Advice Needed: New Crate Engine Options for 1992 K2500?

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92GMCK2500

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hell if you can afford to, why wouldnt you go with the ht383 or similar.
Definitely lending towards this option! Have you experienced this engine?


Parts trucks may not be very plentiful where you're at, but I snagged both the front diff and rear axle out of another truck for my gear change. $250 for both, as opposed to just changing gears out that would have been a lot more expensive. Although, I have already had to replace 2 axle seals, something I should have checked before putting the new hardware in the truck.
Right on. Thanks for the tip. Hey, when you dropped in your 383, what other mods did you need to do to bring your 1990 K2500 up to scratch? Did many of the old components need replacing or rebuilding?? fuel pump? radiator + fans?, water pump? trans + trans cooler? air intake system? exhaust? Cheers.
 

Chewy1576

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Right on. Thanks for the tip. Hey, when you dropped in your 383, what other mods did you need to do to bring your 1990 K2500 up to scratch? Did many of the old components need replacing or rebuilding?? fuel pump? radiator + fans?, water pump? trans + trans cooler? air intake system? exhaust? Cheers.

The thing about this Blueprint crate engine is that it is meant to be a drop-in replacement for a stock 350 TBI engine. Everything that is in the truck is meant to hook right back up and run the new engine. They even supply a new chip for the ECM.

When my engine was installed, there were a few old parts that needed to be replaced. The radiator was partially blocked, oil cooler lines leaking, things like that. The water pump, fan clutch, and fan were already new because I was chasing a fluctuating coolant temperature before the new engine install. I have a manual transmission so I did have a new flywheel and clutch put in while they were out. After install, I had a high flow catalytic converter, 3” pipes, and Magnaflow knockoff muffler installed.

The list of mods has ballooned since then [emoji38]. To try to get more out of the 383, I have put in 80 lb/hr big block injectors and the EP381 fuel pump from the Vortec trucks. I started doing my own tuning and have it running really well with the increased fuel delivery, as well as disabled and blocked off the EGR. Although, it is still bolted to the manifold for emissions visual inspection. I have a big block throttle body and bored intake manifold on the shelf ready to go when I get some time so I can increase air delivery also. When I do the intake change, I have a larger 3 row radiator ready to go also because it does tend to heat up when towing. I’ll do headers and Y pipe in a few years when I can get an emissions exemption due to age of the vehicle to finish off the exhaust system.





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moremudd

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Hi , I am no expert on the 383's , I had one that a previous owner put in a 70's blazer , It was supposed to be 10:25:1 compression with the comp cams 280 duration , 194 heads , 750 holley double pumper ,long tube headers , 2500 stall turbo 350 , 4:11 detroit locker , wide ass 50 series tires , stock hei distributor , and that thing ran like a scalded cat , but that was 80's old school parts .
I tried to put a HT 383 crate engine in my 1998 k1500 and the dealership would not respect the warranty on the engine unless I went with the direct replacement 350 , which is rated at 250 horse . I couldn't even guess why they gave me so much troubles but I needed the warranty and I caved .
With all that aside I would definitely not go with a carburetor , even plain old TBI with oxygen sensors will let the engine run very clean during cold start all the way to full run temp . In my very uneducated opinion todays engines last longer because of injection not loading our engines with unburned fuel and diluting the oil as well as cylinder wash . If emissions was not a issue I would pounce on a stand alone fuel management system like maybe a super squirt or even a 0411 set up . But like I said I am very limited on my education regarding Carburetors vs Injection to make a very strong argument either way . But for the little extra money the 383 has so much more to offer .
 

95bucket

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Hi All,
New on here but wanted to get some good quality advice on 'what path to go down' regarding dropping a new engine into my old 1992 GMC K2500. Its been in the family since new and has sentimental value. The truck has 410kms on the body (SLE, Extd cab, long box), about 275kms+ on the current engine (stock 5.7L/350 TBI) and about 235km+ on the trans (not sure what type/model).

I'd say the engine is on its last legs, i.e. its knocking (very bad and has been for years), exhaust leaks all over, lost compression, oil leaks everywhere and occasionally overheats under loads etc etc. Transmission seems what you would expect for its age but its not great. To note; we use this truck as our camper rig, we have 9.5ft Kodiak camper that we use on a regular basis, weighs around 3000lbs fully loaded, and usually we travel up to 500-1000kms per trip which is a mixture of highway driving (mountain passes) and forestry service roads (rough). Would like to travel further but scared of breaking down too far from home! haha.

Given that this truck will be a full time camper rig and the occasional work-horse around town vehicle, I would like to have a strong and reliable setup that has excellent mid-range torque and responsiveness under load (I would like to accelerate up hills fully loaded no problem). NOT looking for top end power or a hot rod 4x4 machine.

Questions:
- What crate engine would you recommend? is a standard 350 TBI replacement going to suffice? Or, will a new 350 TBI with modifications meet the above specs? Or, is something like a HT383 a better option?

- I'd say all of the engine components are well aged and will need replacing also, whats needed with a new crate engine replacement? I imagine its a long list but I've got not idea about this.
I am not shy of replacing radiators, water/fuel pumps, exhaust/headers, or anything else that is needed.

- Would I be wise to do a full powertrain replacement at the same time? (I think yes...). Transmission recommendations?

Lets get the ball rolling with that for now. As mentioned, I know its an old truck, but I love it and dropping a brand new engine/trans and what ever else in her is still a lot cheaper than a truck with 100kms+ on it. I would like to keep the overall costs around $10-15K, realize this is one hell of a project but its on my life's wish list to do!

Appreciate the help! Cheers!

I’m doing the same thing to my 95 k2500. After some research I’ve settled for rebuilding my 4L60e at Performance Automatic and replacing my TBI with this 315hp/415tq Blueprint TBI: https://blueprintengines.com/products/gm383-base-tbi-truck
I’ve considered Chevy crate motors and even sourcing an LS which is lighter and more fuel efficient but I like that Blueprint includes the upgraded intake and will make a chip based on my vin# so it’s plug and play (fingers crossed). I’m also installing a truetrac LSD to make the most of the added power.
Good luck. Keep these trucks alive
 
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Chewy1576

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I’m doing the same thing to my 95 k2500. After some research I’ve settled for rebuilding my 4L60e at Performance Automatic and replacing my TBI with this 315hp/415tq Blueprint TBI: https://blueprintengines.com/products/gm383-base-tbi-truck
I’ve considered Chevy crate motors and even sourcing an LS which is lighter and more fuel efficient but I like that Blueprint includes the upgraded intake and will make a chip based on my vin# so it’s plug and play (fingers crossed). I’m also installing a truetrac LSD to make the most of the added power.
Good luck. Keep these trucks alive

I have the 280HP/388TQ version. The dyno sheet that came with it said 283HP/407TQ. Looks like the differences are in compression ratio and slight differences with the cam and heads. It truly was plug and play, but the chip that came with it could have been better, hence why I started doing my own tuning.
 

95bucket

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I have the 280HP/388TQ version. The dyno sheet that came with it said 283HP/407TQ. Looks like the differences are in compression ratio and slight differences with the cam and heads. It truly was plug and play, but the chip that came with it could have been better, hence why I started doing my own tuning.

How are you tuning it? Are you using stock headers? I was thinking to gonlong tube. Also, did you do a high performance fuel pump or not necessary?
 
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Hi All,
New on here but wanted to get some good quality advice on 'what path to go down' regarding dropping a new engine into my old 1992 GMC K2500. Its been in the family since new and has sentimental value. The truck has 410kms on the body (SLE, Extd cab, long box), about 275kms+ on the current engine (stock 5.7L/350 TBI) and about 235km+ on the trans (not sure what type/model).

I'd say the engine is on its last legs, i.e. its knocking (very bad and has been for years), exhaust leaks all over, lost compression, oil leaks everywhere and occasionally overheats under loads etc etc. Transmission seems what you would expect for its age but its not great. To note; we use this truck as our camper rig, we have 9.5ft Kodiak camper that we use on a regular basis, weighs around 3000lbs fully loaded, and usually we travel up to 500-1000kms per trip which is a mixture of highway driving (mountain passes) and forestry service roads (rough). Would like to travel further but scared of breaking down too far from home! haha.

Given that this truck will be a full time camper rig and the occasional work-horse around town vehicle, I would like to have a strong and reliable setup that has excellent mid-range torque and responsiveness under load (I would like to accelerate up hills fully loaded no problem). NOT looking for top end power or a hot rod 4x4 machine.

Questions:
- What crate engine would you recommend? is a standard 350 TBI replacement going to suffice? Or, will a new 350 TBI with modifications meet the above specs? Or, is something like a HT383 a better option?

- I'd say all of the engine components are well aged and will need replacing also, whats needed with a new crate engine replacement? I imagine its a long list but I've got not idea about this.
I am not shy of replacing radiators, water/fuel pumps, exhaust/headers, or anything else that is needed.

- Would I be wise to do a full powertrain replacement at the same time? (I think yes...). Transmission recommendations?

Lets get the ball rolling with that for now. As mentioned, I know its an old truck, but I love it and dropping a brand new engine/trans and what ever else in her is still a lot cheaper than a truck with 100kms+ on it. I would like to keep the overall costs around $10-15K, realize this is one hell of a project but its on my life's wish list to do!

Appreciate the help! Cheers!

I have a 1992 chevy G20 van that I brought with a bad engine and I put a stock crate engine in that I got from a chevy dealer in Virginia. I paid $1600 and they shipped it to New York for free. And came complete with valve covers, oil pan, upgraded high output oil pump, rear seal housing with rear main seal. This is a direct drop in replacement engine and comes with a 3 year 100,000 miles warranty
 

Chewy1576

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How are you tuning it? Are you using stock headers? I was thinking to gonlong tube. Also, did you do a high performance fuel pump or not necessary?

I’m using a laptop to collect data logs, crunching numbers, and burning new chips. I had to update a lot of parameters for the new fuel flow, disable the EGR and any associated timing changes, and modified the spark advance table. I had a wideband O2 sensor for a while, until it got jacked.

I’m still using the stock exhaust manifolds and Y pipe. Everything after that is aftermarket. Im thinking about shorties and a custom Y pipe in the future. I decided to use an EP381 fuel pump from the Vortec trucks. Capable of running up to 60 psi and it’s a direct in-tank replacement for the TBI pump.


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95bucket

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I’m using a laptop to collect data logs, crunching numbers, and burning new chips. I had to update a lot of parameters for the new fuel flow, disable the EGR and any associated timing changes, and modified the spark advance table. I had a wideband O2 sensor for a while, until it got jacked.

I’m still using the stock exhaust manifolds and Y pipe. Everything after that is aftermarket. Im thinking about shorties and a custom Y pipe in the future. I decided to use an EP381 fuel pump from the Vortec trucks. Capable of running up to 60 psi and it’s a direct in-tank replacement for the TBI pump.


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Thx. Wish I was this savvy with a laptop
 
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