New driveline choice

[Gray87GMC]

I had originally planned to rebuild the 350 in my 87 and re-use the factory TBI. Incessant electrical problems and the new realization of the limits of the factory TBI, I am considering new options.

I sold a truck for 7k so have some money to work with. Considering an LS swap with new wiring harness and also have my eye on a pace performance turn key motor with FiTech TBI.

I’m not looking for a monster. I just want 300 horsepower minimum with 0 miles on it. Reliability is key as this will be my daily.

I’d appreciate any and all feedback and ideas.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Big block

 

[Gray87GMC]

Big block

Lol, I don’t need that much power in my daily. 300hp or so is all I’m looking for. And relative ease of swap

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

For a daily driven, clean sheet power plant, I’d do a Quadrajet topped 350 or the FiTech to try something new. Gen III motors don’t interest me, but I think I’m in the minority there. Ha, I’d probably experiment with a Cummins in a square before I did the LS. I like the TBI in terms of reliability and simplicity, myself, and if you have a good roadmap, you can make it into a 400hp motor, which is about the zenith of Rochester TBI. Granted, it’s not as easy as making a non-TBI motor perform like that, and the Gen III has a lot of power in stock form, but it’s definitely doable.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

For a daily driven, clean sheet power plant, I’d do a Quadrajet topped 350 or the FiTech to try something new. Gen III motors don’t interest me, but I think I’m in the minority there. Ha, I’d probably experiment with a Cummins in a square before I did the LS. I like the TBI in terms of reliability and simplicity, myself, and if you have a good roadmap, you can make it into a 400hp motor, which is about the zenith of Rochester TBI. Granted, it’s not as easy as making a non-TBI motor perform like that, and the Gen III has a lot of power in stock form, but it’s definitely doable.

Nuh uh your not the only one lol but the LS is good for dropping prices on big blocks lol

 

[Gray87GMC]

For a daily driven, clean sheet power plant, I’d do a Quadrajet topped 350 or the FiTech to try something new. Gen III motors don’t interest me, but I think I’m in the minority there. Ha, I’d probably experiment with a Cummins in a square before I did the LS. I like the TBI in terms of reliability and simplicity, myself, and if you have a good roadmap, you can make it into a 400hp motor, which is about the zenith of Rochester TBI. Granted, it’s not as easy as making a non-TBI motor perform like that, and the Gen III has a lot of power in stock form, but it’s definitely doable.

The Pace Performance motor is a turnkey 350 and comes with the FiTech. I’m potentially interested in other crates, but so many come with the carb and Id just be ditching that for TBI

 

[shiftpro]

New carb....
All the extra expense and fuckery of FI for only a slightly better preforming mill.

Kinda feel the same about Gen3 or LS too.

 

[Gray87GMC]

New carb....
All the extra expense and fuckery of FI for only a slightly better preforming mill.

Kinda feel the same about Gen3 or LS too.

I have fuel injection now, I don’t feel like going backwards lol. For a daily fi is a must in my book

 

[Gray87GMC]

New carb....
All the extra expense and fuckery of FI for only a slightly better preforming mill.

Kinda feel the same about Gen3 or LS too.

Not to mention my kids about to turn 16 and that boy can’t start a weed eater without flooding it lol

 

[Camar068]

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines

 

[shiftpro]

Not to mention my kids about to turn 16 and that boy can’t start a weed eater without flooding it lol

I'm sorry to hear that, I understand, and I rest my case.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Reliability is key as this will be my daily

I vote to stick with the original plan because that's the best of your ideas to meet the key.
300 horse is EASY PEESY , no sweat at all.
Cylinder heads are THE KEY to making good power.
Factory TBI will easily support that. Follow me.

Consider very quickly to spend about $600-$800 on aftermarket, aluminum cylinder heads. Buy a cam and an intake, have the engine rebuilt and put together if you can't or don't want to. Spend some of the seven grand - that is burning a hole in your pocket - on custom plug and play , aftermarket TUNING for your cam and heads. There's a guy that will burn you a chip for hella cheap You've got an '87, they manipulate easily!

EASY PEESY

Stone cold reliable. Truck is down half the time and you still get to shop and spend money + get stuff in the mail.

The end result will be that you spent half as much money to do the same thing and it'll last twice as long.

Or big block it.

OR rebuild it cheap and toss an RV cam in it with a nitrous kit to meet your HP goals.
This option is the most fun.

I got my eye on these badd boyzz:

Hi! I found this on eBay and thought you might like it! Check it out now! http://r.ebay.com/IN5Z6l

I removed my idea about a 362...lol. I'd buy the heads and cam a rebuild with a chip.

 

[Gray87GMC]

I vote to stick with the original plan because that's the best of your ideas to meet the key.
300 horse is EASY PEESY , no sweat at all.
Cylinder heads are THE KEY to making good power.
Factory TBI will easily support that. Follow me.

Consider very quickly to spend about $600-$800 on aftermarket, aluminum cylinder heads. Buy a cam and an intake, have the engine rebuilt and put together if you can't or don't want to. Spend some of the seven grand - that is burning a hole in your pocket - on custom plug and play , aftermarket TUNING for your cam and heads. There's a guy that will burn you a chip for hella cheap You've got an '87, they manipulate easily!

EASY PEESY

Stone cold reliable. Truck is down half the time and you still get to shop and spend money + get stuff in the mail.

The end result will be that you spent half as much money to do the same thing and it'll last twice as long.

Or big block it.

OR rebuild it cheap and toss an RV cam in it with a nitrous kit to meet your HP goals.
This option is the most fun.

I got my eye on these badd boyzz:

Hi! I found this on eBay and thought you might like it! Check it out now! http://r.ebay.com/IN5Z6l

I removed my idea about a 362...lol. I'd buy the heads and cam a rebuild with a chip.

Thanks for the input. This does seem like a good plan. I have the winter to rebuild it. The money’s not burning a whole in my pocket lol. The truck I sold was my daily so I need a new daily. I’ll be driving an 89 s10 4x4 through the winter. Let’s just say if I didn’t only work a mile from home... I wouldn’t consider it reliable enough to be my daily even through the winter lol

 

[Rusty Nail]

Ya. I thought about it enough to be satisfied with my input after I decided that a 6 inch rod 362 would overshoot 300 horse too much, lol.
Hey an '89 S-10 4x4 is a saweeet back up ride! I'm kinda jealous.

The chip burner company i'm thinkin of is one man's name I think. I probably saw about him on this msb a long time ago. If not here I might have read it on gmt400.com or whatever that ******** is called because f*ck those jagoffs.

SOMEBODY else will chime in, eventually.

Camshaft choice is easy. Probably best to pick about half as much increase as you wish it was. Lol. Computer controlled will NOT like hella overlap, even in a CCC system. Sure it possible but everything is pay to play. The chip burner guy will probably be a humongous help as he will know his / the limits of what he can do.
Aluminum heads will allow a great compression increase which will equal more, better power without having to run such a crazy cam that it's expensive to tune around.
By the time you snag some good 1.5" headers and free flow exhaust....it's really gonna boil down to the cylinder heads - and the intake. TBI is so trouble free, I wouldn't begin to consider anything else.

But you know, 'Murica and stuff. Maybe you SHOULD big block it...

 

[87silveradok20]

I’ve done a lot of research on this topic because I am looking to do the same thing as you are. I don’t really want to rebuild my current engine, I’d rather just buy a crate motor and drop it in. The two Best motors I’ve found that are complete are the one from pace performance and the ram jet 350


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