cruising speed

[tomdalrymple]

Once i get my brakes better, speed is my next issue. I suspect my truck has a 235, not a 292. It has a hei, but otherwise looks stock. When i first got the truck it was very happy cruising at 55. Any faster required foot on the floor, and the engine noise/vibration made much faster seem not a good idea. Top speed was around 65. It was turning just under 3000 at that speed. I figured gearing would help, so I put a T5 out of a S10 in it for the overdrive. Now the truck is much smoother, much quieter, but no faster. It basically seems like it only has enough HP for 55 or so. It will still go 65 if you have a long enough straight, but the highway I drive to town is two lane, and people stack up behind me. I'm not trying to make a hot rod, I just would like to be able to stay up with traffic without killing my truck. The engine seem solid, no smoke and no oil use. So far I've only checked the timing and full throttle. Both are OK. Is this normal for this truck, or are there areas i should be checking. I haven't done a compression check, but that is next. I really would like to keep the original engine. Anything these engines really respond to? Thanks