I have a 1990 4.3L TBI/GM V6 with factory roller cam, what year did they get called Vortech? what is the difference? I have heard 88 up are vortech, I have also heard all tpi's are NOT vortech. that they made a vortech and non vortech in the same year. I have also heard the heads are different. Anyone know of a good chevy bb with a good faq section?

I was told that when the switched to the Vortech set up, they started cooling the heads before the block...prior to that, Chevy's cooled the block first.


This supposidly increased the HP by a whole lot.

When they went to the CPI injection they were then vortech.

was that in 96?

Originally posted by 66CJdean
When they went to the CPI injection they were then vortech.


When was that?

Also, what is the stock HP and torque specifications for the Vortech engine?

It is the LT4 that has reverse flow cooling....

Vortec has its own set of heads and a unique bolt pattern for the intake (only 8 bolts instead of 12, and they are vertical, two on each side, in front of and behind the throttle body).

Also uses its own special FI sytem that was mentioned above.

So, long story short, Vortec is heads and FI system, but the manifold is unique as well.

Originally posted by liveaxle



When was that?

Also, what is the stock HP and torque specifications for the Vortech engine? click here and find that info (http://www.s-series.org)

yes vortech heads are different, you can put vortech heads on a older block but you have to get a vortech intake as well. im talkin 4.3 V6 here i dont know if V8 is different.

reddwarf is closest. I'll ask on my board and see what they say.

Originally posted by 66CJdean
When they went to the CPI injection they were then vortech.

That's not true. 95 vortech's had throttle body. Ask vova. The vortech has different heads and intake. It also has a balance shaft above the camshaft that is driven by the timing chain. Early 4.3's had a vibration problem. My.02

they are vortec engines, vortech is a company that builds superchargers. there are no vortec v8's before 96 the 4.3's started in P/u's in 1994, but a diffferent version with less horsepower were availible in vans and blazers before that.

When Chevrolet first used the term Vortec (no "h" in the word) it was to describe the new head design which came out in 1988. The head had a new swirl port design and the name Vortec was used to describe the swirling (or vortex) air/fuel mixture entering the cylinder on the intake stroke. The common name of Vortec for the engine itself refers to the CPI and SMPFI engines introduced in 1993 (CPI) and 1996 (SMPFI). You see the airbox stamped "Vortec" starting with the 96 engines.

Not all vortecs are CPI there were some TBIs and the ones 96 and newer were SMPI. my 98 is SMPI running on a 96 computer and harness. dunno when CPI came in, i think like 92 or so, but i'm not positive. What i've been told is that vortec is just a different head design that gives better power.

Dallas

I spelled it wromg...big deal, doesn't change the facts, and you are all still sayinmg something different:flipoff2: I looked up the link[thanks] shows all the years and injection types and hp/tq ect, but still can't find what a vortec is:D or is not:confused: :p

GM (http://www.gm.com/automotive/gmpowertrain/engines/vortec/about/) might have an idea.

Originally posted by cmegoup
When Chevrolet first used the term Vortec (no "h" in the word) it was to describe the new head design which came out in 1988. The head had a new swirl port design and the name Vortec was used to describe the swirling (or vortex) air/fuel mixture entering the cylinder on the intake stroke. The common name of Vortec for the engine itself refers to the CPI and SMPFI engines introduced in 1993 (CPI) and 1996 (SMPFI). You see the airbox stamped "Vortec" starting with the 96 engines.

THIS is the correct answer. It has NOTHING to do with fuel delivery to the heads - it has only to do with the design of teh heads. Counter rotating balance shaft does not define a Vortec nor does the Fuel Injection system. CMEGOUP is right.

Air flow is the right idea. It's a change in the head/intake design. The head and manifold system breath much easier and substantially more volume. Full injection does not matter. They were TBI and multi-point. GM Goodwrench even makes a carb manifold for Vortec heads.
First Vortec motor was the '91 4.3L V-6 installed in the Syclones and Typhoons. (I still have my 91 Syclone). It was a 4.3 block with the new head and intake design and factory intercooled turbo. Fastest production vehicle built for a while :-p

96 was the first year of the Vortec V-8. Got one of those in my Suburban. 5.7L that perfroms like a 454.
Heck, I have a Vortec Multi Point EFI system on ebay right now...

From the S10 guru at s10-4x4.org, Mark Hall...


Thats a hard one to explain because the "Vortec" name has been used bigtime as a selling tool of GM's since "1986"...

When the centerbolt style heads were introduced they were promoted as the "new vortec" combustion chamber style heads... Then in 93-94 with the introduction of the S10 "SS" again the name was used to promte the 4.3 engine used in this truck and some 93-94 Blazers... Aka; the big vortec cover on the top of the runners with one injector under it... They used it once more when the CPI engines were introduced refering to those engines as the new "Vortec" line of engines... That is what is currently refered to as "Vortec" engines by most...

Bottom line, it's just a GM sales tool...

You sure about them putting vortec heads on the cyclone. From what I know the cyclone had different heads then what they put on the 92-95 4.3 vortec CPI motors. The cyclones heads dont flow as well as the CPI heads. In 94 they made 3 different castings of the 4.3 heads. Not sure what the difference was though. I believe all of the CPI motors had the balancing shaft as well, it makes the car idle alot smother, but also wont allow you to put gear drive on the front. Basically what everybody else is saying the vortec has to do with the efficency of air flow through the heads. You can port your intake and it wont do anything because the heads are so well designed. After 95 they went to the SMPFI and still retained the vortec heads.

FWIW here is my understanding of the Vortec terminology:

GEN I -- '92-'95 4.3L TBI engines with the Vortec design heads.

GEN II -- '96-'99 4.3, 5.7 and 7.4L engines with SPFI and the full range of sensors.

GEN III -- '2000 to present

HTH

Ancient thread, but closest I could find to my question. I posted this in newbie yesterday, but didn't get any replies, so I thought I'd try here.


If I don't care about any of the emission control stuff, will an aftermarket (Painless) wiring harness from a 92-95 4.3 vortec work on a 96 4.3 vortec?

Probably not. 96 should have SMPI.

Vortec when reffering to 4.3s is clouded anyway. In 1985 when the engine came out with a 4bbl carb, it was referred to as "Vortec" as well.

4.3's have been "vortec" as chev has described them since 86 or so but what most people refer to as "vortec" is correctly stated above, that is the combustion chamber design, this version of a "vortec" came in 96 and up, Gm started calling everything vortec in the late 80's and actually started with the 4.3L heck i had a 2.5 4 cly that was a "vortec" there are many definitions associated with that term, the only significant one in my opinion is with the change of the combustion chamber to a heart shaped design


some good info here with flow data

http://www.chevymania.com/tech/vortec.htm



joe

<--- The Ford Guy laughs

The big change to the efi system in '96 was due to new OBDII emissions so they are totally different than '95 and earlier. I believe all the post '96 4.3's have the counter balance shaft, but a friend has a '95 CPI 4.3 with a counterbalance shaft too.

I've been with G.M. dealerships for over ten years. Vortec is a marketing strategy. All of the balance shaft, injection system stuff doesn't make any difference.

On thing I didn't see mentioned for easy identification of SB V8's is the centerbolt holes on the valve covers instead of the traditional flange mounting location.

Another item you will require switching an older SB (like I am) to a Vortec motor. I am only replacing the heads/intake and valve covers.....

What I am looking at trying to recreate....http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0306_406/

http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0306_406_9_z.jpg

http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0306_406_10_z.jpg

http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0401_imp_06_z.jpg

i thaught it was just the center bolt valve covers, well obviously different heads and different intake manifold bolt pattern, but the key ID is the center bolt valve covers

So here is my 4.3. It is TBI but has Vortec valve-covers that are center bolted (which is pretty awesome BTW). Is this a vortec or not? The intake mounting bolts are not verticle...

it will not have the good combustion chambers that are heart shaped, those came in 96 and up only


joe

Here's the best info I've come up with....
http://customclassictrucks.com/techarticles/0405cct_head/

This is a very very old thread but I found it in a 4.3 swap faq thread and figured id add some faq

85-92 4.3s are non vortec the are either carb or tbi they have no balance shaft later ones have roller lifters.

92-94.5ish some 92 4.3s had blance shafts but only with the vin code W with cpi they are also non vortec some 95s are vortec you can tell by the plastic intake and the intake bolts go straight down

96 and up are vortec they use balance shaft and screw in studs in the head with torque down rockers.

'94 vortech is the only year that the intake bolts were angled after that they are straight up and down.
If you put a tbi intake on the '94 votech,remove the balance shaft or it will not work.
edit: holy shit how did I not notice the date....