heads for 75 L48
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: crystal lake Il.
heads for 75 L48
I have a 75 L48 with the edelbrock performer series cam carb & manifold. It has headers & true dual exhaust. No pollution control. It runs great. It has 370 gears. I want more power to come off the line quicker. Any suggestions. Stall converter? Heads? Different engine?
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
The heads are the biggest problem you have. They don't flow. There are plenty of good aftermarket heads tha twill really let your motor breath. Just do a search on aftermarket heads and you will find plentl. A torque converter will help but you are still strangling the motor as the rpms increase. The heads are what make good HP.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: crystal lake Il.
Thats what I thought. But I was told with the L48 I would need to change pistons. Putting new heads on is what I`d like to do-probably cheapest & easiest. I just want to make sure I`m not throwing good $ away. Any sggestions on heads.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,456
Likes: 2
From: Coming home from Luckenbach Texas
Strangely, Summit's photo and what you actually get are not the same. My photo shows the actual heads, and you can clearly see the combustion chamber is different...
(There's nothing wrong with wedge-style heads. It's just that high-swirl represents newer technology...and a few more HP.)
(There's nothing wrong with wedge-style heads. It's just that high-swirl represents newer technology...and a few more HP.)
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,456
Likes: 2
From: Coming home from Luckenbach Texas
The "ricer" crowd will tell you the Summit Racing stickers are good for at least 10 HP. 
But seriously folks...my goals are modest. Perhaps 35 HP...the increase in compression, increased flow, and combustion chamber design should all contribute to this.
BTW: I just pulled my intake manifold...the stock heads have LOUSY intake ports...
But seriously folks...my goals are modest. Perhaps 35 HP...the increase in compression, increased flow, and combustion chamber design should all contribute to this.
BTW: I just pulled my intake manifold...the stock heads have LOUSY intake ports...
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,176
Likes: 87
From: State of Confusion
Originally Posted by painterman52
Thats what I thought. But I was told with the L48 I would need to change pistons. Putting new heads on is what I`d like to do-probably cheapest & easiest. I just want to make sure I`m not throwing good $ away. Any sggestions on heads.
I'm guessing that your '75 L-48 has cast pistons, and they will live if you keep the RPMs at 5500, and only occasionally hit 6000:
forged pistons will live at much higher engine speeds.....
not sure of what you future intentions are with this motor, and if forged slugs are required.
A few of my bracket-racing/street-car buddies have put box-stock Edelbrock heads (approx $1000-1200) on their SBCs, and have no trouble running 12-second ETs with them.....
