2000 silverado rclb to rcsb drag truck low budget conversion
#473
3.42 gears and 28s helps it out, but it could use more gear honestly. Steep hills around here make it drop speed easier. Not sure why its such a big deal I posted even my truck can spin the tires on the street. Just about any vehicle out there can. It's not like I said my truck with slicks smokes the tires down a prepped track. It's just a 4.3L but it does make its power down low, when I dynoed it the starting speed was the max torque of the run. It was only 200 foot pounds but it was more than I expected. Too be fair I don't have performance street tires, I have General AT2 tires. When I had BFG ATs it spun easier, those tires aren't as good as the Generals in any way. The first year or so it had Wild Cat ATs and with those cheap tires it'd spin way too easy. To the point I couldn't even give it half throttle from a stop. But with good tires its gotta be to the floor. If I had some of the tires you guys run it probably wouldn't spin at all on the street. But it's not a race truck, so I keep AT tires on it. It get stuck pretty easy with anything else. I'd almost run mud tires on the back but then it'd suck on ice so I figure these are a happy medium. I'm not gonna fill this thread with stuff about my truck so if you want to see the stock 4.3L truck and what little that's been done go to my intro thread.
I did check out your intro and welcome to the site. New members and keeping current members active are what makes this the best truck forum on the internet.......unless you own a Ford or a Dodge lol. So thanks for joining and hanging out and posting.
Just a quick note, threads like this get people all flared up.......and to make matters worse, there is absolutely no way to include or pass on the posters attitude when typing. It often happens that people take a post the wrong way or see it as someone bagging on their ****.......most of the time around here we all get along pretty good.
I do tend to get a little fired up when people with little power talk about "spinning tires", due solely to the fact that when I bought my 06 brand new with the 5.3 it wouldn't spin **** and it was optioned with 3.73's. Hell, my truck when I baselined it ran a 60' of something like 2.3xx seconds.......and that wasn't because it was spinning. It was dead hooking and just didn't have the nuts to do any better than that. I'm sure some politely tuned in torque management from GM wasn't helping the matter either.
#474
Maybe it's our roads here, you can't drive a mile without dodging pot holes. I've actually have a friend that was pulled over for suspicion of DUI because he was dodging so many pot holes in his car. Maybe the type of asphalt used isn't as good. A stock 900 truck with a 5.3L leaves black marks.
Thanks for the welcome. I was a member on FSC when people were still there. That site was great for years. I honestly think the members with money that were able do a lot to their trucks quit posting. Then everyone else is broke so can't contribute much. Then a bunch of idiots joined slowly, and now its dead. I recently joined LS1tech because I'm weighing my options of a 408 swap in either my CJ8 or my GMC. Currently funds are tight with my current job and a family of 4. Once my house and my loan is paid off I'll have money freed up. So far I like this site, not as lively as I had hoped, but atleast there's people actually posting. It's also nice to see people trying to run 15s still. I know most of you guys only run them on the track but its still a nice change.
Thanks for the welcome. I was a member on FSC when people were still there. That site was great for years. I honestly think the members with money that were able do a lot to their trucks quit posting. Then everyone else is broke so can't contribute much. Then a bunch of idiots joined slowly, and now its dead. I recently joined LS1tech because I'm weighing my options of a 408 swap in either my CJ8 or my GMC. Currently funds are tight with my current job and a family of 4. Once my house and my loan is paid off I'll have money freed up. So far I like this site, not as lively as I had hoped, but atleast there's people actually posting. It's also nice to see people trying to run 15s still. I know most of you guys only run them on the track but its still a nice change.
#475
wow... i've just ignored this thread for so long, i didn't realize how good it got!
but thinking back on it, i could occasionally spin my 31" michelin when i had the 4.3 with 3.73s and an open diff thanks to my 4:1 first gear
now that i've got a bolt-on 5.3 & 4.30s, even with the truetrac, i can roast the 33"s.
XR269 cam after this deployment will make it a little more fun, though
but thinking back on it, i could occasionally spin my 31" michelin when i had the 4.3 with 3.73s and an open diff thanks to my 4:1 first gear

now that i've got a bolt-on 5.3 & 4.30s, even with the truetrac, i can roast the 33"s.
XR269 cam after this deployment will make it a little more fun, though
#476
my sister had a stock 4.3 in a 96 pickup with a factory 4.10, posi and auto trans that would roast a factory sized Michelin. i think the later model 99+ is when gm went stupid with torque management.
we lined up my 2000 4.3 to her 96 4.3 and she left my ***. my truck was a 3.42 open but on a better performance style tire. i didnt have much of a traction issue unless i was standing on the brakes and gas.
we lined up my 2000 4.3 to her 96 4.3 and she left my ***. my truck was a 3.42 open but on a better performance style tire. i didnt have much of a traction issue unless i was standing on the brakes and gas.
#477
The TBI 4.3L had two different head designs. '87-'93 were basically the same as the 350 TBI heads. The. '94 and '95 heads used the same heads the CPI engines used, GM rated it 5 hp more than the older TBI 4.3L. But the '96+ is at 190 hp, while the '94-'95 is at 165 hp. The best setup with factory parts is a CPI cam, '96+ heads, and a marine carb intake with a TBI adapter. Based on the factory ratings my guess with a good tune you'd be at 210 hp. Or if you have deeper pockets you can grab Brodix heads or raised port GM heads with the GM cross ram. There's even a 2 piece block out there, basically the bottom is a giant main cap. The GMPP block can take a 4.145 bore if I recall. BDS makes a a 4-71 kit for them too. Billet cranks are popped out for them too pretty reasonably. I wanted to try out the 4.3L for a more involved build but the engine has nothing to offer. By design a 6 cylinder has a better exhaust pulse. But the 90 degree V6 was a shortcut to making a V6. Then there's also the big GMC V6 engines. They offer up to 478 inches but you're looking at a lot of one of parts and machine work to make a performer. I know that's what hot rodding is all about it but the only real advantage of those engines are the cubic inches. The GMC 302 is a bit outdated, although they can be flathead Ford killers. That only really leaves the Chevy straight 6 and Pontiac 250. The Pontiac is rare and except the head is a close copy of the Chevy. A 292 with lump ports and a PES intake can make 300-350 hp with pretty decent torque with the right cam. It does offer the advantage of being a straight 6 and would be quick. But for not much more money you can loose the advantage of a straight 6, get much better parts selection, and more cubic inches with much more power. You'd loose its s fast 6 cylinder bragging right but you gain "I have the fastest car here" with an LS. I just can't stand stock LS swaps. But with a super Vic and a 4150 throttle body I'll admit I'm quite intrigued. I was interested with a distributor drive and carb for my Jeep but I think I might hold off that day dream and think up a swap for my truck using an injected LS. Just did a quick price check, I'd have to call to make sure my warehouse can order like they claim but I can get the super Vic, 4150 throttle body, and super Vic fuel rail for about $1050 with tax and shipping.
Last edited by 94_C/1500; Aug 13, 2016 at 03:02 PM.







