Are TBI 350’s just this sluggish?

[Reega]

We used to pull a lot with a 305 TBI. Tractors, hay, cows. Tandem axle trailer, 8 high square bells with the bed full too...pulled it like a champ. My grandfathers 88 GMT 400 is why I wanted one. Brakes were always the issue, I remember being pushed into and intersection cause a cow fell. Get it right and it’ll pull the boat easy

 

[98 Nitro]

My 94 k1500 has a 350 and a 3.42 gear stock.

 

[east302]

I don't think they're crap at all. Especially compared to how commerce hauled things up until the 70's. It wasn't uncommon to see straight sixes hauling crap around in medium duty trucks. They got it done. In the past two months I've towed quite a bit with my '89. Two trips were in excess of 5,000 lbs. I wouldn't want to do it every day (1/2 ton brakes, wow..) but it got the job done for me and it felt confident around town. Last thing I towed was a '79 G10. ~4,200 lbs I guess. It struggled a tad on some hills but down shifting to direct fixed that. For everything this truck does for me, I have no complaints. Couldn't replace it with twice the truck if I paid twice what I've got into it.

Mine’s only rated for 5500-lb tow capacity, but I’d bet it was typical of Ford and Dodge at the time. Now new trucks are rated for twice that. It’s crazy.

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[Backpack96]

I've seen the wt models displayed to pull 10-13k my 96 has pulled about 500 gallons of water

 

[renegade313]

My 88 Silverado has a new stock crate motor..355.. with a 700r4....and it struggles...it does ok...but towing or liaded at all the trans takes a beating..gutted out cat..no muffler. Yellow spring in regulator (13lbs)..rebuit tbi..new pump..timing 2 degrees advanced..but other than that it's bone stock....it'll pull 5000 lbs but the trans gets a work out and the engine is screaming....not sure the axle ratio but I'd gander they are 3.42s...the engine is only rated 190 hp...cant expect much...

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Mine’s only rated for 5500-lb tow capacity, but I’d bet it was typical of Ford and Dodge at the time. Now new trucks are rated for twice that. It’s crazy.

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Interesting that the 3.73 gear gets you an extra 1000 pounds of towing capability......didn't know swapping gearsets made your frame stronger

 

[someotherguy]

Interesting that the 3.73 gear gets you an extra 1000 pounds of towing capability......didn't know swapping gearsets made your frame stronger

Makes it easier to get the load moving without smoking the transmission. Do note the utter lack of confidence in the light duty manual transmission offering..

Richard

 

[alpinecrick]

Something is definately up. With some bolt-ons my stock cam, stock 810 swirly head 350 TBI was strong from off-idle to 5,000+ rpm. Everybody saying these heads die at 3,500 has not driven one with headers, decent exhaust and a decent chip tune. This was how mine ran with a stock 8,600+ GVw long block. Factory rated it at 180 hp and 300 tq at the crank. With bolt-ons made 200 hp and 300 tq at the wheels. 2nd gear roll on at about 30 mph. When I lifted it was rolling a out 75 mph.

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L31,
200hp is still a long ways from 250+ hp in the Vortecs. I bought a 91 K2500 with NV3500 w/3.73's in 1993 with 10k on the odometer. Coming from an 85 K20 with 350/4 spd, 373's, it was an improvement, but the GMT400 ECSB was a heavier truck too. Every TBI I've driven plump runs out of breath beyond 3500 rpm's. You can rev it well past that--it just doesn't go any faster up the hill.............

 

[L31MaxExpress]

L31,
200hp is still a long ways from 250+ hp in the Vortecs. I bought a 91 K2500 with NV3500 w/3.73's in 1993 with 10k on the odometer. Coming from an 85 K20 with 350/4 spd, 373's, it was an improvement, but the GMT400 ECSB was a heavier truck too. Every TBI I've driven plump runs out of breath beyond 3500 rpm's. You can rev it well past that--it just doesn't go any faster up the hill.............

~200 hp at the wheels is more than a stock 250 hp Vortec.

 

[Supercharged111]

Interesting that the 3.73 gear gets you an extra 1000 pounds of towing capability......didn't know swapping gearsets made your frame stronger

It doesn't, but it shows you what held up the tow ratings in these trucks. Clearly they felt the brakes, springs, and frames were good for the weight and the only thing holding them back was power. Which is horseshit because with hydroboost my 1500 makes a huge difference in stopping power, but the ratings don't reflect this when you compare 1500/2500/3500. So I just pull what feels good to me.