Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi Cylinder Heads

M

myVolvoBoat

New member
Hey All,

I wanted to ask about compatibility between a GM Vortec head and a Volvo Penta Vortec cylinder head. I have one cylinder that appears to have taken a little debris and the valves have damage from it. I think I can get away with a reman head but I wanted to check with the forum. Has anyone done this yet?

Thanks!
 
There are no “Volvo Penta” cylinder heads for those engines, they are just standard GM engine parts. Reman heads, if done right are fine, I installed 2 on my 1988 OMC/Chevrolet 4.3 9 years ago. The only Volvo Penta engines actually made by Volvo are the diesels & the old “red block” in-line four cylinder 2.3 liter engines. Anything else is all GM. They did use Ford V8s but only for a few years.
 
I appreciate this! I keep getting told that the engines were modified/received a treatment to make them suitable for marine use. The only thing I would think would be significantly different might be the freeze plugs (metal composition).
 
<p>Louc is right, there is no Volvo head. Those are GM castings, the 5.0 GXi is a Vortec 305.</p><p><br></p><p>What gets changed for marine use is in the build, not the casting. Brass core plugs instead of steel. A marine head gasket with a stainless fire ring if it is raw water cooled. And have the machine shop look hard at the exhaust valve and seat on that cylinder.</p><p><br></p><p>One thing to watch. Vortec heads only take a Vortec intake. That pattern is 8 bolts up top, not the old 12. So do not let anyone hand you an older set.</p><p><br></p><p>I put a pair of reman heads on a 4.3 years ago and they held up fine. But before you bolt anything down, find where that debris came from. Piston top, cylinder wall, intake runner. Otherwise the new head gets fed the same junk.</p><p><br></p><p>Are you raw water or closed cooling? I think the Vortec head bolts are torque to yield on those, so one time use. Worth checking before you reuse them.</p><p><br></p><p>thanks</p>
 
The marine changes are head gaskets, core plugs and in some cases a truck or RV cam profile is used. Other than the cam the internals are the same.
 
Back
Top