Re: L-35 heads.
Will these heads flow more than stock, unported vortecs?
Seems like you have no evidence (hence this attempt to research it :tup
but also suggest that it would be a bolt on head comparable to the vortecs.
If you have to grind them and port them down... it isn't a bolt on solution.
Having drilled heads personally, I think that would be a lot easier than porting these apparently rare L35s. Porting requires either a lot of skill and a lot of time or a lot of money. (probably all three!)
Additionally, when people are done porting, do they check to make sure the cylinders are flow matched? It seems like it would be too easy to port something for high flow but have it mismatched.
After all this effort, it still seems like drilling the holes in vortec heads to match our manifold would be a lot easier than all this effort which ultimately may prove fruitless at best or disastrous at worst (if the cylinders are lean).
So what is it you hope to achieve? If vortecs flow better then why do these at all?
Not bashing - just asking why. :tup:
I do not have any evidence, only hearing from racers that have used this type of mods.
Not a bolt on? Yes they bolt on w/out doing anything to them.
Porting heads does take some sort of skill, you can do it yourself ,get books on how to or pay someone to do it.
My take on porting heads for a forced induction type engine, is that you do not need to have the best shapes to see gains, as long as the ports are bigger the turbo is going to force the air/fuel mixture into the engine.
I am not saying do not try to get the best shapes possible, just at least do a decent port job & you will see gains.
Tooky did his own backyard porting to Vortec 96 & newer heads, after his porting, the heads actually flowed worse than stock,, that does not mean his heads flowed worse than stock when forced induction is involved.
You can absolutely kill cyl head flow just by using a wrong/incorrect seat angle. So a great valve job helps a lot also. Depending on the throat angle dictates what valve & seat angles work, they have to all work together, a combination sort to speak.
My friend has run in circle track races & had a set of fully ported larger valve 2.02 1.60" factory stock cast iron heads. The problem is, when you win the race you get torn down , you need to bring one head & the intake manifold to the judges. (No porting allowed)
Knowing that it is mandatory for tear down after the win, right after the race, he had one stock style head 2.02 1.60 valves,( drivers side) but no porting what so ever, the other head was the fully ported 2.02 1.60 head on the passenger side.
He had won the race, pulled off the drivers side "STOCK" head, non ported head & intake manifold to the judges & had passed inspection & therefore won the race.
Point is, between the 2 heads there was a great difference in flow & the engine ran great still.
Hell I have seen SBC's run one larger chamber 76 cc head on one side & the other a small chamber 64 CC head & the engine ran fine.
Point of doing this is one, the heads are a direct bolt-on head, no drilling required.
Two, the heads look original as compared to the Vortecs, those do not look original.
Three, in California, we need to pass smog here, & to pass a smog test here, the EGR valve needs to be functioning & working. The 96 & newer Vortec heads cannot provide exhaust gas to the EGR valve.
That is just 3 off the top of my head.
I hope to achieve a bolt on cylinder head that will flow close to a 96 & newer Vortec head, look stock & stealthy, be able to pass smog.
There was a guy here that ran fast w/the L-35 heads, I think he was running in the 10's can't remember who it was off hand. Anyone remember who that was?
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