Curdoghunter

Im 32 years old work a small gun shop and live on the highest Mtn in Arkansas up in the NW corner of the state in the OZark Mtns. My dads only interest is engines. When i was young he forced me to work on stuff and be his tool runner and flaslight holder, so i rebelled and when i got in High School completely quit working on vehicles. My main interest is hunting and guns which my dad has zero interst in, but i have always loved Chevy trucks my favorites being 82-87..... My dad is getting older and dont have a whole lot of rebuilds left in him. It would make him so happy and proud for me to take a interst in rebuilds and engines again. For some reason i have cought the fever in a bad way....lol......... I have been looking for a 86 or 87 3/4 ton silverado 4x4 for several months and have been prepared to drive wherever i need to to pick it up. I have been all over the internet looking but the only ones i could find were either ones that have allready been rebuilt or not a silverado. I was driving to work a few days ago and i will be durned if my friends little car lot had just traded for a 1986 3/4 ton 4x4 silverado. I couldnt belive it.......all the guages and all the lights work, even the power windows work, and even the AC is cold and the truck aint got no rust. The only things i can fault it is it had a homeade flatbed on it which i have allready changed to a real nice dual tank bed i bought from the salvage yard that day, when i got home i went straight to work and that night about 100 am i had the bed on...i have it real bad.....................and theguy who had it rhino lined the whole damn truck, so the next day i went back to the salvage to gather a few little things and the front cap off the same truck i got the bed from. I wanted to put the cap and the new doors that day, but i knew that would be a mistake as my body man is painting the fenders and doors before we put it together just to make it look better, the interior will be pefect. I even took some bucket seats and a center console out of a 87 suburban and the seats are allready at the shop getting reupolstered. And i have brand new carpet and panels in the mail. I cant stand having to wait to install but the cab is gonna be painted inside and out so there has to be nothing init when i drop her off at the body shop. This truck will be like the day it was sold except for a few mods one being wheels and tires. Im spending all my money from selling my diesel truck and a little extra. The truck has a carburated 350 in her with a 3 speed automatic, i think its a 350 turbo tranny.

Its a must for me to make it fuel injected. I know very little about all the efi conponets or how much power you can get out of a stock efi syatem. But i have to learn quick, im really hoping this truck will make my dad proud of me and hopefully we will become buds again. Im hoping. I know Horsepower aint the best Judge of power but im guessing i want not need but want between 450-500 hp. At the salvage yard they have several recked chevy trucks that have either 350's or 5.3 and one 6.0. I could get all the efi components really cheap if i take it off, but im not 100% sure i know what all i need to pull off one of them....uess the intake and throttlebody but im thinking the 6.0 has newer kind of efi. Sorry for my ignorance. I have 4 different engines i can build that are payed for the 350 in the truck, i also have a 454 i pulled out of my 76 one ton after i wrecked it and my friend owes me one and he has a 5.3 and a 6.0, im not sure if i will need to change out trannys, or if mine will bolt up to all those engines. My budget on the engine needs to be around 2000.00 and i dont want to buy a complete motor really, i want my dad to see me building it and hooking up the efi mainly myself, and i know when he sees that he will walk over and we will start working together again. I know thyat would make him so happy. So guys what should i do, what engine should i use to get the power plant im wanting. My dad loves power, you should have rode in his 88 s10 he put a small block crate motor in...woo wee scary i tell you. I have heard that a cam,ignition,heads and a chip gos a long way in the 5.3 and 6.0's i really dont have a preference in engines, the 350 sounds and runs great that is in the truck, the 454 is ok but i would overhaul it for sure my 348 ifr i was to use it i would bore it to a 409. But the idea of the 5.3 or the 6.0 sounds pretty dang nice as i hear they are great engines. I want some efi power. I aint real good but when you had to watch your dad for so many years you will learn a little, so i can change cams out and some other stuff. I can even have the machine shop bore one out or something, just whatever i have to do to get what i want. If i have to use my cc i will this time. I have been looking online for several days now, and i cant spend 2500-3000 on a efi assembly, just cant do it guys. What do you suggest i do with the options i have o get the most power and have the best engine for me. The truck will pull my big ole camper and 20 or so head of cattle in my trailer a few times a year, it needs to have some power to it. As i like to get from 0-60 in a hurry. The truck allready has 4-10 gear ratilo and th automatic ive always wanted in atruck like this but couldnt find. Im flexable but im keeping an auto, if i have to get a different so be it but my auto and my AC has to stay...............Hopefully me and the old man are ngonna be buds again real soon........................................What is your guys ideas????????????



Also i do have some parts i could sell to help along my project, and i aint scared to travel to meet somebody, i actually enjoy that stuff...........what i have is short wide silverado bed and tailgate, dual tanks off a mid 80's truck and a gear drive transfer and 3 speed manual with granny low. If somebody needs them let me know, im afraid im gonna need the money for this engine...lol............Thanks in advance guys.............if anybody wants to see a pic of the bed or the 86 let me know and i will post one...;..oh ya teh bed i bought about 12 years ago, me and the body man sanded it and painted it. She is rust free and im pretty sure there was no bondo........That was the last time me and Dad worked on one but those parts and that truck holds bad memories so its gonna go soon to somebody.........Thanks again

Atomic

iTrader: (42)

To do a complete FI swap for under $2500 is a bit of a stretch. I know you mentioned you didnt want to, but simply buying the complete engine and trans with all the wiring from a slavage yard and putting it in is by far the simplest and easiest and cheapest way to do it. Definately get the 6.0 over the 5.3 given a choice.

NoShow

iTrader: (1)

You'll be money ahead if you can get a 6.0 with a good bottom end. Machine work and all the gaskets and pistons, etc will totally kill your budget. Find a good 6 liter engine, and maybe put some 243 or 899 heads on it, and a torquey cam. I think you can bolt a 6.0 up to your old tranny, but I would consider a 4L80e as long as you will already have the harness.

BTW, you probably have a TH400 in that one. IIRC they had a square pan? Where the TH350 has a notch in one corner.

Hope you guys have fun. I always wanted to build hot rods again with my dad, but I was poor when I was in my 20's, and now he's too lazy or just doesn't care much any more. But I have a 15 year old son

viciousknid

iTrader: (8)

Heck of a first post

Curdoghunter

Thanks for good advice!!!! I will get it figured out soon.


Vicious..............I can see my first post was a little windy, i thought thats why we are hear is to help out sone newbies, who really need it

viciousknid

iTrader: (8)

I wasn't ******* it. I was just sayin Wow.
Hope you figure something out.

Curdoghunter

Thanks!.................On my website the newbies tend to ask the same questions and alot of times i can just post a link to answer their question which was asked a week before by another beginner. Lots of fun.


Cant decide on the power plant........ I found a 496 with computer and wiring Harness for 2000.00 it came out of a 2002 suburban........But i also have the salvage yard getting me quote on a 496 and a Allison............Not sure if thats what i want or even if the tran will work in my truck????? Its just im not sparing anything on this truck, it will be hard to find one slicker then mine when im done and i just want the best all around engine for my truck. I just want to be pulling my cattle trailer up the mtn and pass any Ford on the road..............where i live all these damn rednecks have Hot Rod fords with big blocks and diesels and i want put a 2009 1 ton ford to shame with a 86 silverado!!!!

Atomic

iTrader: (42)

The 8.1 is pretty beastly, but its no diesel. Its also beastly on fuel consumption as well haha. Nothing is going to fit without a lot of customization since the truck is more than 20 years old. The allison is a long trans, so depending on if you want 4wd and your bed/cab configuration will determine your driveshaft angle, which ultimately dictates whether it will work or not.

EVILGMC

iTrader: (47)

duramax/allison would be the ultimate....but your bank account will suffer. the later g vans came with 4l80e/duramax

Curdoghunter

Is Throttle body accepted as Fuel Injection? My reason for having to have Fuel Injection is just because i feel its far more reliable and i like easier starting.......am i wrong??? Thats the only reasons. Its not so i can be proud that my truck is fuel injected....im lost.....can a computer that runs the Fuel Injection be programmed for different size engines? I have been thinking today about maybe putting some high horse heads, a cam and getting a new intake, ignition system and taking the throtle body, harness and computer off a wrecked truck and adding all that to mine. Maybe even a K&N and some headers and flowmasters. Would that not give me some real power.....or with cost associated with 454 maybe im better with buying the 6.0 that was recomended.....Oh ya my ******* buddy with 6.0 sold it he still has the 5.3 but hell i dont want that. Its just i really dont know the cost of the 454 parts. My budget on the engine has gone up to 3000.00......I just want to be efficient with my money....Im not interested in showing off the engine at all.....I just truly want some rubber burning power....I mean sure im gonna clean it up and make it look good, but i wont be popping the hood to show it off or anything...........I looked up the heads for 6.0 and it was looking like 1300. for the pair, add 600. and ive got 496........It looks like i might get over my head..... Give me some more pointers guys. I would appreciate it..........Also is there not a classifieds forum on here????????Whats up with that????


Also my daily driver is an 08 with a 5.3 a nd my wife has an 07 tahoe with the 5.3, the tahoe is gutless as hell and mine is a little better......So i need to know what the difference between buying a chip and the guys that buy that program and hook up a laptop???????? Now do you see how green i am? Im just wanting to also add some power to those guys without getting my hands dirty, Im thiniking a K&N and a performance chip should do it???? My mechanical abilities aint much, ive only worked on older stuff, i can change a clutch or swap out an engine easy enough but it was out of neccisity so i dont have a clue to the pricing of performance parts and the newer computerized stuff makes me look like a monkey building a space ship.

My older parts (bed, transfercase,tranny) mentioned above, do they have much value? What would be a fair price to ask, as i was gonna put them on here for sale but i cant find a classifieds forum so i guess ebay here we come3....lol.....I want to thank you guys for the good advice i have allready recieved, but educate this monkey; boys