Ok, after reading so many posts, I realized I don't really know what VORTEC IS! I've read about 4.3L without VORTEC and that that is NOT a good thing...in so many words. I have a 4.3L Vortec engine, but I did not go specifically looking for one, so I really don't know what I've got.

 

Here you go, straight from GM:

Essencially, it is a change in the design of the head which swirls the air/fuel mixture more in the combustion chamber to improve the amount of mixing as well as the amount of the mixture that is burned each time the spark plug fires. That is my understanding of it anyway...

*EDIT* WOOHOO! 100 Posts!

 

Yeah that's basically all it is. The cylinder heads are designed to swirl the A/F mixture to create more power along with better gas mileage. Once, when questioned about what Vortec was, I heard a GM PR guy say "Have you ever been in the middle of a tornado? That's the effect we're going for."

 

ALLLLLLLLLLL 4.3L engines in the S-Series trucks have Vortec heads.

The current version, which is the most popular, most sought after, and most productive version of Vortec heads didn't start until 1996.

Here is a little more information on the subject.
http://www.s10extremist.org/tech_articles/vortec.htm

 

^^^^Very good article right there^^^^

That shows the difference between the intake bolt pattern to a 'T'. Talusgirl, that is why you would not be able to use the 2000 heads. Look at the second to last picture on that page. Your heads have the bolt angled more horizontal (right head) and the newer vortec heads have them angled more vertical (left head).

 

Great fuel efficiency my ***!!

 

LOL!!! Well, I'm sure it is better than what it would be without the vortec head design...

 

True, true...I was actually appalled today to hear that gas prices in Ontario are rising to almost $2/L...it has been about $1/L most recently, but today in London and Chatham my brother said it was $1.79/L....insane!!!

Apparently, it is supposed to rise to $5/L US in Ontario...looks like I might be buying a diesel engine and using old fryer grease!!!!

 

Geez.... WTF happened? Prices here were dropping!

BTW, diesels on fryer grease make me HUNGRY!!! LOL - LMFAO!!!

 

They're blaming it on hurricanes again...[>:]

I also heard that in Alberta (where most of Canadian oil comes from), all the taxpayers got $400 cheques today because the government had collecetd so much tax on gas that they wanted to "give back" to the province. Ontario's gov't earned 65 BILLION dollars or some ridiculous number (maybe it was 6.5..that sounds more reasonable) in gas taxes, but they only put 300 MILLION back to fixing the roads...WTF?!