I have a 1990 chevy 350 engine strapped to a chevy 1990 chevy c/k 3500 2wheel drive single rear wheel truck. I pull my horse trailer(not fifth wheel) and i would like to get more power out of my 350 engine to make pulling on the hills easier. Is there anything i can do to get that extra torque and hp out of it for fairly cheap, im not trying to spend like 1k on upgrades or anything. Thanks -Brandon

 

A new computer like a Westers Tune would help tremendously. You can expect about 30 hp or so with it plus better MPG.

 

First thing is to do a tune-up, change plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor. But if you come up with some cash to do a little work...I got a lot out of my 92 350 by adding a cold air intake and a Flowmaster exhaust (about $500 total). And I definitely agree on the programmer($300), it made it a noticeable difference when I reprogrammed on top of the mods. I don't know what you should expect reprogramming without the mods though.

 

Where do you find that Westers Tune? I looked on the internet and came up empty.

 

Like that guy said cold air intake but also air and oil filter.
Also if it was 4x4 u could put it in 4x4High.

 

You can get the westers tune through me. There are about 20 westers dealers in the country. Most do buisness online through company websites.

 

Try adding a cam. Check out www.camhelp.com and see what can find. Don't go wild! Find your particular engine size and and year. All 86' and up small blocks I believe are equipped with hydraulic roller cams. Find one with good low RPM to mid RPM power. You won't need much on the top end. Could also try some lower gears. Most trucks came with 3.42's and lower in numerical order. Try 3.73's if you have a 700-R4 tranny.
You might also try www.sdpc2000.com and find a GM cam. These are a great alternative to pricey aftermarket cams. If you do decide to install a cam, besure to follow the rocker arm adjustments and cam breakin procedures properly. Hope this helps out.

 

I assume that you're keeping fuel economy in mind. . . the best upgrade for your price range , I would suggest a set of headers. If you can find a set of "tri-y" (AKA 4-2-1 headers). These provide a great deal of power over a broader RPM range than 4-1 headers (although they don’t look as sexy) Try looking at “doug’s headers�
For an exhaust system, it depends on your engine size. If you have a 350 or bigger, you’ll want a true dual with a crossover and high flow cats. If you’re going to get performance mufflers make sure the flow rating of the muffler(s) is equal to your engine’s flow rate at around 80% max throttle
(i.e: convert your engine capacity to CFM and multiply that by 80% of your redline)

I would suggest getting the entire system done at once. If you still need power, you can toss on a K&N filtercharger for about $50. it’s done miracles for me and they never have to be replaced.

 

i got a 1994 silverado 2500 with the 350 and all i put in was a k&n filter cut off my cat and glass pack it it gave me a lot more power and boosted my gas mileage up by like 3-5 mpg in my truck

 

This is what I did on my 91' GMC with a TBI 5.0:

1. Vortec Heads
2. TB Spacer (sprial)
3. Custom PROM (TBIchips.com)
4. Duals - Magnaflow
5. Headers
6. K&N Open Air Cleaner 14" high rise with velocity stack
7. MSD Ignition (complete system)
8. Colder Thermostat

All in all I probably got around 220 RWHP which was great considering it was roughly 160-170 stock.

What I should have done:

1. New 650 CFM TBI unit
2. CAM
3. True Duals