4RnrRick

Is there a master motor upgrade list saying what setups are best used for? Or what setups are recommend to reach a given Hp/Torque? Or even what types of things should be done in a certain order?

Seems like the people that post here range from Bone Stocker, Daily Drivers, Long Distancce Towing, Drag Racing and even Dirt Pulling. There is a ton of great info here on all types of mods, just looking for a generic post listing explaining the basics.

Yes, I've read "The Sticky". Which is good info on individual mods but I didn't see anything in there on what combinations of motor mods (pump/turbo/etc...) should be done given the direction you want to take your vehicle?

So Anybody got some good estimated dyno results showing what types of benefits you have for each mod. Or can some of you more esperience guys teall a newbie like me what types of mods should be done in what order to get the most bang for you buck?

Gauges?
3200 gov spring?
BHAF?
Injection Pump mods?
Turbine housing?
Compressor Housing & Wheel?
Bigger Exhaust?
Straight Pipe?
Fuel pin?
Piston Lift Pump?
Bigger injectors?
Water/Meth injection?
Intercooler swap?
Auto (TC swap, valve body)?
Manual (NV4500 swap)?
etc....?


For me, I want to mod the truck for the best towing performance and fuel ecomony. But I'm not made of money, so I need to plan what I'm doing so I can upgrade one item at a time. Obviously I know I need to get the truck in a good running OEM condition first so I have a good solid reliable baseline to start with. Next I know of is gauges so I can monitor whats going on. after that I'm just not really sure.

Begle1

Typically we just ask a person what they're desired power levels are and then say how to obtain them...

For all trucks install a 3200 RPM governor spring and advance the timing. The valve spring costs $20 and the advanced timing is free. These don't give you any more power but give you drivability.

For towing, the first things are pyrometer, boost and tranny temperature gauges. These give you no performance for $400 dollars, but are necessary.
Next you need a torque convertor for $400 to $1000; the $400 Hughes model holds 300 horsepower and the $1000 dollar Goerend Brother's model holds !@$% horsepower. A valvebody is optional below 300 horsepower; $400 dollars for a good automatic one, $200 for a manual one that won't work for towing.

After the tranny and gauges are installed, you tweak your pump (for free) to deliver 300 horsepower worth of fuel for non-intercooled models or 250 horsepower worth of fuel for the late models. If you want to do it right, this is where you buy that $100 fuel pin.

Now, you're going to be putting the power to the ground, but you're exhaust gas temperatures are at Super-Mondo-Habanero-Salsa levels. (That's why you bought the pyrometer.) To keep the exhaust gas levels down, and therefore make the power for longer periods of time, you install air flow modifications. The simplest are BHAF mounts ($40), exhaust (~$400), and HTT turbo compressor modifications ($400). These will support up to 300-350 horsepower.

Once you have the maximum amount of fuel that pump tweaks provide, and you have your EGT's under control at that level, you supply more fuel with injectors: for towing you want some ~$800 Diesel Dynamics injectors or something, and for playing around you want some $400 POD injectors. These injectors get you around 400 horsepower, but now you're EGT's are back to high levels and so you need stage II air flow modifications. Also, now you need to replace your fuel delivery pump with a piston lift pump ($100).

Stage II air flow modifications include a replacement turbocharger or wastegated exhaust housing (~$500) or water/ methanol injection (~$500-$1000).

Now that you have 400-450 horsepower under control, it's time to get a 14 mm pump head (~$1200) and really custom injectors (~$1000) auxillary Walbro electric fuel system ($200). These modifications let you get to 600 horsepower, and now you're really wishing you bought that Goerends Brothers' torque convertor, 5 inch exhaust and Stage IV water injection kit back when you started. To cope with this power level, especially while towing, you are going to need to port your heads ($400) and get a second turbo ($400). And if you want to race it's probably time for a 4200 RPM governor spring ($20), the valve springs that will go that fast ($250), and perhaps a camshaft (~$700). Differential lockers, ladder bars and some kind of ram air scoop are all recommended at this level.

So, there is very rough, non-inclusive guide. Prices are subject to change.

4RnrRick

Thanks for your opinoins, but you seem kinda backwards in your thinking to me....

Seems like your EGT are the MOST important thing. hence shouldn't you swap the turbine and compressor housings and possibly the compressor wheel BEFORE you max the inj pump? Otherwise you won't be able to push the truck in those high demanding towing situations (pulling 7K over a mountian pass). Also for me towing performance AND fuel ecomony must be balanced - doesn't that mean I should stick with OEM injectors?


This is the order of stuff I was thinking for a reliable towing setup producing 250-300 HP setup.... (well atleast from what I have found searching.

Get truck to stock condition <- (I'm still working on this.)
Add Gauges (Tach, Trans Temp, Pyro, Boost, Pods) ~$400
3200 Spring, Pump mods, Timing? $20
16mm non-wastegate Turbine Housing $150
Torque Convertor $350
4" exhaust, Intake tube $500
HTT 60MM compressor $250

Approx $1670

I understand that after each mod I might have to tweak the pump and timing more to tune it where I want.

2stroke

well said.

Begle1

Well, Rick's order is better for "towing", but whay kind of backward chicken man would use their truck for "towing"? Pfft.

So do the Hughes torque convertors run for $299 or $399? And would anybody with one recommend a valve body?

And since you're towing, you'd probably like some brake modifications too; either some rear disk conversons or drum upgrades...

Micaiahfied

i don't think anyone's ever said that about Begle1 before
Gauges and 3200 spring are a great start. if you have the patience run the truck for a while stock and get a good set of baselines to run off. i don't know how much weight you are going to pull but here's the list of things done to my 92 that is set up for towing my 32ft 5th wheel (about 9000#)
Gauges (boost, pyro, oil pressure, water temp, tach, tranny temp, air bag pressure)
16cm housing
Aux trans cooler
pump tweaks
1/8th timing bump
turndown after muffler (removed crimped factory piece)
with that setup i can keep the egts under 1200 and worry about tranny temps before egts.
i am pretty close to the wall of mods i can do with the stock converter. i think people are too hard on the stock tranny. it's sloppy but mine doesn't seem nearly as bad as everyone is claiming and i know it's stock the truck has been in the family since it rolled off the lot. tell us more about what kinds of loads you are going to be hauling and we can give more specific ideas.

4RnrRick

Lets not even go there! Thats why I bought the truck - so I could tow my Link removed due to profane content, because I'm getting tired of dealing with how to get it home after I break it on the trail. Plus I would like to go on trips farther away from home.

I could of bought a gas guzzler! But I didn't.

4RnrRick

I will be towing a 1900 lbs tandem axle trailer (with trailer brakes) with my 4000lb trail rig on it plus maybe another 2-3 hundred pounds of spare parts and camping/ day gear.

So overall the trailer shouldn't weight over 6500 lbs, but since its a vehicle it will have more wind resistance than a 5th wheel trailer. I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, so pretty much any direction I go, I have to go over some mountains ranging from 2,000-5,000 feet in elevation.

BRUISER

Hey Rick,

not sure if you have seen my set up for towing trail rig to trails on PBB before.. but my 92 dodge has a 3200 spring and a open exhaust and that is all, and the dang thing tows like there is nothing back there.. I am usually at 15000lbs going down the road with no problems..

I have order a Pyro gauge but that is all I really want to do to mine.. and maybe a bigger air filter

but I do not want this truck to race i want it to tow and I feel the 3200 spring, gauges and open exhaust and air is all you should need.

4RnrRick

No, I haven't specifically seen your setup. But it sounds simple.

59FORD

[QUOTE=Begle1;1280274]T

.....For all trucks install a 3200 RPM valve spring and advance the timing. The valve spring costs $20 and the advanced timing is free. These don't give you any more power but give you drivability.



The Begle types fast BUT.................



59

G1625S

For your intended purposes I humbly suggest:

--any tranny upgrades you can afford, but at least a tranny temp gauge
--pyro/boost gauges
--18 or 16cm housing
--3200 rpm spring
--fuel pressure gauge
--pump tweeks to your satisfaction


Save for the tranny, there's not a lot of $$ involved here and the truck will be a towing beast, as has been pointed out by other posters. These rigs were built to haul stuff, so you don't really have to get too crazy to catch up to the newer rigs as far as running down the road goes. My trailer weighs in at 1900 lbs and I've had about 5k on it and only used about 1/4 of the available fuel to run a hilly interstate at 70mph.

Begle1

Whatchoo sayin', 59?

A 3200 RPM governor spring won't give you any more torque; it widens the powerband, but you don't gain any actual power. You can go faster, but you won't hit anything higher on a dyno.

Timing would add a little bit of power on a stock truck, but I think that if you're stock it helps with fuel mileage more than anything else...

gman07

A 3200 RPM governor spring is a great mod as far as bang for the buck. The governor spring lets you wind it out farther before shifting. With a 3200 RPM governor spring in my truck, I can do 70 (maybe more) with the O/D off.

I'd also recommend transmission upgrades for a towing truck. If you get a decent torque converter, go for either a better valve body or a shift kit while you're at it. Without it, I'd be afraid of slipping clutches/bands.

automeister3

kdp is first I just did mine and its a good thing I did it when I did.. However I was in the same place you were and did the 3200 spring, exhaust and just ordred stage IV compressor kit. All the pump adjustments become second hand nature after several attempts (still idling at 900)