engine mods

Lessmore wrote:
I wonder about a 400 small block Chevy crank in the 350...which would give you a 383 cube V8. Also an RV/tow truck cam ?

You can call different cam companies and their consultants can advise and this is something I would recommend.


Or check out some GM crate engines...not all are hot rod engines.

You have to be careful though....all this can add up and unless you can do the work yourself...it could be costly.

Maybe not cost effective.

I'm not an expert and many of the other guys offering advice aren't either. So wise to review different ideas with someone who has expertise.

GM offers a HT383 through the GM Performance Parts catalog. HT stands for high torque. Its whole purpose is to replace the SB 350 in the TBI trucks. It is designed for towing, and has something like 400 ft/lbs of torque. I have thought about it for my '94 K2500 if its 350 ever wears out. (I may have to help it ;) ).

Edit: Right now all I am finding links to is the pre-emission hot rod engine, I'll see if I can find a link to the replacement towing engine later.

For those 90s vintage gassers, regearing is the single most straight forward, most bang for the buck, absolute power gaining solution. Period. I've played ALL the games on my current vehicle over the past 15 years. Going from 3.55 to 4.10 reaped the most "go", and was the most reliable. I played with tuners, super chargers, rv cams, complete engine rebuilds, tranny tunes. The one change that instantly worked, and still does no matter what, is the gear ratio. Almost all other changes require special computer tunes, which often require premium fuel, etc, etc.

Didnt mean to ask the same questions as I did on another forum,sorry. Just trying to cover everything before I jump in.

Also to follow up. I didnt mention that my budget is low. Suburban paid for of course, but no new truck in the picture. Have to do with what I have. thus the reason Im improving what I have.

Gear and headers, I have a 1996 C1500 with a 5.7l with 3.42, not so good for towing but I did put headers and noticed a small increase. Others are correct you want more power in the 1800-2800 range, maybe even 3200 for hills if you down shift.

I would go after products that have the best power for the money, you can spend a lot for low performance so I would do some homework. I would also check check the Chevy forums as well.

I wonder about a 400 small block Chevy crank in the 350...which would give you a 383 cube V8. Also an RV/tow truck cam ?

You can call different cam companies and their consultants can advise and this is something I would recommend.


Or check out some GM crate engines...not all are hot rod engines.

You have to be careful though....all this can add up and unless you can do the work yourself...it could be costly.

Maybe not cost effective.

I'm not an expert and many of the other guys offering advice aren't either. So wise to review different ideas with someone who has expertise.

Check this website. TBI Chips

4.10 gears will help a good deal in keeping the engine's RPM's in the max power band while towing at 60-65 MPH. With tall gears the engine is challenged especially with the older vehicles with 4-speed transmissions. With the GM 6-speed transmissions the first 4 gears are all underdrive and 5th and 6th are both overdrive gears.

I tried many things to improve the power of my 350 equipped pickup, cam, carb, headers, gear swap in the rear....nothing really made enough difference to write home about. It wasn't worth the money or effort. I wasn't satisfied until I got a duramax/allison equipped truck. Now I'm in towing heaven...

You basically asked the same questions in your first post. I assume you were not satisfied with the answers you got then?