Goin faster.....

Now I know none of you upstanding citizens would ever do this, but I was cruisin one of the main streets in Tulsa earlier tonight for the first time and it was pretty cool, till this guy in a 5.3 got up next to me and gunned it. Needless to say, my 4.8 just didnt hold up to it. So now I've gotta get my truck to where I can atleast keep up with the little guys, lol. My truck is a 2003 reg cab 4x4 with a 4.8 as i stated. All it has that I know of is flowmasters, and thats it. I plan on getting an intake and considering getting it chipped after I get my ram-air hood. So I guess my question is really any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any help. Oh yea, wish me luck for tonight. (Its 2 in the morning here)

Nelson tune! www.nelsonperformance.com

get every mod I have in my sig, and 5.3's won't be able to touch you :iceslolan

Probably shouldn't bother with a TB spacer

Now I know none of you upstanding citizens would ever do this, but I was cruisin one of the main streets in Tulsa earlier tonight for the first time and it was pretty cool, till this guy in a 5.3 got up next to me and gunned it. Needless to say, my 4.8 just didnt hold up to it. So now I've gotta get my truck to where I can atleast keep up with the little guys, lol. My truck is a 2003 reg cab 4x4 with a 4.8 as i stated. All it has that I know of is flowmasters, and thats it. I plan on getting an intake and considering getting it chipped after I get my ram-air hood. So I guess my question is really any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any help. Oh yea, wish me luck for tonight. (Its 2 in the morning here)

Hey you live in Tulsa? That's awesome, i'm in Claremore, we should meet up sometime and cruise

Hey you live in Tulsa? That's awesome, i'm in Claremore, we should meet up sometime and cruise

do you ever go out to memorial? theres tons of fun to be had out there, lol

do you ever go out to memorial? theres tons of fun to be had out there, lol

Yeah go there quite a bit

get every mod I have in my sig, and 5.3's won't be able to touch you :iceslolan

That is of course unless the 5.3 has the same or better mods!!! :naughty:

i guess this takes care of the dilemma about which first, looks or performance. of course, the whole experience has done nothin but fuel my need for speed. lol

i guess this takes care of the dilemma about which first, looks or performance. of course, the whole experience has done nothin but fuel my need for speed. lol


It's addicting, fer sher. :smokin: :naughty: :grinyes:

i guess this takes care of the dilemma about which first, looks or performance. of course, the whole experience has done nothin but fuel my need for speed. lol

Remember: "Go before show" If you want an example of that, just remember Han Solo: "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

now my goal is to make it look stock cept for exhaust, and make it a beast in the motor. i just gotta find the money for this......

I've done exhaust and intake, and can beat a 5.3. I say this only based on one race so no offense to anyone. My plan was to make the motor awesome, but another project has me occupied.

it all depends on how much you wanna spend...

it all depends on how much you wanna spend...

Ain't that the DAMN truth!!!! It isn't cheap going 11s.....trust me!!! :evillol:

IMO, if you want to be fast bolt ons aren't gonna do much of anything. With bolt ons and a 5.3 you can prolly get to around 16 seconds 1/4 mile but seriously that isn't very fast. I wish I had not pissed my money on some of the things I have gotten. The only real power comes from inside the engine. Get a cam and timing kit and an intake manifold and that sort of thing for real power and speed.

IMO, if you want to be fast bolt ons aren't gonna do much of anything. With bolt ons and a 5.3 you can prolly get to around 16 seconds 1/4 mile but seriously that isn't very fast. I wish I had not pissed my money on some of the things I have gotten. The only real power comes from inside the engine. Get a cam and timing kit and an intake manifold and that sort of thing for real power and speed.

not to thread jack, but what kind of air horn do you have, where did you get it, and how much was it?

The guy at the Tech Lane had the best one yet...

"Time is money.. :evillol: . Time is Money... :smokin: .."

IMO, if you want to be fast bolt ons aren't gonna do much of anything. With bolt ons and a 5.3 you can prolly get to around 16 seconds 1/4 mile but seriously that isn't very fast. I wish I had not pissed my money on some of the things I have gotten. The only real power comes from inside the engine. Get a cam and timing kit and an intake manifold and that sort of thing for real power and speed.


Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go? :smokin:

um, maybe not as fast as slowprocess or jethro, but fast enough. i dont think anybody let me have somethin that fast, :lol:

um, maybe not as fast as slowprocess or jethro, but fast enough. i dont think anybody let me have somethin that fast, :lol:

Fast, what is fast????? :22yikes:

Last I saw Slowprocess is in the process of rebuilding the whole truck, inside and out! :sly: How fast will he be then!!! :smokin:


I have yet begun :iceslolan Cam in Feb then on to trashing the wallet with a turbo! :2cents:

it's time like these that i hate working in the pizza business. just not enough $$$

I had a POS when I was in college and for a few years after also. Went to a reunion and now all the other people who looked down on my ride asked where my ride is and they all said they were jealous. :pimp:

Your time will come..... :bigthumb:

10s will be fast enough for me....for a while anyway. :naughty:

10s will be fast enough for me....for a while anyway. :naughty:

Slowprocess: what else do you think it will take for me to get into say low 13's high 12's? (minus forced induction or spray)

Is that equation Cubes = HP = Speed???

Even with FI or Funny Gas you will hit a point of diminishing return on any engine. If you stay with the 4.8 you will hit it very soon. A cam, better heads, exhaust.... why not get the more cubes at all that expense?

Even Slowprocess found a gas leak :naughty:

It would be nice to upgrade to a 5.3 or 6.0, but seeing as I've just came up from the 4.3, I probably won't do that with this vehicle. Just wondering on what other upgrades I could do to hit that mark and beat the ricers by a few more car lengths :evillol:

Is that equation Cubes = HP = Speed???

Even with FI or Funny Gas you will hit a point of diminishing return on any engine. If you stay with the 4.8 you will hit it very soon. A cam, better heads, exhaust.... why not get the more cubes at all that expense?

Even Slowprocess found a gas leak :naughty:

Any suggestions on where I could acquire some heads and a new "smog legal" cam ( i know it sux but so does living by CA emmissions)

There is always a thread about cams on PerformanceTrucks.net. It could help to read a few threads and then give a call to one of those companies. I feel ya o nthe emmisions, we just got started with the sniffer cops on the road. Good thing is anything with the OBDII is just plugged in. A good programmer will cure that.

Good Luck!

yea, their is alot to think about when looking at a cam. Ive been reading around over at PerformanceTrucks.net and am still not sure what I would like to go with. So many advantages/ disadvantages to look at for different cams and componets.

I want a cam that keeps my daily driveability, uses the stock stall (for now) and gives me a good increase. I/ve been thinking of the Z06 cam, but there are millions to choose from and I'ma dumbass when it comes to lift and duration and all that junk.

Slowprocess: what else do you think it will take for me to get into say low 13's high 12's? (minus forced induction or spray)

I have a buddy in TX(user name on performancetrucks is 01Thunder) that has a single cab stepside with a 4.8L. He is now at or around a 13.8 on motor. What was said about the 4.8L only going so far on motor alone is accurate. He has done everything in the book to hit that 13.8. He has the same cam I do(Thunder Racing TR224), a 3000 stall, every bolton in the book, a cutout for the track, and has shed alot of weight off of the truck. One thing though is that he was running that time on street tires without much traction problems. I'm not sure how much headwork he has done, but there is always some to be gained in these heads for sure. You could also go up a hair more on the stall size(maybe a 3200-3500), but you really start messing with your streetability the higher you go(tranny temps start to increase).

With the mods listed above, you would be certain to be in the mid/high 13s, then add alittle dry shot for those "not so sure" races, and it would be very possible to dip down into the 12s. Now on your emissions....thats a field I don't know much about due to the fact that we don't have the laws here you guys do.

If you ever do decide to upgrade the engine, go ahead and get the 6.0L. The torque/power difference is HUGE over the 4.8L and very noticeable over the 5.3L. My goal for next year is to get the 408 rotating assembly, get my motor built, and go with either the new intercooled procharger setup or a nice turbo setup. I will probably use a small shot of gas out of the hole to get the turbo spooled up if I decide to go that route. Of course, my truck is on a fast track to becoming a weekend warrior only, but its nice to see the looks on peoples faces when you blow down the 1/4 like a build muscle car.

I want a cam that keeps my daily driveability, uses the stock stall (for now) and gives me a good increase. I/ve been thinking of the Z06 cam, but there are millions to choose from and I'ma dumbass when it comes to lift and duration and all that junk.

:werd: I'm in the same boat. I look at all those numbers and degrees etc. and I get a headache. I just want something that's gonna give me good performance for my daily driver (but then again who doesnt)

If you ever do decide to upgrade the engine, go ahead and get the 6.0L. The torque/power difference is HUGE over the 4.8L and very noticeable over the 5.3L. My goal for next year is to get the 408 rotating assembly, get my motor built, and go with either the new intercooled procharger setup or a nice turbo setup. I will probably use a small shot of gas out of the hole to get the turbo spooled up if I decide to go that route. Of course, my truck is on a fast track to becoming a weekend warrior only, but its nice to see the looks on peoples faces when you blow down the 1/4 like a build muscle car.

Hows the 6.0L on gas??

What do you guys think of an aftermarket throttle body? BBK makes one and I can't find any feedback on it. Worth the money? I'd ask about an aftermarket MAF but I've heard those are crap.

Hows the 6.0L on gas??


Are you asking MPG for a track/street racer???? :rofl: :lol2:

Sorry, the thread topic is going faster and that is a corolation that looks like, "Go Faster => Use more gas..."

In stock form the LQ9 gave me 16/16.5 HWY at best. But remember the LQ9 is the stock 345HP block. Actually my 93 Performance tune bumped up my HWY MPG to 18. But that also means I need to use 93 oct to keep it from pinging when I jump it. If I know I won't get on it on the HWY I can use 89/90 and get better cost/mpg.

Hows the 6.0L on gas??

You really don't want to know how bad my truck is on gas. To be perfectly honest though, I haven't actually sat down and did the numbers. I don't think there's any way to truly be able to determine it though, due to the fact that its raced more than its daily driven now. The 3.73s have saved me alittle over going with the 4.10s, but the larger injectors, fuel pump, and spraying the wet shot all have a hand in burning more fuel faster.

sc_customs- Personally...I'm not impressed at all with the BBK quality of throttlebodies for these trucks. I've heard more stories about the butterfly sticking, etc. I would simply do a little dremel work to your stock TB(just clean it up a bit) and it will be all you need.

The Z06 cam is a very tame cam and is easily tuned for. You can also stick with the stock stall converter or go with a trailblazer converter(slightly higher than stock). Goshawk23 has that cam and he is making great numbers....in an extended cab. You guys will notice a slight pickup in mid-range/upper range power. Something more extreme(such as my 224/224) is much more for upper range hp and is more difficult to tune for. I'm on a 112, so my idle is very choppy and lopey(very noticeable and when you first have it you spend alot of time going dead when going into reverse).You also need a higher stall converter to make use of the mid-upper power gained.

Are you asking MPG for a track/street racer???? :rofl: :lol2:

Sorry, the thread topic is going faster and that is a corolation that looks like, "Go Faster => Use more gas..."

In stock form the LQ9 gave me 16/16.5 HWY at best. But remember the LQ9 is the stock 345HP block. Actually my 93 Performance tune bumped up my HWY MPG to 18. But that also means I need to use 93 oct to keep it from pinging when I jump it. If I know I won't get on it on the HWY I can use 89/90 and get better cost/mpg.
Well i doubt that ill ever be track racing or anything but its nice to know that the powers there if i want. When slowprocess said 6.0 i thought he meant the one from the 3/4 ton and i didnt even think about the LQ9 but that sounds like a sweet block!

Well i doubt that ill ever be track racing or anything but its nice to know that the powers there if i want. When slowprocess said 6.0 i thought he meant the one from the 3/4 ton and i didnt even think about the LQ9 but that sounds like a sweet block!

Mine is a 6.0L out of the 3/4 ton....the lq4. :evillol: I've got alot of headwork and thinner head gaskets to get the compression up there where I need it, plus I opted for the cheaper lq4 because I knew I was just going to upgrade to the 408 rotating assembly at the start of next year. The LQ4 can make TONS of power and is also a better building block for a forced induction stock block setup. The LQ9 is better if you are keeping the internals stock and wanting to have NA power.

This is the cam that will be installed in mine come Feb 1st. 226/228, 570lift, on a 114. I also need the Trailblazer TC like Slowprocess talked about. I want to get to 13.99 with just a cam and a tune. I will be changing the wheels to loose some weight and get some better traction. :banghead:

If I can save enough money by next year the goal is a Turbo. Performance and street manners in one package. Another truck just like mine pulled 12.8 with the same turbo set up I am looking at. Not bad when you get to the track and pound on those stains and f-bodies with a 5100# truck... :devil:

I bought this truck with all intentions of track and street performance. It starts with a 14 bolt rearend, the 4L65E, better but still needs help, and a 6.0L block. I saw this truck as a better starting point than buying a RCSB and gutting it to get where I wanted. Different approaches to different results. I also have 2 6yr olds so a RCSB would be hard to live in as a daily driver. :bricks1:

I love the fact that this toy surprises a lot of people with only a tune getting 14.7 sec 1/4 time. :naughty: :bananasmi And for Slowprocess to pull off the numbers he does is awesome. :smokin:

I'm debating on wether or not to sell my Z and get an ext. cab 2wd. I want to keep upgrading it slowly to get good power, and maybe a good 1/4 time. But for now, I like surprising people by kicking their ass with a Z71 when they're in a "sport" 2wd truck.

Also, what all would have to be done in order to upgrade to the Z06 cam?

I was also thinking of upgrading to a z06 cam, but there's a lot of people poo pooing it on another board
http://www.gmfullsize.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39648

All this talk about different cams is making my brain hurt. :banghead:

I'm debating on wether or not to sell my Z and get an ext. cab 2wd. I want to keep upgrading it slowly to get good power, and maybe a good 1/4 time. But for now, I like surprising people by kicking their ass with a Z71 when they're in a "sport" 2wd truck.

Also, what all would have to be done in order to upgrade to the Z06 cam?

Nothing but a tune for that cam really. It's a really tame cam upgrade but the results are good and you can pick the cam up for very little money. You might want to upgrade the springs, but its not a necessity.

This is the cam that will be installed in mine come Feb 1st. 226/228, 570lift, on a 114. I also need the Trailblazer TC like Slowprocess talked about. I want to get to 13.99 with just a cam and a tune. I will be changing the wheels to loose some weight and get some better traction. :banghead:

If I can save enough money by next year the goal is a Turbo. Performance and street manners in one package. Another truck just like mine pulled 12.8 with the same turbo set up I am looking at. Not bad when you get to the track and pound on those stains and f-bodies with a 5100# truck... :devil:

I bought this truck with all intentions of track and street performance. It starts with a 14 bolt rearend, the 4L65E, better but still needs help, and a 6.0L block. I saw this truck as a better starting point than buying a RCSB and gutting it to get where I wanted. Different approaches to different results. I also have 2 6yr olds so a RCSB would be hard to live in as a daily driver. :bricks1:

I love the fact that this toy surprises a lot of people with only a tune getting 14.7 sec 1/4 time. :naughty: :bananasmi And for Slowprocess to pull off the numbers he does is awesome. :smokin:

Hey, man. You should think about a higher stall than the tb for that cam. That cam is going to make alot of power in the higher rpms, so you'll really need a higher stall to make best use of it. I'm on a 224 right now, and I feel my 3000 stall is still a little low. Of course, you might want to stay in the 3000-3200 range to hold onto your everyday streetability. You'll also have to go up to the Comp 918 springs to be safe with that kind of lift. THey're rated at .600, so you would be safe there. You'll have no problems running in the mid/low 13s with that cam, a great tune, and a higher stall converter. I know you'll get some great numbers out of it, and I'm with you on the turbo!!!

All this talk about different cams is making my brain hurt. :banghead:

It's not that bad when you spend countless hours discussing cam choices with your buddies over the phone and while getting drunk. :iceslolan Trust me.....it wasn't that long ago it really hurt my brain to hear all these guys talking numbers and I felt like a complete dumbass. You spend enough time and do alot of research, and you'll be a pro in no time.

Hey, man. You should think about a higher stall than the tb for that cam. That cam is going to make alot of power in the higher rpms, so you'll really need a higher stall to make best use of it. I'm on a 224 right now, and I feel my 3000 stall is still a little low. Of course, you might want to stay in the 3000-3200 range to hold onto your everyday streetability. You'll also have to go up to the Comp 918 springs to be safe with that kind of lift. THey're rated at .600, so you would be safe there. You'll have no problems running in the mid/low 13s with that cam, a great tune, and a higher stall converter. I know you'll get some great numbers out of it, and I'm with you on the turbo!!!


Allen started the conversation about a converter but we have not finished that thought. I also need to take into account the future mod of turbo...

The reason for Feb on the cam is all the extra's parts(springs, pushrods, Troq Conv, gaskets,....) and a beater while the truck is down..... Oh how hard it is to wait to spend the cash. :banghead: :banghead:

First someone in TX needs to buy my 20" rims, caps, tires, lugs & locks from me. My truck needs to loose a little weight. Like the look but I want to get that tank under 5K pounds. :thinkerg:

All this talk of better times..... And the colder temp just makes me salivate :licka:

So which cam would be a good choice for what I'm looking for besides the Z06 cam? I'd like a higher stall converter, but I don't quite have all that understood yet either. I'm still new to all this heavy modding.

So which cam would be a good choice for what I'm looking for besides the Z06 cam? I'd like a higher stall converter, but I don't quite have all that understood yet either. I'm still new to all this heavy modding.

It really depends on what you mainly use the truck for and what you're trying to accomplish. Goshawk23 has touched 13s in an extended cab with the bolt ons, Z06 cam, and 3200 stall. He's got a 12 second truck on the spray and a good set of slicks.

Converter selection is very important. If you're wanting to do the occational racing but still use your truck for alittle mud(I see you have a Z), a z06 cam and a trailblazer converter get you some more track speed, but still keep you in the safe zone for everyday towing, mudding,etc. The converter size is what keeps your truck in the heart of the powerband your cam is rated for. My truck really starts making power after 3000rpms, so I need a higher stall converter to keep me at and above that rpm the whole time. When I cruise around and my converter locks at low speed, my truck really feels low on power. With a touch of the go pedal, my converter will flash up to where the cam makes power, and its off to the races. Also remember the higher the stall size goes, the more your tranny temps are going to want to creep up on town cruising, as well as effect the amount you can tow safely. Both the Yank and Fuddle converters are rated for stock towing, so they are definately options worth looking into. I love my TCI, but do remember that I tow NOTHING and that my converter was built with the intention of running in a car(even though my truck is light for a truck). It has held up over a year now, even with everything I've put it through.

Just take your time and ask yourself what you want to do. You don't want to be swapping parts out every other day because you want something else(trust me....been there done that!!!!)

Your stall needs to match your power curve. If you have a stall outside of the curve you are wasting power and building heat and getting frustrated!!!! :nono: :banghead:

IMHO if you still want to tow or mud you first need to find a cam that will provide the torque and power in the range your truck can use it with the gears and weight you have. Then ask if the stall you currently have matchs, if not get it changed or you wasted a lot of time and money... and blood on the knuckles if you did it yourself. :icon16:

Just a different way of saying the same as Slowprocess did. :2cents:

Well, I rarely even go muding in this truck, thats what my Ford is for. I just use it as a daily driver, and the most town driving is maybe once or twice a week..maybe. I live WAY out in the sticks and most of my trips are in excess of 10 miles.

I want a cam that will pull good, but I also want a little bit of an noticible idle (I know that may be asking for something I can't have)and I want to retain my fuel economy.
As for the stall, the most I pull is a 16.5' bass boat sometimes, and maybe some of my friends out of the mud when they get stuck. Other than that, its used mainly for on road, and the occasional trip to cruise dirt roads when I feel like chilling.

I'm debating on wether or not to sell my Z and get an ext. cab 2wd. I want to keep upgrading it slowly to get good power, and maybe a good 1/4 time. But for now, I like surprising people by kicking their ass with a Z71 when they're in a "sport" 2wd truck.

Also, what all would have to be done in order to upgrade to the Z06 cam?
I was thinking about selling my extended cab 4x4 and buying a z71 regular cab like urs. :biggrin:

Anyone know if the intake off say a LS1 Vette, Camaro SS, or Firebird would work on the Silvy motors? (4.8 to be specific). I was messin around on ebay just now and came across this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LS1-Aluminum-heads-Intake-Injectors-Ignition-Etc_W0QQitemZ8016646471QQcategoryZ33617QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
(hope link works)

I was also check out the heads. Interchangeable? Maybe? :dunno:

Some of those short intakes hit the pulley assembly, be careful. Unless you use the assembly from the same engine. The truck intakes are taaler and I understand they breath just as good as the LS1 intakes. Someone else was talking about the intake from an LS6.

I was thinking about selling my extended cab 4x4 and buying a z71 regular cab like urs. :biggrin:

Wanna swap??:icon16:

Wanna swap??:icon16:
i dunno Georgia's pretty far from Alberta haha... and besides i thought u wanted a 2wd?

Anyone know if the intake off say a LS1 Vette, Camaro SS, or Firebird would work on the Silvy motors? (4.8 to be specific). I was messin around on ebay just now and came across this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LS1-Aluminum-heads-Intake-Injectors-Ignition-Etc_W0QQitemZ8016646471QQcategoryZ33617QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
(hope link works)

I was also check out the heads. Interchangeable? Maybe? :dunno:

I would not suggest swapping over to the ls1-ls6 intake on a fairly stock engine. The truck intakes are designed with low end torque in mind, and the benefits of the car intakes would only really be seen in higer revving/ upper rpm cams. I'm going to swap over to the FAST ls6 intake due to my higher powerband and I feel the truck is falling off some above 6000rpms. I feel that the truck intake is muffling down some of my breathing revving up to 6500rpms.
You will also have to make some adjustments on your pulley system(a company sells a bracket for this application), and you will have to shave off some of the tube on the water pump.

Not to get off topic about cams and valvetrain, but anyone have anything to say about the Magnacharger Radix systems. I might be able to get my hands on one and I was wondering if anyone has had any experiences with these?

If you get a good price I would not pass it up. No matter what performance part you get there is a sacrifice or price. Blowers and superchargers are parasitic. So they draw away some of what they gain. :nutkick:

They are fun!!! :lol2: :evillol:

Can't let the thread die!!....

Just polished up the throttle body as suggested by slowprocess and man it made a difference. I know I probably didn't gain any hp or anything like that, but when I get on the pedal there is somewhat of a noticeable difference. I'm sure you guys understand what I'm talking about. Any one with a love affair with their truck would notice better acceleration, 1hp gain or loss.