'93 GMC 350 Dually 454, known problems?

[Diamondpilot]

I would not care if it was plated in gold. At the end of the day its still a 1993 truck with a gas guzzling engine and the value is the value. He is way overpriced. You can get a 10 year old diesel with 4x4 and 100,000 miles for about the same money. I just passed on a 1997 F-250 7.3L 4x4 Regular Cab Long bed with a Boss Plow for a asking price of $10,995 Its now gone and I am kicking myself. The guy sold it for $10,000. It had 102,000 on it and was XLT trim and looked like new. It had a new tranny as of 10,000 miles ago but to me that was not worth anything.

Chris

 

[Dargo]

He's asking $8,000. offer him $7,000. maybe he'll meet you in the middle at $7,500.

probably a 4L80E transmission, if so, that's another nice GM transmission.

Hey, go for it. Looks like nobody else is gonna fight you for it. Besides, if you think a '93 454 is worth 4 grand, send me a huge money order. I'll have a container load ready for you! I can buy the entire engines, completely rebuilt, for 2 grand! How many you want for the super bargain price of $3000?

 

[outfox]

This truck would be used for towing maybe once a week. I don't want a diesel. Owner says with MSD truck gets 17mpg highway. I'm sure it will be a HOG when towing. I figure I can buy a lot of gas comparing the price of a diesel truck.

I know KBB is much lower, I figure new tires $900, brake job $400, topper $400, etc., it all adds up.

Keep the comments coming. What better option do you think I could get for $8K?

 

[Diamondpilot]

If its getting 17 on the road it has a gear in it that will not make it much of a tow vehicle. Look into the rear end. You want a 4.10 or a 3.73 minimum both with a posi.

Chris

 

[Builder]

Hey, go for it. Looks like nobody else is gonna fight you for it. Besides, if you think a '93 454 is worth 4 grand, send me a huge money order. I'll have a container load ready for you! I can buy the entire engines, completely rebuilt, for 2 grand! How many you want for the super bargain price of $3000?

Maybe it was rebuilt with some better components than basic junk from Jasper? Maybe it was rebuilt using some nicer pistons, heads, rods, you know the performance parts that make more power than stock? They cost more.

You can spend gobs of money on performance parts. The guys I know with older diesels do it all the time to pump them up. I know guys that spend 5-600 bucks for a little electronic circuit board alone that helps them keep up with other trucks. Or lots of extra money on exhaust systems & intakes that make them breathe better.

You can do tons of stuff with performance parts that make engines more valuable.

We also need to remember that an engine doesn't jump out of the engine bay and go back in by itself. Most people can't R&R a 454 under a oak tree. So the R&R cost has to be added to the crate cost of the engine.

Just keepin it real.

 

[carpenter383]

If it has overdrive then yes it's a 4l80e which is a good tranny. (th400 with O/D) If it's a 3 spd then it's a th400 also good but will be worse on fuel. I'm not sure what year they started using 4l80e's but I'd say 93 or 94. The 454 will be WAY better for pulling than ANY 5.3. Yes it will use more feul and may not beat a 5.3 in a drag race, but there's no replacement for displacement. It will make alot of torque at low rpms compared to a 5.3 which is what you want for pulling. Also I doubt it has anything less than a 3.73 gear, If you really wanna know it's pretty easy to find out

 

[Builder]

The 454 will be WAY better for pulling than ANY 5.3. Yes it will use more feul and may not beat a 5.3 in a drag race, but there's no replacement for displacement. It will make alot of torque at low rpms compared to a 5.3 which is what you want for pulling.

Exactly. Anyone with a functioning brain would take a 454 for towing a big trailer over a 5.3L. Horsepower schmorsepower. Displacement and low end torque rule the roost when towing heavy.

Heck, GM was putting 454's in 26,000 GVWR dumptrucks, no 5.3L would ever find itself in a truck that big.

Funny 454 story....... Back in '99-'00 I thought I had a really "bad" Ford 7.3L F-350. It had the chip, intake, exhaust, blah blah.... dynoed about 290 RWHP.

Anyway, I lined up for a race against a buddy of mine that had a stock 454 dually 3500 and he just flat out waxed me. I figured I had more HP/TQ so I had to beat him.

Boy I figured wrong.....lol

 

[Bird]

Aaah, how things change. I bought a new 1989 C3500 extended cab dually to pull our 32' fifth-wheel travel trailer; 454 cu. in., 4.10 rear end, and a 3-speed automatic. If I drove carefully, I could get 10 mpg without the trailer and 6 with the trailer and the trailer was only running about 7,300 pounds on its axles and 2,500 on the pin. I made one trip to Alaska and back. Then I added a Gear Vendors overdrive. That jumped my mileage without the trailer to 12.5 mpg, but didn't really help the mileage with the trailer. But with or without the trailer, it was a real pleasure to drive with the Gear Vendors. And after adding the Gear Vendors, I made another trip to Alaska, had some terrific winds the first day of a 5 day trip, didn't exceed speed limits, but otherwise was pushing pretty hard and got 5.5 mpg on that trip from Dallas to Anchorage.