Eargesplitten
Newbie
I'm about to pick up a '92 K1500 with the L05, a manual, and 3.73 gears. The problem is I live up at about 9000 feet, and even at 5000 feet the engine isn't blowing off any doors or winning any tractor pulls. I'll be keeping it stock for a while and checking the engine for compression/leakdown/leaks, but I'm wondering about possible upgrade paths because that's what I do when it's too cold or dark to work on anything. Here are the options as I see them, and please remember that anything naturally aspirated (like a LS swap) you can take about 30% off the advertised horsepower and torque figures. I'm not looking for a race truck, just a solid utility truck for towing / hauling / driving in deep snow. I've got fun cars, I want this to be capable in a boring way. Any options will get at least a bit of work on the exhaust. A carb is a terrible idea because the car needs to work as well at 9000 feet in 10 degree temperatures as 5000 feet in 90 degree temperatures, and I'm not aware of any carburetor that will handle that.
Option 1: build the L05. Have the existing heads ported and polished because they apparently do well at low RPM, get a roller cam setup, do the standard throttle body mods, tune / get a tune.
Pros: The setup stays mostly original so it's easier to troubleshoot. No wiring / fitment concerns. This seems like one of the cheaper options but I could be wrong.
Cons: Aftermarket is limited compared to an LS swap, I'm going to be fighting for every bit of power more than with an LS, mediocre fuel economy at best, I've done a good amount of work but never taken a pushrod engine apart, still naturally aspirated.
Option 2: TBI performance crate engine
Pros: The work is done for me, I know what to expect in terms of power, I get a warranty, no wiring/fitment issues
Cons: A lot of them need 91 octane, poor fuel economy, expensive if I want it done right because someone else is doing the work for me, still NA.
Option 3: LS swap it
Pros: Well-established swap, relatively good fuel economy, runs on 87 (or 85) octane, middle of the road price.
Cons: Requires custom wiring and engine management, swaps get their own quirks that a shop might not know how to handle, still NA (it would take an LQ4 to get to stock advertised L05 specs)
Option 4: Give it the old angry snail (turbo). Probably still port the heads on this I'd think.
Pros: 6 PSI is 6 PSI no matter the elevation, can swap out short/long blocks easily and refit the power mods if the old engine gives up the ghost. Also Stutututututututu
Cons: Might need 91 octane depending on the tune, tuning is more complicated, poor/no documentation of this being done, plumbing could very well be a nightmare. Cost undetermined because the options are so sparse, but definitely not cheap. Putting slightly more strain on the engine than stock.
Option 5: If it was bad they wouldn't call it a "super" charger. Probably port the heads and try to fit an intercooler in there somewhere.
Pros: Easier to hook up than a turbo, slightly more documented swaps, easier to control power curve with pulley size, low RPM torque, there is nothing more American than a v8 with a blower.
Cons: Might need 91 octane depending on the tune, tuning is more complicated, similar air issues to NA due to pushing a fixed volume of air rather than fixed pressure. Undetermined price, but not cheap. Putting slightly more strain on the engine than stock.
I might be beating a dead horse, but before you make a recommendation remember that I'm currently dealing with 10.5 PSI atmospheric pressure, up to 12-ish when I go down to Denver, and before you give a horsepower/torque estimate for an NA engine multiply that by .7 and consider how that number sounds.
Option 1: build the L05. Have the existing heads ported and polished because they apparently do well at low RPM, get a roller cam setup, do the standard throttle body mods, tune / get a tune.
Pros: The setup stays mostly original so it's easier to troubleshoot. No wiring / fitment concerns. This seems like one of the cheaper options but I could be wrong.
Cons: Aftermarket is limited compared to an LS swap, I'm going to be fighting for every bit of power more than with an LS, mediocre fuel economy at best, I've done a good amount of work but never taken a pushrod engine apart, still naturally aspirated.
Option 2: TBI performance crate engine
Pros: The work is done for me, I know what to expect in terms of power, I get a warranty, no wiring/fitment issues
Cons: A lot of them need 91 octane, poor fuel economy, expensive if I want it done right because someone else is doing the work for me, still NA.
Option 3: LS swap it
Pros: Well-established swap, relatively good fuel economy, runs on 87 (or 85) octane, middle of the road price.
Cons: Requires custom wiring and engine management, swaps get their own quirks that a shop might not know how to handle, still NA (it would take an LQ4 to get to stock advertised L05 specs)
Option 4: Give it the old angry snail (turbo). Probably still port the heads on this I'd think.
Pros: 6 PSI is 6 PSI no matter the elevation, can swap out short/long blocks easily and refit the power mods if the old engine gives up the ghost. Also Stutututututututu
Cons: Might need 91 octane depending on the tune, tuning is more complicated, poor/no documentation of this being done, plumbing could very well be a nightmare. Cost undetermined because the options are so sparse, but definitely not cheap. Putting slightly more strain on the engine than stock.
Option 5: If it was bad they wouldn't call it a "super" charger. Probably port the heads and try to fit an intercooler in there somewhere.
Pros: Easier to hook up than a turbo, slightly more documented swaps, easier to control power curve with pulley size, low RPM torque, there is nothing more American than a v8 with a blower.
Cons: Might need 91 octane depending on the tune, tuning is more complicated, similar air issues to NA due to pushing a fixed volume of air rather than fixed pressure. Undetermined price, but not cheap. Putting slightly more strain on the engine than stock.
I might be beating a dead horse, but before you make a recommendation remember that I'm currently dealing with 10.5 PSI atmospheric pressure, up to 12-ish when I go down to Denver, and before you give a horsepower/torque estimate for an NA engine multiply that by .7 and consider how that number sounds.
