ok engine geniuses, help please

[speedindevil]

ok, I have a dilemma with an 88 stepside w/350. Can I use my stock valve springs and put 1.6 ratio rocker arms on without any problems, assuming I don't exceed 5000 rpm? Also if I can, shouls I use rollers or solid tip ones? I'm still kinda new at this stuff but my plan is as follows: Chip, 1.6 rockers, 50mm throttle body/intake, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, 290 lift cam or so. I already have the exhaust breahting freely with headers and dual 2.5" pipes and dual flowmasters, so now I have to get it flowing in more, but I just need to know about the rockers for now. Advice is greatly appreciated so I don't blow my truck up. thanks

[v10_viper]

Go with roller tip 1.6 ratio, you WILL notice a difference in power. I wouldn't advise using the stock springs though, get some with a little bit higher pressure, or get some beehive valve springs, I don't know the pricing on them but I hear that they are unbelivably great.

[speedindevil]

ok, thanks for the info, you think I'm right with my process of upgrades?

[2000CAYukon]

What are you doing for heads? The stock TBI heads do not flow well so you may not get the performance you expect with the mods that you are doing.

http://www.tbichips.com/truckmods.htm

//2000CAYukon

[jveik]

yeah definately look into at least some trick flow heads or something, dont cam it too much and you're set

[v10_viper]

Originally Posted by 2000CAYukon

What are you doing for heads? The stock TBI heads do not flow well so you may not get the performance you expect with the mods that you are doing.

http://www.tbichips.com/truckmods.htm

//2000CAYukon

He could bolt up some stock Vortec heads and the intake manifold with them but that's close to 1000 bucks right there. The stock throttle body should fit on top of that, but if not Holley makes a higher flowing throttle body, I could dump so much money into bolt on accessories on my truck and it's a 92, so it's all about the money you want to spend. A 350 with vortec heads, roller rockers that are higher ratio, a mild street cam, and shorty headers would be throwin out more power than the 5.3's and 6.0's easy.

[jveik]

yeah i have a small block souping book that shows step by step what they did, and they used a stock 4 bolt 350, trick flow heads, comp cams Xtreme Energy 268 camshaft, 1.6:1 rockers, an edelbrock rpm intake with holley 750 double pumper, and some 1 3/4 inch headers and after they did all that they made peak torque of 423 lb/ft at somewhere in the 3000 rpm area, and peak horsepower of 416hp at i believe the mid 5000's rpm range, i dont have the book in front of me for the exact rpm, i just remember the power levels lol, naturally.

they said a good torque increase would be gotten with the smaller 262 instead of the 268 camshaft, with a slight loss of power over 4500 rpm, which dont matter much to a truck anyways lol, torque is the key for this venue...