I've been debating for months what to do with my truck and can't make up my mind. I've been posting threads for specific questions, searching old threads, calling vendors for input, etc and still can't make up my mind so i am turning to the collective for thoughts. The truck has Stealth 64, 30 overs, built trans, all supporting mods besides CP3 and intercooler. I've been debating upgrading to a bigger turbo and stroked CP3. From my research i will end up spending roughly 5500 in parts alone and this will put the truck around 650-700hp. This obviously puts the stock bottom end in a bad place. Or I could spend about 2200 in parts for a sportsman or CP3K pump, straight center link, HD tie rods (has sleeves now), and caltracs (has spring clamps now). Then i could save the other 3300 and keep my bottom end in better shape. The 60hp difference is good for about .3 to .4 in the 1/4 at my weight roughly and i might gain some of that back with the suspension upgrades. Is it worth it? Which way should i go? Or does somebody have a better idea? Help me decide, i'm tired of thinking about it. :rofl:
Help me decide
- Thread starter NRA223
- Start date
Do you feel lucky? Well... Do yah?!?! 
Realistically, do you have $ to build your engine if it doesn't last at the projected 650-700hp range? If not, it's pretty easy IMO, don't go to that HP level unless you can afford it or can at least afford to have your truck sitting with a popped engine until you can afford it.
Realistically, do you have $ to build your engine if it doesn't last at the projected 650-700hp range? If not, it's pretty easy IMO, don't go to that HP level unless you can afford it or can at least afford to have your truck sitting with a popped engine until you can afford it.
Buy a block, get it machined and start piecing it together.
Sell your running engine to make up for the cost incurred on the built one, once its in the engine bay. From there go for your power goals.
Doing it the right way doesn't look as good on paper as it plays out in the real world
Sell your running engine to make up for the cost incurred on the built one, once its in the engine bay. From there go for your power goals.
Doing it the right way doesn't look as good on paper as it plays out in the real world
Spending the money overnight and spending over a period of months are two entirely different scenarios, one of which is significantly more cumbersome, for everyone
Being broken aint cool no matter how ya spin it and the power numbers you're talking about only lead down one road
Being broken aint cool no matter how ya spin it and the power numbers you're talking about only lead down one road
I've tried to put all the pieces in place on a stock bottom end, to be ready for a built engine "when the time came" with nearly the same power goal and power achieved, as you're thinkin and have lost two, yes 2, GM built engines.
And guess what, when the first one broke things didn't work out in the proper timeframes and I couldn't build it...reman went in and failed and building the engine the way I want is still a difficult financial pill to swallow within a 30 day time frame
An engine failure is never convienient
I don't care how much money you've got...
My truck has spent many months either parked or on jackstands and my firsthand experience says its not worth it...
My advise to anybody with a thirst for DA POWA is:
Bolt ons and a tune
Build the trans, throw a bigger wheel on the stock turbo and update the tune
Buy a block and start piecing it together...
Doing anything like CP3, injectors (damn near 6k and a full rotating assembly ) and bigger turbo's is redundant. You're not going to maximize any of it with a stock bottom end, you're only going to put wear on the performance parts and they all make the engines output potential greater, and thus increase the potential of premature failure...
Turbo
Injectors
CP3
Intercooler
Manifolds and up pipes
That's about $10,000 in parts right there bud, I've got it all and a broken down stock engine...
If I would've listened to everyone 4 years ago, I would've had a built engine 2 years ago...the right way, with considerably less heartache, headache and wasted time:hello:
And guess what, when the first one broke things didn't work out in the proper timeframes and I couldn't build it...reman went in and failed and building the engine the way I want is still a difficult financial pill to swallow within a 30 day time frame
An engine failure is never convienient
I don't care how much money you've got...
My truck has spent many months either parked or on jackstands and my firsthand experience says its not worth it...
My advise to anybody with a thirst for DA POWA is:
Bolt ons and a tune
Build the trans, throw a bigger wheel on the stock turbo and update the tune
Buy a block and start piecing it together...
Doing anything like CP3, injectors (damn near 6k and a full rotating assembly
) and bigger turbo's is redundant. You're not going to maximize any of it with a stock bottom end, you're only going to put wear on the performance parts and they all make the engines output potential greater, and thus increase the potential of premature failure...Turbo
Injectors
CP3
Intercooler
Manifolds and up pipes
That's about $10,000 in parts right there bud, I've got it all and a broken down stock engine...
If I would've listened to everyone 4 years ago, I would've had a built engine 2 years ago...the right way, with considerably less heartache, headache and wasted time:hello:
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