Noob with a 1989 Chevrolet R3500 454 with performance upgrades

Hello just picked up a truck on June 5th that's been sitting under a shade tree for 5 years. Don't know much about the engine (454 FI?) no idea what I am getting into. Figured I would sign up here and enjoy the long ride ahead. Pictures are the day I picked it up, and then that evening when I gave him a bath. Hello all!

Welcome from up in the Panhandle.
That's a slick lookin truck.

Welcome

Welcome! Amazing what a bath does. I'll be watching the advice given about the 454 cause I have one to swap into my burb.

After the bath, that is a good looking truck!

Welcome to the forum from Oregon!

Welcome from Florida

Sharp dually!

Thank you for the welcome! So far, after the bath, I poured some fresh gas into the driver side tank; and flushed as much as I could out through the return line just behind the throttle body. I am most positive this is not the "best" way, but I got results. I have a few new inline fuel filters, definitely hesitant on where I should go from here. Previous owner put alot of money into this engine, increased bore size, cam, headers, and other terminology I am not familiar with. I know the guy personally, and saw the truck running all those years ago. He put roughly 1,000 miles on it and then, parked it under an oak tree. He said after he put the throttle body on, it didn't quite run to his expectations. There is an underlying reason as to why the truck was parked, but the matter is something personal on his end, that I would rather not bring up on the internet. Just to reiterate that the truck was running when it was parked.

Well, in my humble opinion, you have the near perfect truck to play with.

AKguy said:

Well, in my humble opinion, you have the near perfect truck to play with.

Click to expand...

Thank you, I am looking forward to it!

Welcome from Connecticut

Welcome and nice looking truck!

Sure would be nice to know cam specs, what pistons did he use, were the heads ported, did he up the pressure on the tbi, has the throttle body been modified, is the fuel pump stock or modified, has it been rechipped???????

It didn't perform in what way? No power, idle issues, starting issues, backfire,.........need some clues man

My hopes would be that he built a badass bottom end, crank, rods, piston, cam, blueprited, balanced, etc. If that was the case I'd simply shitcan the heads and tbi system and swap it to a carb setup with an 850 holley carb, vortec heads, jet it appropriately, throw in an HEI distributor, and probably get the extra 150 ponies that he didn't get with his **** tbi heads and throttle body.

It's been sitting for 5 years so at a minimum I'd drop the fuel tank, clean it out, put in a new fuel pump! Sure you may have got the truck to start however without addressing those issues your results are going to be mediocre at best!

If possible to give a lot more information on this it will help tremendously with the community trying to offer advice.

Final option would be to just sell it to someone on square body forum since its going to be a nightmare getting the issues sorted without detailed info

Welcome from the Buckeye State.

Beautiful truck , great shape , keep it stock keep it reliable.


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