Do I fix it or rebuild engine?

[davbell22602]

I'm not going to add/upgrade computer or chips. The computer stuff will stay the same.

Then you are going to have problems. If you add much cam or increase the engines potential performance much you are going to need to have a custom PROM burned.

Whats the most top and bottom grunt I could get then without upgrading the computer stuff?

 

[drperry]

First things First Dave, you need to decide what the purpose of the truck is for. I agree with many of these opinions here, and to break then dowm and find the one that works best for you, in your wants, needs, budget and being practical, you need to decide the main purpose of this vehicle. Is it your daily driver and going to be driven out of town, or just across town? Or just to go pick up a piece of furniture the wife bought at the local store as an occasioanl use vehicle. If its occasional use, I like the used motor idea for sure less money tied up. If you work quite a distance from home and driving it daily, then rebuild the 350 OR do the crate motor thing. Beleive it or not, many times you can get a good crate motor with a warranty if you know its from a good builder, and you can get one for cheaper than you can build one, and if you build it yourself, you do not have a warranty. Thats just my .02, actually as long as that was, I think it was a whole nickel.

I would use this truck towing, hauling, etc. I want to make sure I enough power/torque for my 3 axle steel Ibeam trailer.

What kind of weight are you putting on that trailer?
My piddly little 260 ft/lbs pulled a 30 foot one of those just fine... Obviously, it wasn't race car fast, but it was more than able to get around easilly.

The truck will run with the mods you do, but it won't run at its best... It needs to be able to compensate for the different timing needed, the different amount of air coming in, so it'll need to add more fuel, that sort of thing.

 

[slims]

id put a 454.

 

[davbell22602]

First things First Dave, you need to decide what the purpose of the truck is for. I agree with many of these opinions here, and to break then dowm and find the one that works best for you, in your wants, needs, budget and being practical, you need to decide the main purpose of this vehicle. Is it your daily driver and going to be driven out of town, or just across town? Or just to go pick up a piece of furniture the wife bought at the local store as an occasioanl use vehicle. If its occasional use, I like the used motor idea for sure less money tied up. If you work quite a distance from home and driving it daily, then rebuild the 350 OR do the crate motor thing. Beleive it or not, many times you can get a good crate motor with a warranty if you know its from a good builder, and you can get one for cheaper than you can build one, and if you build it yourself, you do not have a warranty. Thats just my .02, actually as long as that was, I think it was a whole nickel.

I would use this truck towing, hauling, etc. I want to make sure I enough power/torque for my 3 axle steel Ibeam trailer.

What kind of weight are you putting on that trailer?
My piddly little 260 ft/lbs pulled a 30 foot one of those just fine... Obviously, it wasn't race car fast, but it was more than able to get around easilly.

The truck will run with the mods you do, but it won't run at its best... It needs to be able to compensate for the different timing needed, the different amount of air coming in, so it'll need to add more fuel, that sort of thing.

What if upgrade to bigger injectors? I have picture of the trailer in the classifieds. The trailer is heavy already empty. It almost pulled off a rear bumper on one of those 80's copper colored nissan trucks in 4x4 too.

 

[drperry]

First things First Dave, you need to decide what the purpose of the truck is for. I agree with many of these opinions here, and to break then dowm and find the one that works best for you, in your wants, needs, budget and being practical, you need to decide the main purpose of this vehicle. Is it your daily driver and going to be driven out of town, or just across town? Or just to go pick up a piece of furniture the wife bought at the local store as an occasioanl use vehicle. If its occasional use, I like the used motor idea for sure less money tied up. If you work quite a distance from home and driving it daily, then rebuild the 350 OR do the crate motor thing. Beleive it or not, many times you can get a good crate motor with a warranty if you know its from a good builder, and you can get one for cheaper than you can build one, and if you build it yourself, you do not have a warranty. Thats just my .02, actually as long as that was, I think it was a whole nickel.

I would use this truck towing, hauling, etc. I want to make sure I enough power/torque for my 3 axle steel Ibeam trailer.

What kind of weight are you putting on that trailer?
My piddly little 260 ft/lbs pulled a 30 foot one of those just fine... Obviously, it wasn't race car fast, but it was more than able to get around easilly.

The truck will run with the mods you do, but it won't run at its best... It needs to be able to compensate for the different timing needed, the different amount of air coming in, so it'll need to add more fuel, that sort of thing.

What if upgrade to bigger injectors? I have picture of the trailer in the classifieds. The trailer is heavy already empty. It almost pulled off a rear bumper on one of those 80's copper colored nissan trucks in 4x4 too.

If you upgrade to bigger injectors, I don't think the computer will know what to do with them... It might be different with the older computers, as it might not do any adjusting, but I don't know about that.

If it's a 30-foot trailer, it should be about 5000lbs unloaded. Anyone who tries pulling that on a bumper... Well, they deserve what they get

What do you plan on hauling with the trailer? And how often?

 

[davbell22602]

First things First Dave, you need to decide what the purpose of the truck is for. I agree with many of these opinions here, and to break then dowm and find the one that works best for you, in your wants, needs, budget and being practical, you need to decide the main purpose of this vehicle. Is it your daily driver and going to be driven out of town, or just across town? Or just to go pick up a piece of furniture the wife bought at the local store as an occasioanl use vehicle. If its occasional use, I like the used motor idea for sure less money tied up. If you work quite a distance from home and driving it daily, then rebuild the 350 OR do the crate motor thing. Beleive it or not, many times you can get a good crate motor with a warranty if you know its from a good builder, and you can get one for cheaper than you can build one, and if you build it yourself, you do not have a warranty. Thats just my .02, actually as long as that was, I think it was a whole nickel.

I would use this truck towing, hauling, etc. I want to make sure I enough power/torque for my 3 axle steel Ibeam trailer.

What kind of weight are you putting on that trailer?
My piddly little 260 ft/lbs pulled a 30 foot one of those just fine... Obviously, it wasn't race car fast, but it was more than able to get around easilly.

The truck will run with the mods you do, but it won't run at its best... It needs to be able to compensate for the different timing needed, the different amount of air coming in, so it'll need to add more fuel, that sort of thing.

What if upgrade to bigger injectors? I have picture of the trailer in the classifieds. The trailer is heavy already empty. It almost pulled off a rear bumper on one of those 80's copper colored nissan trucks in 4x4 too.

If you upgrade to bigger injectors, I don't think the computer will know what to do with them... It might be different with the older computers, as it might not do any adjusting, but I don't know about that.

If it's a 30-foot trailer, it should be about 5000lbs unloaded. Anyone who tries pulling that on a bumper... Well, they deserve what they get

What do you plan on hauling with the trailer? And how often?

I'd be hauling the track dozer. Its a 26 foot trailer, 3 axle. made from steel Ibeams.

 

[drperry]

Good luck
That's a lot of weight

I'd look into beefing up the motor internals and thing about boosting it if you pull it on a regular basis...

If it's not that often then you'll get by without the boost.

 

[Draenor]

Yeah that will be a lotta weight. If you do stick with the SBC, make sure you gear down low.

BTW...why all this 454 talk? Go 496....

 

[drperry]

Yeah that will be a lotta weight. If you do stick with the SBC, make sure you gear down low.

BTW...why all this 454 talk? Go 496....

572.

 

[Draenor]

Yeah that will be a lotta weight. If you do stick with the SBC, make sure you gear down low.

BTW...why all this 454 talk? Go 496....

572.

Um.... I was only thinking simple swaps, but yeah, I've seen a 632(IIRC).....something to 800 ft lbs of torque.