PCA Forums

I would like to take suggestions on boosting the horsepower of my 1990 Chevy Silverado w/ 350 V8 @ 205 (or 215) horsepower. TIA folks.

Perhaps a new high performance intake manifold/bigger exhaust, high flow catalytic convertor, underdrive pulleys, electric fan (if it doesn't have one)...maybe a cam if you want to go that far in.......

viper, its a TRUCK!!!!!!

sweet ass ride man, Go with a throttle body spacer, a chip, drop a shif kit in her if shes an auto, and give her a good tuneup.. headers and exhaust, then intake, you could even run nos on that puppy those 350s can take it

I was actually looking at the Vortec supercharger but I think that will only give me the extra ponies at the higher RPM ranges. Is this true, or can I receive supercharger power through the whole powerband? Thanks for the replies, folks.

I think the blower, "supercharger", will work on a much wider powerband than a turbocharger, if that's what you are thinking of. and , glad to see you back Tom


sethpa

You're thinking the other way around
Turbo's give you higher end power (~2.5k and up)
while super's/blowers give you power throughout the whole rev range....but they chew up power to make power, plus you loose fuel ecomony even on the highway.......

I'd go with a blower and/or N2O (Nitrous). Nitrous isn't anything you'ld want for everyday power however, but it's nice "just in case" (costly to use too).
A blower is always there though but its initial cost is high (over $2K). Turbos will be even costlier and harder to install properly.

lots of overkill around here... lol!!

I built street cars into mean machines with little or no money...

Here is some cheap ways of adding ponies:

1. bump the timing up 1-2 degrees...( advances the spark more spark more power)

2. Need more airflow... get a K&N Air filter $50 (5-10 hp)

3. high resitance spark plug wires , new cap and rotor, high output coil $300

4. high flow mandrel bent exhaust... $300+ (20hp)

5. LEGAL headers, not the full length ones $200 (20hp)

6. kick up the rear gear ring and pinion... if its a 3.23, then a 3.73 would work, or a 4.10 would too, but kill your highway MPG... installed about $350 (gives you more acceleration

that should do it for starters...

If you get into superchargers, you will spend about $4000 on the kit and another $2000 in installs. I know I installed a vortech on my 1989 mustang and I was broke! but the car hauled arse!

trade it on one with a 460

lol...

ummm 460 is a ford motor

454 or 502 (1970's caddies used them)

396 big block would solve all your problems and probably be about the same price as a suprcharger. 396 will give you whiplash from the acceleration.

I am actually looking for towing powere as opposed to speed power. I have and 8'x24' enclosed cargo trailer that I am looking to use in hauling furniture and goods for a wholesale outlet, the trip is about a 300 mile total trip and this will be done once a week, but I know already from moving from Minnesota to KC that I am underpowered for normal highway hauling with a good sized load in my trailer.

Intake, headers and exhaust should nicely help you out for now, the bigger badder stuff will compliment those simple bolt ons nicely

We have a 93 silverado z71 extended cab 4x4, has a 350 in it, I suggest doing the small things to get horsepower before thinking about superchargers or ideas like that, try chipping it, that adds a few horses right there, also I highly recommend a shift kit before you add big horse power. drop that shift kit in and your truck will feel much peppier cause that 350 stock revs right down and feels sluggish, the shift kit will give you whiplash lol nah but it helps, also does yours have the stock sized dual exaust?? if so I think its better to so with a nice fat single exaust system, or if you wanna dish out the cash fo for a fat dual exaust system even tho IMO its not all that worth the extra for duals... try that stuff first, then consider looking at cams/heads/supers/bbc motors. just a thought.

Well with a free'er flowing exhaust u will lose low end torque but gain higher end. Superchargers are very expensive. I'd say if u were gonna do anything start small. Go with a k&n filter, maybe a high flow cat and muffler, new chip and/or shift kit. U can do alot of stuff, but it depends on how much u want to spend.

K&N air filter Flowmaster Dual exhaust MSI Ignition and chip that puppy... A decent chip alone with run anywhere from 300 to a grand and can boost HP from 20-100hp depending on the motor. It don't take a lot of cash to pump 50-100 more HP out of a motor. Headers are nice but i can't stand the way they sound. To me a regular old manifold gives a lot nicer rumble than headers. I helped a buddy build a 396 he had about 4000 into that motor when it was said and done and that thing was a dog... It had 450 HP but the way he wanted it built it would have been better in a drag car than in a 3/4 ton truck. Motor was all top end and had no low end grunt.