performance suggestions

[Chris]

Think of it like this. How do you think two 25hp brushless motors are able to move the gates of the Panama Canal? It's all mechanical advantage. Same strategy applies to vehicles, though they can't be geared too extreme since they operate at highway speeds.

The torque converter is the biggest piece of the pie though. By coupling at a higher rpm the engine has more leverage to move the vehicle, and it's much closer to operating at peak efficiency. Even with a stall of say 3000rpm, it won't cost too much in the way of economy in town. Modern converters can be built to be very stock-ish under normal driving, but retain the ability to flash to a higher stall speed if you want. Highway economy is unaffected since the converter clutch will be locked.

 

[woody80z28]

I'll still take the left foot torque converter any day...especially with a 4WD or something you tow with. Even "stock-ish" has still got to build more heat in a situation like that, am I right?

 

[Chris]

I'll still take the left foot torque converter any day...especially with a 4WD or something you tow with. Even "stock-ish" has still got to build more heat in a situation like that, am I right?

Honestly not really. Obviously if you constantly rag on in with a 105 degree ambient temperature it will get hot, but that's what a cooler is for. ALL automatics should have an external cooler. It befuddles the hell out of me why GM shipped these trucks (mine included) without an external cooler. The heat exchanger in the radiator acts more like a temperature regular than a cooler, and is useless in hot weather. A full size truck needs a cooler rated for at least 25KGVWR. With a high stall converter, a larger one would even be more insurance.

You may be more comfortable with a manual, but I've always preferred automatics. Towing (especially in the mountains) is a piece of cake. Even pulling my car hauler (loaded) with the rcsb I've never had to do anything more than pull it down into 3rd gear and leave it. I have a home at sea level and one at 1200', with two mountain ranges in between so it gets a workout routinely.

 

[silverado13]

yeah the only problem i have with a cam or heads is id have to have it tuned anyways, except itd be like $500 because itd have to be a full dyno tune, and i dont really want to get into that because im working on getting an ls1 swap going soon, and i dont want to go with longtube headers because then id have to go with a completely new exhaust system all together, im only looking to spend a couple hundred at a time

 

[Chris]

yeah the only problem i have with a cam or heads is id have to have it tuned anyways, except itd be like $500 because itd have to be a full dyno tune, and i dont really want to get into that because im working on getting an ls1 swap going soon, and i dont want to go with longtube headers because then id have to go with a completely new exhaust system all together, im only looking to spend a couple hundred at a time

You won't need a dyno tune if you swap the cam/heads. There are reputable tuners out there who have stuff ready to go for all the popular combinations.

I hope you mean LSx swap and not LS1. You're immediately pissing away $1K+ if you want to swap in an LS1. Forget that idea and get a pull out from an 02-up NBS. Either a 5.3 or 6.0 would be cheaper than an LS1, and depending if you score an LQ4 or LQ9 6L they make just as much power in stock form than the old LS1s did. Plus they're many times easier to acquire and you have less expensive options to build it up.

 

[silverado13]

You won't need a dyno tune if you swap the cam/heads. There are reputable tuners out there who have stuff ready to go for all the popular combinations.

I hope you mean LSx swap and not LS1. You're immediately pissing away $1K+ if you want to swap in an LS1. Forget that idea and get a pull out from an 02-up NBS. Either a 5.3 or 6.0 would be cheaper than an LS1, and depending if you score an LQ4 or LQ9 6L they make just as much power in stock form than the old LS1s did. Plus they're many times easier to acquire and you have less expensive options to build it up.

well i failed to mention that i have a friend with a few LS1 already and the one im going to get from him is out of his 2000 SS camaro and hes already got a cam in it and it was pushing right at 400hp at the wheels, i think its going to need to be machined because i think it threw a bearing, but what i want about a LS1 vs a LQ4 or LQ9 is its all aluminum, my truck weighs around 5500 pounds as it is and shaving some weight wouldnt be a bad thing

 

[Chris]

well i failed to mention that i have a friend with a few LS1 already and the one im going to get from him is out of his 2000 SS camaro and hes already got a cam in it and it was pushing right at 400hp at the wheels, i think its going to need to be machined because i think it threw a bearing, but what i want about a LS1 vs a LQ4 or LQ9 is its all aluminum, my truck weighs around 5500 pounds as it is and shaving some weight wouldnt be a bad thing

It weighs 60lbs less. Not enough to justify the added cost in a heavy, slow truck. :imo You could buy a low mile 5.3 or 6L for the cost of refreshing that block, throw in a mild cam and it will make more power than that LS1 with equal mods. (due to the revised design of the intake, heads, etc. assuming all else is equal)

 

[silverado13]

i was just poting on another thread that im si flip floppy, i was driving around the other day and was thinking, my truck has 246000 miles on it and i know everything is starting to wear out and im not sure if its worth doing a complete engine swao on this truck, so i was thinking about going back to just doing cam and heads, but my point of this thread isnt performance as in increasing my quarter mile time, its about everyday driving on the road, i mean i want my truck faster but i want ot free up power too, like as in parasidic loss, ie, stock tune, electic fans, under drive pulley, headers, then cam and heads would eventually come

 

[Southern Pride]

You want to do the things that help the motor do it's job better as it sits before you go into the deep things right? That's exactly the way I am approaching mine but since I'm TBI 350 I constantly wonder if it's worth the $ and just by doing a swap would give 100 hp off the bat.

 

[narizon]

Question Chris,700r4's out right now & getting rebuilt,lost reverse.The cam I chose is 1,500-4,000 RPM.So do you think I can can use a 1,800-2,200 or a 2,400-2,800 would be better?Just want the most I can get out of it.Trucks not a racer,just my personal family fun cruiser.my kids love cruising around town.Was getting 19-21 mpg HWY before with stock converter.
Thanks, Juan

1989 Silverado x-tra cab 350 TBI.2.73 stock gears with 255/60/15 on AR vectors(love them).Added Edelbrock 3704 ,Summit 1102 cam & lifters,Summit 174000 performance upgrade springs kit,FPR,headers,Magnaflow Y-pipe,full 3" exhaust with Thrush welded,Mark8 e-fan,Volant CAI,ported & polished TBI swirl heads myself,3 angle valve job,roller chain,MSD-6A with coil,