more power please

so far i've added a flowmaster 40s series muffler, and k&n air filter. i have noticed the gain in performance... but what are some other things to give me more horsepower, and just over all power. what about a perfomance air flow sensor, throttle body spacer, or a hypertech programmer? which would be the best upgrades to make? any advice welcome.

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'04 4.8

I have been installing aftermarket stuff on trucks for 7 years. The best thing to do for power on a Chevy p/u will be a throttle body spacer. You will see improved low end torque and about 30 more miles to a tank. I WILL STAKE MY REP IN THE BUSINESS ON THIS!!

can u explain to me how these work, or some ones that are good to use. are they expensive?

The Hypertrech will also add some HP. But its kind of costly compared to the spacer. Also you can try some headers...I've heard the spacers on the new engines don't help much. I know they help on the old 5.7, but I could be wrong...

(what about a perfomance air flow sensor, throttle body spacer, or a hypertech programmer?)

OK to start out. Your K&N is going to be your best investment towards more horsepower.

As for a new Mass Air Sensor, forget it. You can get the same results by removing the wire mesh within your current sensor. I would not suggest this to anyone who doesn't have a K&N already installed. Plus if you get this you cannot get the Hypertech programmer. The two items are NOT compatible.

Throttle body spacers will give you a few extra HP, but not to much. In honesty I think it only smooths out the HP curve. It in conjunction with the K&N will give you a weird whistling sound when accelerating. Almost sounds like a turbo winding up. Some people don't like it.
As an added problem, if you have the K&N with the aftermarket air tubes going to your throttle body, you will have to remove your stock fan and install an electric fan. The spacer pushes the tube just far enough to hit the fan. I would suggest an electric fan anyhow. It is cheap and gets you about 5HP.

Hypertech programmer is expensive. That is the only problem with it. Other than that it is awesome. You should see immediate results. It however does work best with the 160 degree thermostat ($69 AutoZone) and a higher octane gas.

The choices are yours. Happy Truckin.

The throttle body spacers work by allowing the air to flow smoother with less turbulance. The engine doesn't have to work as hard to pull the air in. BELIEVE ME... it works. They only run about $100 and they are well worth it. They only take about 20 min to install if you have never done it before. Email me if you have any other questions about them I can explain if you'd like.

These things are great. The brands that I recommend most are the Airaid, Street and Performance or Jet. There are a number of them out there and they all really similar. The only main difference is the color. To tell you the truth I the horsepower can gain up to 22 hp. I just know that you will feel it in the low end and you will see a big difference in gas mileage. This was not meant to be a sales pitch but I just happen to have a brand new in the box Airaid for your truck. I know that they usually about a $100.00 I will let mine go for $75. Just let me know.

simple_country_guy,

where do you live? i live in canada so it would prob cost me more to have it sent here and with the exchange in currency. thanks for the offer though!

Would a throttle body spacer be a good investment for me to put on my 98 (below) 5.7 liter with 180,000 miles?? It sound pretty good and not too expensive either. :smokin:

Spacers work great on all trucks... it would be a great investment that would pay for itself in a short while... I am in KC, MO. You can also get them on line for about $100.

I'll have to look in to that, thanks.

Hypertech is a must if you ask me. HP and shifting points being modified is a must if you want any real performance. One of the best mods to go with any other mod you get.. the power you get from other mods can be setup and adjusted well with it.
Headers are a decent HP booster.
I say be careful with the throttle body spacers. I dont have one on my truck. Might be a reason for that.

Another thing to think about is a Venom Control Module. Ever stomped on the gas.. and noticed how long it takes for the engine to respond and give it the acceleration you desire? This speeds up throttle response, making it near instant when a Mustang tries to pass you and you want to spank its bum.

Id help more.. But im in Iraq.. and I dont get as much internet time as I wish ;)

DUDE DO NOT GET THE SPACER it is the biggest waist of 90 bucks. And so is that tronado intake, If you have any performance questions at all talk to me or go to LS1tech.com and get a screen name you'll always see me there and everyone I MEAN EVERYONE there will tell you the sapcer is junk and most these guys run 10-12 sec quarter miles in there silvy's and not a single one says anything good about spacers trust me i wouldnt blow smoke up your ass i have no reason to. The best way to get power to that vehicle is not done through bolt ons, they have very little to do with it all. The best way to gain performance is simply: Port and Polished Heads from the 5.7 or port and polished 5.3 heads, next will be a cam and with that alone you should touch the mid 14's, then add the nelson tune and you should see low 14's high 13's. Any questions just let me know or PM me!!!

I put a throttle body spacer on my '93 5.7. I bought the spacer and then I needed extentions for the fuel lines. When all was said and done....it looked kinda cool....there was no differance at all that I could feel. But, I did get to tinker with my truck and get my hands dirty...that has to account for something. On my 2000 k1500 I put on a K&N FIPK, removed the MAF sensor, and bought a Superchips programmer. Man what a differance. I'm thinking about replacing just the muffler with a Gibson or Borla. The factory stainless steel exhaust is fairly open except for the muffler. Plus I would just hate to replace the exhaust cat back and then find out I don't like it.

get gibson whole exhaust system i like mine alot

Do you have the single swept side or the dual out the back? And is it very much louder then the stock system?

Single swept side it was the most power producing exhaust they made

Not much louder at all it creates a nice hummmmm no Droning noise, that is real anoying especially at high speeds like highway!!