High mileage upgrades?

[skylark]

If it were me, now i know most don't agree with this but I'm just telling my opinion lol I would do a mild rebuild with heads, cam, intake and carb. You got a vortec so you could just get your heads machined for more airflow (or leave stock if you want a torque monster) and to handle a bigger cam. Then I would do a mild cam like a 260h or 262h by comp with an edelbrock performer intake and a 600-650cfm carb. Tuning is real easy with a carb, also easy to setup if you're not familiar with electronics and EFI tuning. The cam is a flat tappet so you'd have to break it in, but if your motor has provisions for a roller, then I'd definitely go for a roller cam with similar specs as the cams I mentioned. Just throwing some ideas out there that would make decent power for a decent price. Also these mods don't require any other modifications of trans, rear end, etc etc. If you got with an any bigger cam then you'd be dealing with a new stall converter and stuff.

He needs a tranny controller if he is an automatic and he loses his speedometer and tach...

 

[Joe green]

Do you have any issues that make you think you'll need a rebuild in the near future? If not I would just do some research and assemble parts for what you want to do later at the most. There are plenty of these engines still running around with 200K+ on them.

The best "bang for the buck" performance mods for these trucks are exhaust and a tune. A real tune, not a handheld programmer. If I were you I would put the factory intake back on with a good paper filter, do at least a 3" single full exhaust with a free-flowing muffler if you haven't already, and get it tuned. Black Bear Performance can do the '96+ trucks for $360 and it's the most noticeable thing you can do for the money IMO.

EDIT - If you want an aftermarket intake that's actually an improvement over the factory one, get a Volant. They're the only company who make a sealed box intake setup for these trucks. Everything else is open box and draws hot air out of the engine compartment.

okay yeah I’m going to check out the volant. I know there isn’t much without switching to carb. But yeah no issues. Only reason my engine light is on is because I got no cats on my y-pipe. But I believe my pipes are 2 3/4 and I got a flow master muffler.
Do you think putting shortys on would help compliment the y pipe? Any more torque? Or would LTs just be better still

 

[Aidan Kesler]

He needs a tranny controller if he is an automatic and he loses his speedometer and tach...

You don't need it, you can utilize the stock PCM to control the trans.

 

[df2x4]

I know there isn’t much without switching to carb.

Not true, the factory fuel injection system can handle quite a bit. Many people here (myself included) would encourage you not to downgrade to a carb. Like I said earlier, you just need to have someone tune the PCM for any modifications you make. You mentioned that you removed cats so your CEL is illuminated. This is another thing that can be fixed with a tune.

Do you think putting shortys on would help compliment the y pipe? Any more torque? Or would LTs just be better still

Shortys will help a little, long tubes would likely produce much better gains but take more work to install.

 

[df2x4]

If I could learn about MPFI and do quick work with it in my home shop then I'd be inclined, but I don't want to drop $1500 on the self learning EFI kits with the handheld tuner.

There are tuning solutions for both TBI and Vortec factory fuel injection systems. Maybe not as user friendly as the "self-learning" plug and play kits but you can get everything you need to tune either factory system in these trucks for around $500 I believe. The '98+ factory black box PCMs are supported by HPTuners which is one of the most popular aftermarket tuning solutions in the world.

 

[Pinger]

Right, it is not logical lol but my preference. If I could learn about MPFI and do quick work with it in my home shop then I'd be inclined, but I don't want to drop $1500 on the self learning EFI kits with the handheld tuner.

In essence, I'm setting up a 'carb' on my Vortec. The LPG mixer behaves just like a carb and I'm currently trying to get the correct 'choke' size for the compromise between drivability and airflow potential.
I'm doing this using a laptop to monitor a variety of parameters as the system also has an ECU to control an actuator which in essence is an adjustable main jet (in real time, I can see that 'jet' open and close as I drive - and the data from the O2 sensor ie rich/lean).

Good luck setting up a carb without any of that.

 

[stutaeng]

Hey all first time here. Looking for some opinions and guidance.
So I got a 97 k1500 with 218k miles on it, looking to give it a little more pep in its step with its age. It already has k&n cai and off road y pipe. So it breathes a little better.
I want to rebuild it and was thinking why not throw a mild cam in it. But my question is would it be worth doing that with the rebuild and the higher miles?

I didn't understand why you are asking if a cam is worth it with a rebuild. Well, if you are doing a complete rebuild, then it doesn't matter, right? My point is that with a rebuild you bring clearances and tolerances back to specifications. Often, they were still within spec even before the rebuild.

Even then, plenty of guys do cam swaps with over 200k miles without a complete overhaul to the engine.

What are your goals? That may decide what guys here recommend as far as cam. Are you planning on also doing other upgrades like regar, aftermarket stall converter, etc.? I honestly don't know anything about cam swaps, just know that they work with other components.

Are you still running your spider injector set up from the factory? That's probably the first upgrade to the aftermarket MPFI setup, independent of cam swap or overhaul.

 

[Hell Knight Hicks]

411 Swap (Black Box PCMs are a bit slow) Repinning isnt that hard if you get the correct wiring file.
Volvo Penata Marine intake and green giant injectors.
Opens everything up. If you can still find those marine intakes.

I have a marine 2l superchaarger whipple that fist the 350 Vortec small blocks.

I know with the 411 swap, Volvo Penta intake, headers,m true dual exhaust and some serious spark tuning i was getting 22 mpg on the last truck I was tuning.

+1 on the Volant Intake

 

[df2x4]

What are your goals?

This is the real question right here.

 

[b454rat]

I have 204K on my 98 Tahoe and still runs great. I had an exhaust leak and a cobbled straight pipe replaced cat, put in a Jegs offroad intermediate pipes with no cat. I noticed right off the bat it made more low end torque. Still has stock everything else. I plan on putting headers and cat back off my Yukon, since that has a rod knock now. Yay.