88 3500 dually 4x4

[pcwillsie]

ok guys and girls it has been a while since i have been here and need some ideas. I just bought a 88 3500 454 dually and am looking for ideas for some mild performance upgrades. the truck has a tbi 454 turbo 400 and 205 and is running 4.10 gears. It has been lifted 6 inches but I am only going to be running 33 inch tires on it even though i could go up to 35. It is primarily original with the exception of dual exhaust with a flow master muffler. Ok thats about it let me hear some of those ideas.

[GmtGmt]

i think the best you could do is headers and a camshaft maby a holly performace throttle body

[pcwillsie]

[IMG]c:\users\phillip\picture\2010-07-06phonepics\phonepics146.jpg[/IMG]

[pcwillsie]

pics of the new 88

[grinch4om]

now that's a frikin monster...

[Matt Man]

Originally Posted by pcwillsie

pics of the new 88

are you sure thats a 88 not a 87?

[pcwillsie]

yes it is an 88. you could get the classic body style up into 89 or 90 in the one tons.

[Chionos GMs]

Imo ditch the running boards, the dual exhaust coming out the back, and those tie downs. Not a big fan of the red and white but a huge fan of 4x4 duallys!!! almost bought one. What tires you thinking of running?

[pcwillsie]

I could run 35 inch but i think i will stick with 33s so i dont kill my towing capabilities completely

[USSkoval]

Originally Posted by Matt Man

are you sure thats a 88 not a 87?

Looks like it was originally a cab&chassis model, the wheelbase looks a little short.

[pcwillsie]

all original guys. The reason it looks short is the 6 inch lift and possably the iphone picture. The truck has only 118 thousand miles on it and i bought it from the nephew of the original owner.

[pcwillsie]

also may look short it the pic because of the running boards. I have been doing a little research todayand think I have found the combo i am going to go with for better performance and may actually get me a little better mileage (maybe). First an edelbrock performer plus intake part # 3764, edelbrock performer cam part #2162 and a set of quality headers either edelbrock or headman. A blood enterprises custom chip for the computer and a CFM Technologies remanufatured T.B.I with adjustable preasure regulater. If anyone has run these parts please give me your opinion on them.

[USSkoval]

What's the wheelbase listed in the glovebox? I think yours was a cab&chassis model that did not originally have a bed. The wheelbase certainly looks a little short, lifted or not.

For the headers, the Headmans fit well on mine. For the chip, I would HIGHLY recommend Brian at TBIchips.com, he is very good. He can also tell you if a cam will be too wild for the TBI.

[pcwillsie]

according to the vin number the 7th digit is 4 which indicates it came from the factory as a 2 door truck. for it to be a cab and chassis it should have been a 0 instead

[Dieselwrencher]

Nice truck! I'm guessing that whoever lifted it altered the spring or something and it has the axle center line not where it used to be. They could have put the rear springs on the wrong side. I've seen that done before.

[pcwillsie]

ok guys here it is. the center line of the axle sit 1 inch forward of the center of the wheel opening. the lift springs are installed corectly (superlift springs have a sticker that says front on them) everything else is original about the truck. The reason I started this thread was to ask questions about performance upgrades not chassis questions. I appreciate all the imput but really would like to know if anyone has done any of the performance upgrades I have listed.

[grinch4om]

actually, I would contact Edelbrock. They designed the parts and could steer you correctly...my 454 is carbed so...

[willett]

sht kckr!!

[Dieselwrencher]

Have you thought about a cam upgrade to help it out?

[pcwillsie]

yeah one of the things i am looking at is a cam and intake swap but i would like to hear from someone who has done it to see how the liked the end result.

[pcwillsie]

so its been a while since i have got on here and have been doing a little work on the dually. I am putting a new painless wireing kit in it right now and have been getting tires and getting some other parts n for it. things have been progressing slow around here since we are in a major drought right now and i have been having to work at the ranch so much more after hours.

[GM72K10]

Originally Posted by USSkoval

Looks like it was originally a cab&chassis model, the wheelbase looks a little short.

This is how a C & C model 31003 looks like with a pickup bed. Yes in 1988 you could get a dually pickup truck old style or new style. Only year.

[USSkoval]

Originally Posted by GM72K10

This is how a C & C model 31003 looks like with a pickup bed. Yes in 1988 you could get a dually pickup truck old style or new style. Only year.

The OP must have one heck of an uncommon truck... I wonder how many were built.

[wyattglock]

I have an 89 R3500 crew cab dually with the tbi 454 and th400 trans. I recently did a top end rebuild and put in the Edelbrock 2162 cam with matched lifters, springs, and timing set. Made a huge difference! I haven't decided if I am going to flash the chip or not, but I might have to in the near future. I am still using the stock TBI, just cleaned it up and put on new gaskets. An adjustable fuel pressure regulator is in the works also, couldn't hurt. As far as headers go, I am running Flowtech long tube headers into a 3 inch dual exhaust with an x-pipe kit. After that I have two super turbo mufflers.

[wyattglock]

BTW, I also had a local shop remachine the heads. They installed bronze guides, hot tanked both heads, magnafluxed for cracks, milled off .005", and did a three angle valve grind. Cost me $319 out the door. Probably the best money spent on the heads IMHO.