General Engine Upgrades

Hey guys I am new to this website and reasonably new to my '92 B2200 which i have owned for about 2 months, it's a 5 speed manual base model and it's certainly grown on me since I bought it, I have however been questioning after adding an HKS super power flow intake if there were any other cheap upgrades I could make to improve engine performance and fuel economy at a lower end cost or if I should stick with what I have as I am a starting auto service tech, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

is your truck carbed or fuel injected?

Fuel Injected

Fuel injected models are already maximizing fuel atomization. You might just run a fuel system service and replace the O2 sensor if that hasn't already been done.

Thanks for the quick responses and input I'll look into the possibility of servicing the fuel system, I have yet to try out my new air intake on the highway but the last time I was out there running stock I wasn't quite getting the power or responsiveness I felt the truck needed so hopefully I've gotten somewhere with that upgrade (as it was also a gift from a friend)

Possibly finding a good performance chip can help out quite a bit. Head over to lordco or your favourite parts dealer and see what they got for a reasonable price

Nothing helps quite like a good tune up, & check timing.

I gained some responsiveness by advancing my timing past stock settings, but I am at a higher altitude and can get away with more, but I retarded it back to stock because I could hear some pinging under heavy loads. All of this is done at your own risk as too much advance can cause detonation and kill your motor. FYI, I think I was running 2 degrees of additional advance over stock on a newer rebuild.

Fuel injected models are smoother than carb models, but they aren't performance trucks. They are geared high for truck use, that's what makes them a 1/2 ton vs a ranger or a Tacoma which are 1/4 tons.

If you want more performance you will need to get the engine more air and fuel, and a freer (sp) flowing exhaust. Bolt on for our trucks, that means a cold air intake, pacesetter exhaust, and F2T injectors.

The more timing you advance you need to run a higher octane fuel. I wouldn't run any more than 10 degrees advanced.

There is no such thing as a general engine upgrade on these engines that will give you much more oomph than a good old fashion tune-up.. The only way you'll get a lot more out of it and get your moneys worth is to go with a 12 valve head and get more air and fuel into it - like with ported intake and exhaust and a after market header.

These trucks are pretty much maxed out as far as performance by design meaning they are getting out what they can. Wholesale changes are needed to get more power, that's why a lot of guys swap in a Kia DOHC engine.

I'd suggest, since you just got her, drive her for a while and see how the little things help (like a full tune-up).

Turn the key and enjoy!!