Performance upgrades

[Crussell45]

I just bought my first 454. Gonna be my daily but don’t worry my commute to work is less than 2 miles so I shouldn’t go broke buying fuel… shouldn’t.

I am curious what are some performance upgrades I need to focus on? I’m not trying to make it a monster and I don’t want it to wake the whole neighborhood. I just want it to be a good running vehicle.

1998 Chevy Silverado K2500 Extended Cab

Picture linked below
Thanks!

 

[missouritig]

My opinion, just fix vacuum leaks, coolant leaks, and make sure all the sensors work. Run a fuel pressure test.

Get to know what you have before dumping money into stuff like camshafts and liftkits.

Its exciting to get a cool platform like that, 454 with a 4l80 behind it. Just keep it basic until youve driven it a while.

Case and point, i keep eyeballing marketplace for interior parts, door skins, fenders. But I keep stopping myself because I remember my fuel tank is secured with ratchet straps.

Baby steps!

 

[Crussell45]

My opinion, just fix vacuum leaks, coolant leaks, and make sure all the sensors work. Run a fuel pressure test.

Get to know what you have before dumping money into stuff like camshafts and liftkits.

Its exciting to get a cool platform like that, 454 with a 4l80 behind it. Just keep it basic until youve driven it a while.

Case and point, i keep eyeballing marketplace for interior parts, door skins, fenders. But I keep stopping myself because I remember my fuel tank is secured with ratchet straps.

Baby steps!

Definitely don’t want a lift kit… really not my style. I do need a new dash…

 

[Komet]

None, it's a truck not a performance vehicle. Focus on a tuneup and inevitably deferred maintenance. Put a different muffler / exhaust on it if you want the cool factor.

 

[Crussell45]

None, it's a truck not a performance vehicle. Focus on a tuneup and inevitably deferred maintenance. Put a different muffler / exhaust on it if you want the cool factor.

Don’t need any cool factor. Just want it to be its best self.

 

[Supercharged111]

None, it's a truck not a performance vehicle. Focus on a tuneup and inevitably deferred maintenance. Put a different muffler / exhaust on it if you want the cool factor.

Said the guy who just did an engine swap with a standalone.

OP exhaust and tune are going to be the 2 biggest bang for the buck mods. If your truck has a stock muffler that's a choke point especially on a 454. The tune is also laughable, 60 second delay on PE fueling and something on the order of 18 degrees total advance with PE on, so really it's less than 15 degrees in stock form. I have a Walker bus muffler on my dually. It's pretty quiet. Not as quiet as a stock muffler, but not as loud as even the mildest performance oriented muffler. It has stock sized 2.75" inlets and a single 4" outlet. It did add a little bit of oomph to the truck and I'm glad I went with it.

 

[Crussell45]

Said the guy who just did an engine swap with a standalone.

OP exhaust and tune are going to be the 2 biggest bang for the buck mods. If your truck has a stock muffler that's a choke point especially on a 454. The tune is also laughable, 60 second delay on PE fueling and something on the order of 18 degrees total advance with PE on, so really it's less than 15 degrees in stock form. I have a Walker bus muffler on my dually. It's pretty quiet. Not as quiet as a stock muffler, but not as loud as even the mildest performance oriented muffler. It has stock sized 2.75" inlets and a single 4" outlet. It did add a little bit of oomph to the truck and I'm glad I went with it.

… mind dumbing that down?

 

[Supercharged111]

… mind dumbing that down?

The dumbed down version is as I stated, exhaust and tune. You don't need to know anything about a tune to get one. Yours being a 98 Blackbear Performance can square you away with the tune.

Black Bear Performance | GM Tuning Specialists

Black Bear Performance is your GM tuning specialist, offering custom tuning services, ECM and TCM tuning, and performance enhancements for GM vehicles. Contact us for horsepower and torque gains today.

www.blackbearperformance.com

 

[Erik the Awful]

None, it's a truck not a performance vehicle.

This. It's a K2500. It has the heaviest parts on the heaviest frame. Tune it up and tow the world. Rehab that interior until it's nicer than your home. That's the direction I'm going with my one-ton.

 

[udidwht]

Less than 2 mile to work = oil not reaching operating temp to burn off condensation = less fuel mileage = more sludge build up = more engine wear