what is vortec really?

ok, my friend has a laet 90's I think silverado. it has the vortec 4.3 liter V6, and he says it makes this weird noise soemtimes and another kid tried telling him it was lie a blow off valve maybe cuz vortec is something like a turbo. now I KNOW it is no turbo, or nothing to do with boosting the engine at all. I think he might be thinking or "vortech" superchargers and just going for a long shot and hoping hes right. and even though I knew he was wrong I wasnt sure what it indeed referred too so I didnt correct him. I was under the impression that it was just a designation for a certain series of engines. like hondas D B K F H seires, etc. and nissans KA, VQ, VG, Z series, and toyotas 2JZE, 3FZE, etc.

or is it some kind of variable valve timing like VTEC, VTI, VVTI, etc...

please help me to know whta it is for real so I can tell this retard to quit giving out some dumb ass info.

Vortec is just the name given to the engine... its like how chevy's 2.2L Ecotec, or Cadillacs 4.6L Northstar. Vtec is the name of Honda's variable valve timing technology, not any of its engines. As far as I know there are 3 Vortec engines. a 3.5L I5, a 4.3L I6, and a 5.3L V8....its got nothing to do with turbos or superchargers, its just a model name

hope that helps

Thats only partly correct. Ever hear the term "vortec heads"? Vortec is the type of heads GM uses on their V8's and some of the larger displacement six cylinders. They first introduced the vortec style head in the late '90s, they were a lot more efficient than the old heads and made a lot more power, because the intake and exaust ports are larger than on the old heads.
Yes, thats the right answer. No, I didnt read that from a book.

mason_RsX, there are several Vortec engines, the 3.5 and 4.2 inline Engines, teh 4.8, 5.3, and 6.0 V-8s, and teh 8.1 big block.

i have a vortec 350, and i thought other than the heads the vortec engines have a different intake and throttle setup...?

thanks, and just for the record, I know that VTEC is hondas variable valve timing techonolgy. Variable valve Timing and Electronic lift Control. i said that in the first post. and I guess I was half right then about vortec, it is kinda the designation of an engine family/kinda a name of the technology.

i have a vortec 350, and i thought other than the heads the vortec engines have a different intake and throttle setup...?

You thought right too. The Vortec 350 has a multi-port fuel injection system (each cylinder has its own injector) instead of the throttle body injection from the old 350s (88-95) that only has 2 injectors (one for each side).

Also, the Vortec engines are complete roller engines.

if you go to chevy's web site they explain the vortec engine very well. it has to do with the way the air is spun into the heads causing a vortec (a spinning of the air, like a tornado) effect witch increases airflow and in essence increases hp.

I seem to remember ads for the vortec series of engines when they first came out that claimed that the intake manifold was designed to "swirl" the fuel/air mixture for more efficient combustion. Kind of like that tornado gizmo you see ads about now.

the tornado is exactly correct. The Only thing the Vortec refers to is the intake. Is not even closely related to anything Honda. It is kinda like certain super chargers and turbos but merely a small fraction of hp boost compared to the formentioned

I now it is nothing related to honda at all, was just wondering if it was some GM rework of a variable valve timing system or something