Before I started on this expensive task I would want a baseline,see if you can get a reading of just what your truck is now putting out.
My take on the modifying for more power type questions is that if you are asking here what to do you are way behind the curve to start with. Now this does not mean you cannot educate youself in this area but it is a bad sign you are hitting up people on the street for advice in getting more power from your truck.
Most vehicles, including pickups, are over geared. They are not capable of pulling their rated capacity in high gear. This translates into overall poor performance when fully loaded. It would seem that proper gearing would put the engine’s RPM at the horse power peak at a speed just in excess of the normal road speed, i.e., 70mph. The GM 292 I6 engine was a very capable engine on mid-weight trucks for years carrying far in excess of the total weight considered here. But they were mated to 5/2 transmissions and pushed up to the governed limit(4,000 RPM) in every gear to reach hiway speed and held at near wide open throttle on level road and at wide open throttle on inclines. What gear ratio does the Silverado have? What is the engine RPM at 75 mph? Are the ratios close enough to easily drop a gear of 2 and with only a 10 mph loss of speed? And,I am very curious of the spectacular horsepower figures advertised by all manufacturers today. Most are certainly only attainable in short bursts. What does a Cadillac do with 536 hp after it reaches 70 mph?
Check this guy out: www.dieseltrans.com I know this guy and he is top notch. One of the best in the business. When you enter the site click on “Chevy site” and you will see everything you are looking for. He has an 800 number you can call and ask all the questions you want.
transman
Is Rod Knox saying that the 292 would be a good choice to tow this 10,000 lb fifth wheel, if the gearing was correct?
No. My observation is that most trucks today are over geared for good mileage it seems. If a 200 hp 292 could pull a fully loaded 2 ton rated truck with proper gearing the 6.5L diesel should easily pull a 10,000 trailer if also properly geared. A final ratio that puts the engines peak horsepower at about 75 mph in high gear would give the truck its greatest load carrying ability.
What is the engine RPM at 70 mph in high gear?
They make gear splitters for these trucks…An and-on gearbox that provides an underdrive or overdrive depending how it’s installed.
I have seen those gear splitters on cars but never on a heavy pick up. A gear splitter would be a great option on many pick-ups. A 2 speed axle might be better. The public will pay extra for big horse power numbers they never need but never even consider a great piece of equipment that makes their truck much more useable and economical. Detroit gives us what we want.
I remember this engine as I was with Chevrolet in 1997. I never had to work on the engine side but we kept one heavy line mechanic very busy with various driveability issues (usually resulting in a new injection pump)I don’t think this engine is one that can be called the pride of the fleet for GM (but better than the 6.2 for sure). At one time any thing that said “Diesel” on the side was either scorned or praised, the clock swung both ways.
If I live long enough I will probably be driving a one l diesel econobox of some type.
I have to agree with Fodaddy and OK4450.You can get alot more power and torque with reprogamming the computer.I’m not a diesel truck guy, but its seems that everyone around me, including the guys I work with are.I am amazed at what they have done to their trucks.Look into the Diesel 4x4 magazines.Gaining 50 horses[and torque] is not hard to achieve. This is not a shabby gain for a $100 programmer.
"I don’t think this engine is one that can be called the pride of the fleet for GM "
Maybe that’s why Banks lists nothing for the 6.5l. For the 6.2l (w/o turbo) they list a turbo kit, but no computer stuff until the later 6.6l. May not be a computer to play with??
I read with amusement the comments that " you can’t exceed the gvw of the truck period." I drove for a company that regularly exceeded the 72000 lb gvw of our tractor trailers by 40000 lb. and sometimes much more. The moist I ever saw was a single 43 ft. trailer with a 143000 lb. payload. That’s a 100000lb. overload. The loads were pulled with a 250 Cumming’s engine that was pretty much the industry standard of the day. (late 1960s} It did require careful, skillful driving.I personally pulled 110000 lb. of nickel with a Ford C850 single axle gas engined tractor.
I read with amusement the comments that " you can’t exceed the gvw of the truck period."
oldtimer, in order to qualify to drive an “oversize” or “wide” load, you first have to qualify, usually by driving a semi a million miles accident free. If you can go another million miles accident free, then you can qualify to drive one of those trucks with a 143,000 lb. payload.
The average amateur, who has never driven a semi, has no business exceeding the towing or payload capacity of her or his pick-up truck.
Even if you are right, and the truck can handle it, the OP probably doesn’t have the training or experience to make it a good idea.
Sometimes common sense isn’t enough to keep people from doing stupid things. I hope this isn’t one of those times.
The thing that always concerns me about these posts is that the subject is constraned to gaining more power or torque. It isn;t only the drivetrain that needs to be capable to be increasing loads, it’s also the braking system cooling system (which others have mentioned) and the chassis, including the tires.
Even if the engine will pull weight beyond the truck’s rating, and even if it will do so without overheating, and even of the tranny can take the load, can the braking system and the handling? Yeah, this is a fifth wheel and one can assume the trailer has it’s own braking system, but is that enough if the truck’s system is being pushed to the limits? And does that help the truck’s chassis keep control of the load?
If I were to err, I’d rather err on the side of safety and contract the haul or rent something more capable.
Sorry, but I’ll remain against this attempt.
Easiest upgrade is to trade your Chevy for a DODGE diesel, which can tow 16k.
Is the truck not rated to pull 10,000 lb?
I just got a kit from here. and feel i must have increased my torque by about 20…smoother ride, and it really pulls.