92 300 six
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Joined: Jan 2001
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92 300 six
Im in the process of trying to figure out what to do with my truck. I pull a 4500 lb. travel trailer and need more torque than what i currently have. I have installed 3.55 and it did seem to help some, but the truck still will bog down going up hills. The motor is basically stock with a 3" flowmaster exhaust and high flow cat. Is there a better cam out there that will give me the power i need? Or maybe a 351w is a better idea. I really dont like the idea of swapping out motors, but when you have to run the truck up to 70 down a hill to make it up the next then something has to change. Any ideas would be greatly considered.
Postmaster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,241
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From: Broken Arrow, OK
The 300 has lots of torque and no power. Power is what it takes to go down the highway. If you build a 300 to make the power you need you will probably lose the torque that makes them work so well at low speeds. If you gear it to run down the highway well, driveability and mileage will suffer. All these things will also be a problem with a 302 or 351(although to a lesser degree). If you are going to the trouble of an engine swap you might as well do a big block because that's what you need anyway. Unforunately, on a 92 an engine swap is no walk in the park. You are probably better off looking for a truck that has a more appropriate engine in it from the factory. A diesel would also be a worthwhile option.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 149
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From: Houghton, MI
Rockthunder,
Which transmission does your truck have? If its the 4spd manual, that transmission generally just doesn't do it for towing on the highway because of the space between 3rd and 4th gear. What I mean is If you are going over 55 with that transmission, 3rd is too low to downshift to, so your stuck leaving it in fourth and lugging it until you slow down enough to downshift to 3rd. I like the 4spd for wheeling and slow driving, but even unloaded it doesn't really cut it on the highway. The 5 spd manual or the auto are better suited for high-speed towing, so maybe instead of swapping engines you might want to think about the transmission. There would be a very noticeable improvement in towing capability if you swapped from a 4spd. manual to one of the others, especially considering the gear swap you already did.
Which transmission does your truck have? If its the 4spd manual, that transmission generally just doesn't do it for towing on the highway because of the space between 3rd and 4th gear. What I mean is If you are going over 55 with that transmission, 3rd is too low to downshift to, so your stuck leaving it in fourth and lugging it until you slow down enough to downshift to 3rd. I like the 4spd for wheeling and slow driving, but even unloaded it doesn't really cut it on the highway. The 5 spd manual or the auto are better suited for high-speed towing, so maybe instead of swapping engines you might want to think about the transmission. There would be a very noticeable improvement in towing capability if you swapped from a 4spd. manual to one of the others, especially considering the gear swap you already did.
Postmaster
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,241
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From: Broken Arrow, OK
A 92 would have either the 5 spd, AOD, or E4OD already. IMO, 4500 lbs is just too much for the 300 to drag down the highway on a regular basis. I've towed lots more than that with mine, but not regularly. The truck is capable, however it's easy for me to see how hauling a heavy load would get old with insuficient power to do the job.
