Hey everyone, I've been reading some posts here and I can tell many of you are experts on this subject. If i took a stock '90 w250, with 160 hp ... what kind of mods would be necessary to turn it up to around 350 hp, and as much torque as possible ... also the easiest and cheapest methods (without resorting to power chips and the like)... does anyone have an estimated cost for such a project, and what kind of stuff would be necessary? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Well now, ain't that the question o' the month!! Look in the sigs of all the guys turnin' big numbers 'round here and you won't find 2 exactly the same. Spend some time reading back through this stuff, determine your budget, timeline, and how the truck will really be used, and come up with a plan. THEN start asking questions about something more specific.

Of course, if money is no object and you want it to happen ASAP, there's probably more than one or two who can give you a parts list pretty quick. Just remember truck will be down for a few days while you or your mechanic installs everything

 

Welcome to the top of the slope be careful it's a steep slide once you start and be careful of some of the guys here they like to push

Greg

 

Hughes torque convertor: $300
Prince of Darkness injectors: $400
Old Smokey BHAF mount: $40
Exhaust: $300 from Rip Rook or 12 Newcastle's
3200 RPM valve spring, Old Smokey fuel pin and pump tweaks: $40
A plain-Jane water injection system: $300 (Who was it that custom-made theirs? I think his was a lot cheaper?)

That should be 350, right? For $1,380? How far off am I?

 

Welcome to DTR, GM1276 If you want 350 at the wheels, it's gonna cost 'ya. Upgraded injectors--$400, upgraded turbo--$200, water/meth injection--200-500, and you're really gonna have to find a way to cool that charge air. If you can fab, a late model intercooler will run you a couple hundred on e-pay, then the associated piping...you'll kick the heck outta 4-5 hundred beans by the time it's functional. There's also a water-to-air setup for the 6bt that I'm looking into, but again, look to spend at least 5 bills. Soo, if you can set aside a couple grand, you'll get your 350 RWHP, and that'll have you in the mid 800's for torque Now, if you only want to spend a couple hundred bucks, pump tweeks and a hybrid turbo will get you about 250-270 at the rears and maybe 600+ torque, give or take, and that makes for a very fun daily driver...ask me how I know

greg

 

thanks for the responses guys. i havent found any info on old smokey products that some of you mentioned .. can anyone elaborate? the other thing im wondering about is a water injection system. Thanks for the help.

 

G1625S, about what you said getting 250-270 hp out of a 1st gen. diesel for a few hundred, could you elaborate on that? What im considering now is to put a set of prince of darkness injectors in, a new exhaust, and smokey's power pin, along with a bhaf and smokey's mount and a 3200 rpm gov. But would this be safe as far as engine rpm, engine heat, etc. ? Also, what kind of results could i expect from such a system?

 

You've really got to spend the coin for more air...the stock compressor housing on the non-i/c trucks is woefully small, and won't support much more than about 200 HP at the wheels without getting too toasty to drive. I'm guessing my truck puts about 240-250 to the ground...I could be off, but it seems reasonable based on what I've read on this forum, and the only mod I've spent actual money on that actually contributes to those hypothetical numbers is the HTT compressor upgrade. The BHAF is nice, but I think the stock filter will support 250 in a pinch. I still run the factory downpipe, as well. My pump is pretty well maxed, and my stock fuel cone is ground to within an inch of its life. The truck is a blast to drive. It's downright voilent in 3rd gear and pulls respectably in 4th and 5th, and still pulls down 20+MPG doing it You can certainly spend money on the items you mentioned, but if you're on a budget, the absolute biggest bang for your buck (IMO) is the HTT comp housing combined with all the free tweeks available to us 1st genners. Don't hesitate to send a PM to myself or anyone else here on the forum if you have specific questions--I've never run into a group more willing to help out/explain things
greg

 

Id like to throw down no more than a thousand on this project, so judging by those numbers, what do you think? HTT only has the 94-02 housings listed on their site, but since they price around 200 - 250, ill take a guess at that being what a 1st gen would cost ... so for 750-800 bucks, whats gonna give me the most results? I've been reading a lot about these upgrades but Im sure i havent seen everything.

 

for 750-800 you can hybrid-ize your current turbo (200) buy some pods (400? help me out here fellas, never bought any) and, of course, add gauges (2-300) When performing mods like these, a pyrometer is an absolute must, with a boost gauge being pretty handy.

 

Thanks for all your help, this sounds stupid but what is a pod? and what kind of hp and torque could i expect for that? Thanks again.

 

A "pod" is a POD typed without the shift key.

A POD is a Prince of Darkness injector; $400, ~400 HP, lots of black smoke, brutally effective.

 

ah, thanks for that, i knew it would be something obvious.

 

Well, wait a second; do you have an automatic tranny or a manual?

A $300 torque convertor is more-or-less required before you add too much power...

 

its a manual