Olds Bravada Project-any tips? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

lippsgarage · 10-29-2009, 02:06 PM

My daily driver is a 94 Bravada and i'm looking to run with it a little. Performance wise, it's a 4.3 CPI Vortech (code W) auto. I have a dynomax cat back kit on it, does alright. Only has 106,000 but being AWD it's kinda rough on the tranny. I'm looking to firm up the shifts a little and get a little more power out of it. I'm looking to do a K&N FIPK to it, maybe a msd ignition or something to liven up the spark, what else can you do to these? I've heard the balance shaft makes it tough to mod, I'm used to old school cam and intake swaps, but this has the molded throttlebody, and tips? I also have a kick ass stereo in it, and I'm working on some body mods (anyone want a luggage rack?) maybe a little drop kit and a set of 18" rims (tax season

) Also looking for a good painter in the Nashville area that isn't going screw me on price. Send me your thoughts!!

Jace

Damien · 10-29-2009, 08:59 PM

There are cams available to work with the fuel injection. You could do the k&n and add a set of headers. Supercharger? You are limited to the stock intake for the CPI. The ty/sy 4.3 made 280 hp with the turbo.

68C15 · 10-29-2009, 10:07 PM

I wouldn't waste my money with ignition upgrades unless you are either running 7000 RPM or adding boost/nitrous.

go easy on the trans unless you upgrade the reaction shell. the spline snout likes to break off under heavy load.

lippsgarage · 10-30-2009, 09:37 PM

not looking for monster power, just a little more at the stop light. I'm definitly looking at a shift kit and pulling ou tmy front shaft, some for fuel some for more power to the rear. Th eonly cam kit i've seen so far is like $800 unless i was looking at something else. How 'bout dress up? can i use any 4.3 valve covers and stuff? My monster project is my 79, i just want to have a little fun with this. Again, any tips would be great. I found a set of lowering keys for the front from stylinconcepts.com, and they say 2" or less you can still use origional shocks. Rear prolly be blocks, but it sags a little anyway, lol. Again, looking at rims this spring, or maybe a motor for my 79, not sure yet. also looked at a '09 suzuki c50 yesterday i may get for next season. Had to leave my other bike at home when i moved

anyway, update again when i can, gonna try and put on the m3 mirrors tomorrow and do some more stereo wiring. Still looking for a set of kick panels with speaker cutouts if anyone has some!!!

Jace

rennat_2006 · 10-31-2009, 03:00 AM

Corvette servo for the trans makes a huge difference and they are only like $15 bucks and a few hours install time. Ive got one in my 2000 Zr2 blazer and it was by far the best $15 dollars ive spent on it.

Dont bother with the k&N intake, Go on ebay and get one of the cheap ones off of there and just put a good filter like a k&n or airaid(i prefer airaid) on it and call it good for less than half of the price.

You could probably drop it atleast and inch with your factory torsion bar keys, I dont know exactly cuz all of my expirence is with lifting them with the torsion bars but i know we can get like 2 inches of lift by cranking the keys on healthy torsion bars. Cranking them up too high causes excessive angles on alot on the front end components and causes increased wear and alignment problems , same probably goes with lowering it going that route.

Like mentioned above dont bother with ignition upgrades because from what ive seen there isnt a real upgrade and it just causes problems because the msd coils and stuff tend to go out. With 106k your due for a tuneup, Distributor cap and rotor, Spark plugs, and spark plug wires. Stick with the Factory installed AC Delco spark plugs! Distributor cap and rotor dont need to be a certain brand but i stick with AC Delco on those too myself because if they are going to last 100k the little bit extra cost for them is with the price. As far as spark plug wires i went with 8mm Taylor Spiro-Pros, They were like $50 on summit when i bought them 3 years ago and they have moulded in boots so you dont have to worry about the wire ever pulling out from the boots. Ive taken mine off like 3 times since they were originally installed and they are still in great shape.

There are cams for these engines. You need to get your PCM tuned for the cam installed afterwards though or you may actaully lose power. Sending your PCM into one of the people who do pcm tuning online would get you some hp also.

lippsgarage · 10-31-2009, 10:00 PM

Did the tune up and helped with mileage more than power, but I think i'm losing some in the tranny. I'll look and see how much play I have in the factory torsion. If it was a 4x4 blazer I would lift it, but being the AWD Bravada, I'm gonna make it a street carver. So, lower a little and the bigger wheels will help there. How about brake upgrades? I've checked allthe major companies, ssbc, wilwood and such and can't find anything readily available. How close are the spindles for the 4x4 and awd? A simple swap or pretty involved. How bout a rear disc upgrade? I also heard about aluminum drums from a camaro being bolt on for better heat disapation and lighter as well, any thoughts? I'll leave the ignition alone and I'll look into the base kit for the intake. Cams I'll prolly hold off for awhile, at least till I get my other project going or decide on the motorcycle. Thanx for the help!!
Jace

rennat_2006 · 11-01-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lippsgarage

Did the tune up and helped with mileage more than power, but I think i'm losing some in the tranny. I'll look and see how much play I have in the factory torsion. If it was a 4x4 blazer I would lift it, but being the AWD Bravada, I'm gonna make it a street carver. So, lower a little and the bigger wheels will help there. How about brake upgrades? I've checked allthe major companies, ssbc, wilwood and such and can't find anything readily available. How close are the spindles for the 4x4 and awd? A simple swap or pretty involved. How bout a rear disc upgrade? I also heard about aluminum drums from a camaro being bolt on for better heat disapation and lighter as well, any thoughts? I'll leave the ignition alone and I'll look into the base kit for the intake. Cams I'll prolly hold off for awhile, at least till I get my other project going or decide on the motorcycle. Thanx for the help!!
Jace

I have never seen a real kit like you see for the newer fullsize trucks with the bigger rotors, calipers, etc. Ive heard good things about the EBC brake pads, They are alot more of a performance pad than oem. I believe it was the "Green stuff" ones ive heard about. The spindles/steering knuckles are exactly the same on your bravada as a regular 4x4 s10.

As far as rear disc upgrades, I think you have the 7.5" rearend in your bravada but you would have to confirm with the rpo codes in the glovebox. I havent seen any disc conversion kits for that axle myself just browsing the net but ive never actaully been looking for one, Thats something you can search for. But if there is no conversion for that axle i know that all of the zr2's from like 98+ came with disc brakes all of the way around. The zr2 axle is wider than your current rear axle, I Think but dont quote me it is 3" wider. If it is only 3" wider you could swap a zr2 axle which is a 8.6" with 3.73's and it would make your rear tires sit even with your fronts. All of the s10 platforms have the front end like 2.5" wider than the rear. I dont know for sure if the 98+ regular s10's got disc brakes all around or not so you would have to investigate more into that but if they did getting a rear axle out of a regular s10 would be the same width as your stocker.

I dont know anything about aluminum brake drums, never heard of them.

Damien · 11-02-2009, 02:10 PM

The '98 and newer blazers got duel piston calipers and I think rear disc brakes. I would think that everything should swap over pretty easily. For the front you will need the spindle, hub, rotor caliper brackets. You can't just swap the caliper. The al drums can be found on ebay or maybe in a salvage yard. They came on the light duty '80s B-bodies with the 5 x 4 3/4" bolt pattern and are a direct swap. The idea behind the the al drums is to reduce rotating mass. I was told they used to be popular for dirt track racing before rear discs became popular. One of the magazines tested some at the track a few years ago and claimed a small improvement in their 1/4 mi. time.
I have a set I was going to put on my s10, but have become a little discouraged with it recently and don't want to put them on.

10-29-2009, 02:06 PM	#1
lippsgarage Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 14	Olds Bravada Project-any tips? My daily driver is a 94 Bravada and i'm looking to run with it a little. Performance wise, it's a 4.3 CPI Vortech (code W) auto. I have a dynomax cat back kit on it, does alright. Only has 106,000 but being AWD it's kinda rough on the tranny. I'm looking to firm up the shifts a little and get a little more power out of it. I'm looking to do a K&N FIPK to it, maybe a msd ignition or something to liven up the spark, what else can you do to these? I've heard the balance shaft makes it tough to mod, I'm used to old school cam and intake swaps, but this has the molded throttlebody, and tips? I also have a kick ass stereo in it, and I'm working on some body mods (anyone want a luggage rack?) maybe a little drop kit and a set of 18" rims (tax season) Also looking for a good painter in the Nashville area that isn't going screw me on price. Send me your thoughts!! Jace __________________ 1979 Chevy C-10 1994 Olds Bravada Nissan Skyline GTR, Saleen S7, and 67 Shelby 350 Fastback (all on a traxxas 4-tec rc, don't laugh, it'll break 60mph!!!)

10-29-2009, 08:59 PM	#2
Damien Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Farmington, MN Posts: 928	Re: Olds Bravada Project-any tips? There are cams available to work with the fuel injection. You could do the k&n and add a set of headers. Supercharger? You are limited to the stock intake for the CPI. The ty/sy 4.3 made 280 hp with the turbo. __________________ I can still count my vehicles on two... wait three hands.

10-29-2009, 10:07 PM	#3
68C15 blood type; Retumbo Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: next to my reloading bench Posts: 10,269	Re: Olds Bravada Project-any tips? I wouldn't waste my money with ignition upgrades unless you are either running 7000 RPM or adding boost/nitrous. go easy on the trans unless you upgrade the reaction shell. the spline snout likes to break off under heavy load.

10-30-2009, 09:37 PM	#4
lippsgarage Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 14	Re: Olds Bravada Project-any tips? not looking for monster power, just a little more at the stop light. I'm definitly looking at a shift kit and pulling ou tmy front shaft, some for fuel some for more power to the rear. Th eonly cam kit i've seen so far is like $800 unless i was looking at something else. How 'bout dress up? can i use any 4.3 valve covers and stuff? My monster project is my 79, i just want to have a little fun with this. Again, any tips would be great. I found a set of lowering keys for the front from stylinconcepts.com, and they say 2" or less you can still use origional shocks. Rear prolly be blocks, but it sags a little anyway, lol. Again, looking at rims this spring, or maybe a motor for my 79, not sure yet. also looked at a '09 suzuki c50 yesterday i may get for next season. Had to leave my other bike at home when i moved anyway, update again when i can, gonna try and put on the m3 mirrors tomorrow and do some more stereo wiring. Still looking for a set of kick panels with speaker cutouts if anyone has some!!! Jace __________________ 1979 Chevy C-10 1994 Olds Bravada Nissan Skyline GTR, Saleen S7, and 67 Shelby 350 Fastback (all on a traxxas 4-tec rc, don't laugh, it'll break 60mph!!!) Last edited by lippsgarage; 10-30-2009 at 09:37 PM. Reason: typo

10-31-2009, 03:00 AM	#5
rennat_2006 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pasco, wa Posts: 111	Re: Olds Bravada Project-any tips? Corvette servo for the trans makes a huge difference and they are only like $15 bucks and a few hours install time. Ive got one in my 2000 Zr2 blazer and it was by far the best $15 dollars ive spent on it. Dont bother with the k&N intake, Go on ebay and get one of the cheap ones off of there and just put a good filter like a k&n or airaid(i prefer airaid) on it and call it good for less than half of the price. You could probably drop it atleast and inch with your factory torsion bar keys, I dont know exactly cuz all of my expirence is with lifting them with the torsion bars but i know we can get like 2 inches of lift by cranking the keys on healthy torsion bars. Cranking them up too high causes excessive angles on alot on the front end components and causes increased wear and alignment problems , same probably goes with lowering it going that route. Like mentioned above dont bother with ignition upgrades because from what ive seen there isnt a real upgrade and it just causes problems because the msd coils and stuff tend to go out. With 106k your due for a tuneup, Distributor cap and rotor, Spark plugs, and spark plug wires. Stick with the Factory installed AC Delco spark plugs! Distributor cap and rotor dont need to be a certain brand but i stick with AC Delco on those too myself because if they are going to last 100k the little bit extra cost for them is with the price. As far as spark plug wires i went with 8mm Taylor Spiro-Pros, They were like $50 on summit when i bought them 3 years ago and they have moulded in boots so you dont have to worry about the wire ever pulling out from the boots. Ive taken mine off like 3 times since they were originally installed and they are still in great shape. There are cams for these engines. You need to get your PCM tuned for the cam installed afterwards though or you may actaully lose power. Sending your PCM into one of the people who do pcm tuning online would get you some hp also. __________________ 1972 C10 cheyenne super -350/th350 Wifes truck 1971 Nova- 6.0l with some goodies and a t56, 98-02 camaro brakes all around, tubular control arms, etc 2000 zr2 blazer- rock crawler offroad toy, one ton axles and lockers front and rear. 2006 2500hd- 500hp duramax/built allison trans,traction bars, and some other goodies.

10-31-2009, 10:00 PM	#6
lippsgarage Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 14	Re: Olds Bravada Project-any tips? Did the tune up and helped with mileage more than power, but I think i'm losing some in the tranny. I'll look and see how much play I have in the factory torsion. If it was a 4x4 blazer I would lift it, but being the AWD Bravada, I'm gonna make it a street carver. So, lower a little and the bigger wheels will help there. How about brake upgrades? I've checked allthe major companies, ssbc, wilwood and such and can't find anything readily available. How close are the spindles for the 4x4 and awd? A simple swap or pretty involved. How bout a rear disc upgrade? I also heard about aluminum drums from a camaro being bolt on for better heat disapation and lighter as well, any thoughts? I'll leave the ignition alone and I'll look into the base kit for the intake. Cams I'll prolly hold off for awhile, at least till I get my other project going or decide on the motorcycle. Thanx for the help!! Jace __________________ 1979 Chevy C-10 1994 Olds Bravada Nissan Skyline GTR, Saleen S7, and 67 Shelby 350 Fastback (all on a traxxas 4-tec rc, don't laugh, it'll break 60mph!!!)

11-02-2009, 02:10 PM	#8
Damien Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Farmington, MN Posts: 928	Re: Olds Bravada Project-any tips? The '98 and newer blazers got duel piston calipers and I think rear disc brakes. I would think that everything should swap over pretty easily. For the front you will need the spindle, hub, rotor caliper brackets. You can't just swap the caliper. The al drums can be found on ebay or maybe in a salvage yard. They came on the light duty '80s B-bodies with the 5 x 4 3/4" bolt pattern and are a direct swap. The idea behind the the al drums is to reduce rotating mass. I was told they used to be popular for dirt track racing before rear discs became popular. One of the magazines tested some at the track a few years ago and claimed a small improvement in their 1/4 mi. time. I have a set I was going to put on my s10, but have become a little discouraged with it recently and don't want to put them on. __________________ I can still count my vehicles on two... wait three hands.



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.