C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

L48

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 7, 2017 | 06:42 PM
  #1  
rickellonen's Avatar
rickellonen
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
 
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Default L48

Is it possible to upgrade the lame 1974 L48 engine without a total rebuild pistons, etc
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2017 | 07:53 PM
  #2  
Gordonm's Avatar
Gordonm
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Default

Yes if the short block is in good condition. It all depends on how much you want to spend and how much HP you want. Headers and good exhaust are a must then you can look into intake, then cylinder heads then camshaft and so on. Look at your budget and how much HP you will need. Sometimes it is cheaper to do a crate motor than piece everything together if you are really looking to upgrade power.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2017 | 09:18 PM
  #3  
gjohnson's Avatar
gjohnson
Drifting
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,797
Likes: 422
From: Denver CO
Default

Intake /cam/ headers-exhaust will wake it up. If you want more , heads
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2017 | 10:53 AM
  #4  
Douglas Mariani's Avatar
Douglas Mariani
GM Cert Corvette Tech
15 Year Member
Pro Mechanic
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,559
Likes: 585
From: Anaheim Hills California
Default

Originally Posted by gjohnson
Intake /cam/ headers-exhaust will wake it up. If you want more , heads
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2017 | 12:00 PM
  #5  
JohnnieUtah's Avatar
JohnnieUtah
Pro
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 683
Likes: 62
From: Ogden, Utah
Default

This is my opinion, but I disagree with the cast iron OEM intake change out. After talking with Cliff Ruggles and others plus this article I would not change the OEM intake out if you plan to run your car below 5000 RPM. If your going to race and sustain high RPM's yes. Otherwise, aluminum is just bling.


http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/pro...lock-bolt-ons/
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2017 | 12:36 PM
  #6  
cv67's Avatar
cv67
Team Owner
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,062
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Default

Lots of choices-
AFR 180 head 64cc chamber can flat mill for a little more if you want;trick flow makes a camel hump type alum head that is reasonable and flows well;also make a 175 58cc chamber head
1-5/8 header
Edelbrock EPS intake
typcial 256,268,270 type cam
Rejet and curve distributor to suit.
Strong runner decent manners and wont have to spin up high enough to riks the bottom end

Last edited by cv67; Jun 8, 2017 at 12:59 PM.
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2017 | 04:35 AM
  #7  
terrys6t8roadster's Avatar
terrys6t8roadster
Melting Slicks
10 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,192
Likes: 343
From: Allenton Wisconsin
Default

Do a cylinder leak down test and compression test to determine condition of valves and rings.
Power comes from heads and camshaft.
With my 69 L48 I tried a 2101 Eldebrok, Holley 650 spread bore, Pertronix ign. and recurved distributor, roller rockers, 2.5 exhaust ran great and still a dog.
Dart heads and roller cam, even with 3.08 gears it breaks the tires loose. T
Reply
Old Jun 9, 2017 | 05:52 AM
  #8  
stingraymaniac's Avatar
stingraymaniac
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,135
Likes: 71
From: Umeå Sweden
Default

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm in the process of changing my broken 327 to a 72-74 350, gonna put my 461 heads on it but wich camshaft should I go for?
Abit loopey and good power but don't know what fits the camel humps?
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To L48

Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
story-1

2027 Corvette vs The World: Every Model vs Closest Competitor

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-7

Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

Grand Sport & Grand Sport X Launch Alongside All-New 535hp LS6 V8!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-9

5 Reasons Bad Drivers Crash & 5 Ways to Avoid a Costly Mistake!

 Joe Kucinski




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:22 AM.

story-0
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-1
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every Model vs Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-20 17:58:41


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE
story-3
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

Slideshow: 5 most and least popular Corvette model years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-08 13:25:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette buyer's guide

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-17 16:41:08


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)

Slideshow: 10 things C8 Corvette owners hate, but won't tell you.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-01 18:36:07


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!

Slideshow: Should you add one of these incredible Corvettes to your garage?

By Brett Foote | 2026-04-01 18:14:05


VIEW MORE
story-7
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)

Slideshow: Every Corvette Grand Sport explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-03-26 07:13:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
Grand Sport & Grand Sport X Launch Alongside All-New 535hp LS6 V8!

Slideshow: Breaking down the 2027 Grand Sport, Grand Sport X, Stingray, and LS6 V8.

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-03-26 13:48:45


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 Reasons Bad Drivers Crash & 5 Ways to Avoid a Costly Mistake!

Slideshow: 5 reasons bad drivers crash sports cars & 5 ways to avoid a costly shame!

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-03-25 16:32:55


VIEW MORE