Help in purchasing new heads!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 809
Likes: 0
From: Derry NH
Help in purchasing new heads!
It seems that it is cheaper to purchase refab heads than to have my own done up at a machine shop.
There is this place Larry's Performance shop in CA that sells Reconditioned heads 1.94-1.50 for $289.00
and for $325.00 you get the 2.02-1.60 valves. I have a stock L48 with no cats tru-duels, headers nad a performer intake.
Which one do you recomend with the stock cam? head change only. These come with bronze wall guides, SS valves, double
valve springs, 3 angle valve job.hi temp seals. Please Help!! OR can I get a better deal somewhere else??
:confused:
There is this place Larry's Performance shop in CA that sells Reconditioned heads 1.94-1.50 for $289.00
and for $325.00 you get the 2.02-1.60 valves. I have a stock L48 with no cats tru-duels, headers nad a performer intake.
Which one do you recomend with the stock cam? head change only. These come with bronze wall guides, SS valves, double
valve springs, 3 angle valve job.hi temp seals. Please Help!! OR can I get a better deal somewhere else??
:confused:
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (Road Racer)
Why no new cam? Invest the extra $100 or so and with the heads, get some real power. Heads alone will help but the heads/cam combo will be much better. Just my two copper disks.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,685
Likes: 202
From: Waterford Mi
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (Road Racer)
Small valves keep your low-end toque where it needs to be for the cam that you have. Putting in the bigger valves only if you build the rest of the motor, and car for that matter, to match it. Big valves only means more hp if the cam allows it to breath. Throttle response is better with smaller valves.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 5,245
Likes: 25
From: Blue Ridge Georgia
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (Road Racer)
Road Racer, you need to get the casting number off of your heads and then find out the casting number on the heads your thinking about buying. Some castings are better than others. Heck, you might have the best ones and maybe buying the worst. All you have to do is pull a valve cover and you can see the casting numbers. Each haed has a different cc's, you need to know all of this before you change heads as you might be lowering your compression. Go to http://www.mortec.com and you can look up all the casting numbers. If you need helf post back to the forum or email me.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 61,415
Likes: 478
From: Here to make friends
St. Jude Donor '11, '16-'17
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (Road Racer)
Because I didn't want to get into tearing the engine down. I figured head swap was easy enough. I'm working on a budget.
[Modified by The_Dude, 8:44 AM 7/30/2002]
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Drifting
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,462
Likes: 1
From: Reno nevada
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (Road Racer)
The biggest power gain for you would be 64 cc heads. Compression is what all L-48's are really lacking. I would not use anything less than 2.02/1.6. The old rules about small valves and small ports are for the people still stuck in the sixties.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 672
Likes: 0
From: Quebec
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (Lt1er)
Lt1er, I agree with out on the compression lack of the L48 but the smaller valve isn't a 1960 things. Many people and magazine make great hp with the vortec head that has 1.94/1.50 and are a new design. Actually, they claim to make near 400 hp. A sure thing to say would be to match the cam with the head.
Road Racer, I would recommend the vortec head but you'd have to change your intake. So it may cost a little more. The brand new pair of head are a little over 450$ US and the intake is close 200$, I think. But put that with a comp cam XE-262 and you'd have a great combo for around 800$.
Stephan
[Modified by American Boy, 5:13 PM 7/30/2002]
Road Racer, I would recommend the vortec head but you'd have to change your intake. So it may cost a little more. The brand new pair of head are a little over 450$ US and the intake is close 200$, I think. But put that with a comp cam XE-262 and you'd have a great combo for around 800$.
Stephan
[Modified by American Boy, 5:13 PM 7/30/2002]
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 809
Likes: 0
From: Derry NH
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (American Boy)
Thanks for all the help. I'm still undisided. dose $289.00 sound good for remanufactured heads 1.94-1.50 76CC.
These come with everithing except the rockerd which I'll have to swap out of my old heads. Or what are these roller rockers for?
These come with everithing except the rockerd which I'll have to swap out of my old heads. Or what are these roller rockers for?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,198
Likes: 2
From: Eastern Connecticut
Re: Help in purchasing new heads! (Road Racer)
How much is shipping from CA to NH? I prefer to work with a local machine shop, they provide a lot of know-how and can help you make informed decisions, even if it is a few dollars more. Rebuilding SB Chevy heads is dirt cheap most places, and if you have a problem you can bring them back. BTW, why are you doing the heads? If you are burning oil and have a stock cam there are push-on valve seals you can install with the heads on the car. If you are trying to inprove performance, you won't do it with just a head change. Joe