89 chevy 2500 service truck Tow rig

Oh...and 99% of the answers will be right! ;)
 
I wouldn't bother with a big block swap with that 3spd auto. Let the 6.0 eat with 4.10s and no bigger than a 265 tire. You won't need to modify anything.

Swap it in, it has plenty of power to tow what you need, and will get better fuel mileage than the big block.

It's fine to let it hum at 3k Rpms all day. Been there done that, never left me on the side of the road. I never used OD in the 6.0 suburban unless on completely flat ground towing.

I would keep the engine between 3500-4500 Rpm's in the hills, and cruise all day at 70 mph and 3k Rpm's. Seriously, 10hrs, only stopping for fuel towing 7500lbs.

That motor is still in the sub only after have the trans done at 225k miles.

You can probably find a 6.0/4l80 combo. But for what a 6.0 costs, you will be far ahead in the long run when looking at money and time spent compared to other setups.

Those early tbi, non vortec stuff are slow as molasses and hate even 3500lbs behind them. They were just gutless but improved some with vortec cam, head, and injection.

But for what that would cost, compared to 6.0, the obvious choice is to search for a 6.0.

Change the pump in the tank to a 6.0 pump, stock sending unit.

Get someone to remove vats, and thin harness, and get it bolted to your trans, and done. Let it eat.

Then in a couple years, freshen it up, cam, and tune. And have a completely different feel.

Still going to be light years ahead of early big blocks, and any non vortec setup.


Even a stock 5.3 is a vast improvement over the non vortec stuff, and even the vortec 5.7.

The other thing is keeping a check engine light and obd2. You are on the road to and from wheeling. If Something goes wrong, you need to fix and or limp home. Much easier with 5.3/6.0 than the older stuff.

Parts are much easier to find for the gen 3+ stuff than the older stuff.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
Are all those parts and gaskets bad? I wouldnt replace all that just for the sake of it.
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Preventative Maintenance!! I'm surprised yall don't know me by now but that's just what I do. For me and my piece of mind on 27yr old truck is knowing IF I brake down to or from a trip somewhere, it's gonna be something big that well, just goes. Besides, head gaskets and upper gaskets, water pump and tune up with some brake stuff isn't that costly at all when you do the work yourself. Power steering pump and rotors are the only things wrong but I love to drive and travel with knowing what I've done is reliable.

Motor is a 350, intake and carb looks to be from older model.
I've owned 4 TBI Tahoe now and I've done the normal mods and I've never thought it was weak at all with 285s...for my purposes. Port the intake, port the heads, port the manifolds, TB spacer, k&n intake and straight duals with thrush welded mufflers and all 4 of those Tahoes ran like a top and pulled surprisingly good up Boone Mountain all things considering but flat highway/rds would do 70 in 3rd and pull good mpgs.

paradisePWoffrd said:
The spacers have a large opening so that they are more universal, not nessecarily becuase they work better.
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kinda true but, The large opening spacers are normally designed for single plane intake and the 4hole spacers or split spacers are designed for dual plane intakes and people do different configurations between the different intakes and spacers to get that rpm range the best all around performance...that's what I was wondering is all...then i figured maybe modify the center divider to help raise the rpm range a little with a certain spacer combo.
Swapping to a 6.0 and harness and overdrive trans is just FOR ME stupid...If I wanted that setup I would've waited a little while longer and bought one. I've towed with 6 total 1500 frame vehicles and been pretty happy minus climbing the Boone mountain so now I have bigger frame, bigger brakes, this motor will have more upgrades, has lower gears, and for m uses will be one healthy stout tow rig/work truck. All this work I do to this truck takes maybe 3 full days, done!!!!
Finding a 6.0, trans and harness and install for all that along with "hoping" the 4L80 still holding up it's value is way more work than couple days and few hundred bucks to have a reliable truck!!
Well hope I didn't upset anyone cause I don't take your advise but thanks anyway! I like simple, I like "modifying things" and such so I will stick with what I've had good results with.
This weekend motor is coming apart hopefully when parts show up...pics will be coming
 
Well been getting some work done on tow rig. Motor almost ready, got exhaust/brakes/ps pump to do and tune it.
Neighbor gave me a Edelbrock 600 for free so rebuilt it and its ready so this 5.7 should be woke up pretty good with ported heads, ported intake and polished valves (mind you the valves had more gunk than I've ever seen in history lol). Coming along though
0823172359a.jpg
 
shawn said:
You forgot "really heavy". Don't forget that.
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Isn't it good though for the tow rig to be heavy? I was under impression heavier the better and more stable pulling..sure might have to add extra power but I was thinking extra weight of service bed was a good thing...
 
No, it's an extra 1k pounds of steel to haul around, not counting whatever crap inevitably collects in all of those boxes. Harder to pull up hills, harder to control down hills.
 
marty79 said:
Isn't it good though for the tow rig to be heavy? I was under impression heavier the better and more stable pulling..sure might have to add extra power but I was thinking extra weight of service bed was a good thing...
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Heavy tow rig does help with trailer sway and keeps the trailer from pushing the truck around as easy, but its not the extra weight to get moving (power as you say) thats the problem. Its the extra weight you have to stop. Every bit of extra weight on a tow rig is less weight you can legally carry in cargo before you are overloaded, going by state tag rating or manufacturer gvwr.

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