I have a 4.8 that I am putting in my 76 vega wagon. Now I know it is not a truck but I thought you all would know more about modding a 4.8 than the f-body guys. I don't want to turbo this yet, the money is just not there. I do want to make around 300-350rwhp. The engine is bone stock so far with around 80,000 miles on it. I have an ls1 intake because of hood clearance issues with the truck intake. It is backed by a 4l60e. I am also building 1 3\4" headers and full exhaust.
My questions I guess are as follows:

Is it possible to make this kind of power out of a stock bottom end 4.8?

What cam would you all suggest? It is still fuel injected so I need one that will work with that.

I also have a crank from a 5.3. I know the bore is the same and has a different stoke so would I be able to put this crank in and get a little more displacement or will the piston pin height be too far off? If I can this will also raise the compression from what is was on the 5.3 anyways.

Should I go ahead and run cats in the exhaust or leave them out? The emissions testing is non-existent here in southeast MO.

Thank you all for the help.

 

I might have put this in the wrong section. Sorry if I did, I was looking around and thought I was in the performance section and didn't realize my mistake until too late.

 

4.8's will make good power.... Put a big converter, a cam in the 224/224 range on a 110 and spin it to the moon.

Dirty

 

And no the pin hight is different so they will not work.... but you can find used 5.3 pistons cheap.... try to find some 07- and up they are flat top's

 

i would find a ls6 intake, swap inplace of the ls1. It will ponu up a few more HP then the ls1 will... 300-350 is a very realistic number.

 

I was under the impression that you don't want to change to a longer stroke on the same bore, as one part has more wear. Might be wrong. A cammed 4.8 with headers ought to move a vega quite nicely

 

Here are a few pictures of the car so far. Still need to get the floor put together and all the wiring and plumbing done but it got cold here and I don't a very good shop. Hopefully this spring it will come around.
It is a 76 vega riding on an 87 2 door blazer frame. The car wheel base is stretched to 101" wheelbase so I can use the blazer tank and fuel and brake lines. Like I said earlier in this thread it is getting a 4.8 with hopefully 300-350rwhp. with a 4l60e with a converter. It has a narrowed 8.8 ford rear with 3.73 gears and 4wheel disc brakes.
Let me know what you all think and Thank you for looking.

 

I say don't even paint, make it pure junkyard sleeper

 

I want to swap a 5.3 crank into my 4.8 also, but I have a 6l on the stand, so its pointless.

Search about it, it has been done, you need the 5.3 crank and rods. The pin height is the same the rod length is different. by using the 4.8 pistons you will have a high compression 5.3

 

Cool project for sure!