cylinder heads for the vortec 4.

How to find and fix cracks engine builder magazine. These heads usually crack from the center exhaust seats to the nearest cooling crossover or center head bolt hole. Features include fast burn combustion chambers, and a highvelocity lt1 port design. Check the height of the rocker studs with the other head to make sure they werent partly pulled out of the head too. A cracked cylinder head can cause this to leak, which can be most noticed by a puddle of oil forming on the ground when the vehicle is parked for a long enough time. The two fluids are always segregated into separate chambers and passageways. The cylinder head creates the space for the passages that feed air and fuel to the cylinders, and is sealed in place by the head gasket. Promaxx performance sbc vortec cylinder heads jegs.

How to check aluminum heads for cracks it still runs. Before installing cylinderhead, the surfaces of both the cylinderhead and cylinderblock must be clean. Cracking causes the head to lose pressure, resulting in lost power for your vehicle. Holes in your head or the fine art of crack detection. After our undercover porting the mexican vortec head will flow in the 235 on the intake and 165 on the exhaust. Many times, a vehicle with a cracked engine head, which is the top part or top end of a vehicles engine block, will leak motor oil out of the cracked part of the head. I went ahead and started reading about potential head cracks on 5. A very low percentage of cylinder head s manufactured with an embossed castech logo may develop a porosity crack in a very specific area. No single crack detection technique is sufficient for finding cracks in engine parts.

Types of gm vortec heads the l31 vortec heads have larger ports than the older gen i cast steel heads, so they outflow the older heads. A cracked engine head is such a serious mechanical problem that it can severely impact a cars ability to perform properly or even to run at all. These cast iron vortec cylinder heads will fit 1958 and later small block chevy engines, and offer a 20 to 40 hp increase over earlier cast iron small block heads. The complete cylinder head guide for chevy small block engines. Anything i should know about installing vortec heads. The most common areas the cylinder head will crack are on the combustion chamber, and hairline cracks inbetween the valves. Inspect the cylinder head assembly to determine if the casting was manufactured by castech. It is highly recommended to check for clearance on anything over. The process of magnaflux testing your cylinder head can reveal any cracks, dents, or leaks in the head and help you to avoid those dreaded.