Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Advice please oh wise 12ver's

[bbodammer]

Hey guys,



going to pickup my first 12v thursday night. It's a spare work truck for me, but still want to do all I can to protect it and upgrade it. What all is needed/recommended? ex. gauges, exhaust, intake, turbos, ect. It's a stock 94 that he said has been bumped up 10%. It's an auto(rebuilt 3k on it) with 4:11 gears. Thanks in advance

 

[BTighe]

KDP is the biggie. also, if possible, run a carfax. i ran my new 97 and it had a recall for throttle linkage. i remember hearing the early 12vers had an issue with frayed cables. no need to worry bout fuel pressure.

 

[bbodammer]

yeah this truck has been well maintained. All the recalls have been done and has records for maint. back to '94. What are good products for exhaust and such? It is bone stock and I just want to open it up a bit. It's just a work truck so maybe just a single piped alluminum system??? I just don't know which ones sound good on the 12v's. I will probably get an AFE for it as well just to start. Then maybe some transmission work. What is the fuel plate deal? Is that all you need to turn up the power? Sorry again for all the questions, but just starting to learn about these motors

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Killer dowel pin and clean, loctite, tighten the bolts inside the case.

exhaust manifold almost certainly has shrunk, replace it with a 3-piece before it breaks the ears of the head.

then consider power upgrades such as a TST plate, injectors, turbo.

 

[BTighe]

because my 12v is just for work i plan on nothing more than a plate. i would do a bhaf instead of an afe if you not out to race or after big numbers. i prefer the paper element and at less than 4 bucks, it a good deal. for exhaust, that depends. my 02 has a pretty banks kit that looks and sounds awsome. previous owner dropped the coin on that one and im glad! for this low power work truck, i just pulled the "resinator" and had a shop strait pipe from there to the tailpipe. sounds fine to me and with only 3", not as much drone as i thought. cost me 99 bucks and 10 minutes with a sazall

you will have to do the thing in front of the muffy yourself as its an emissions device so the shops cant touch it (legally) if you cut it out clean, they cant tell if it was a cat or resinator so theyre good to go.

 

[bbodammer]

Sounds good! I haven't really been under the truck yet, but since everything else is stock and it's quiet, I'm sure it's all intact. How about the low sulfur fuel... ok in these trucks?? I run the stanadyne in my '02, but not sure if it's needed in these. Also the fuel gauge reads different everytime I get in it, so I guess I'll drop the tank and replace the sender.