I've made a post on here before about my 1998 silverado and right now my situation sucks even more. A friend of my dads hooked my exhaust manifolds back up after my headers were leaking very badly. I just wanted my truck to stop smelling like exhaust. By the time I found this online forum my truck was already being worked on. Now fast forward 4 MONTHS later my truck still run like crap! For some reason that I can't understand when my dad's friend tried to reconnect the manifolds back to the pipes at the collector they would not connect and now there's a half inch gap from the collector and manifold. Please keep in mind that I had shortie headers on my truck and the exhaust is a true dual exhaust before. So now I finally have my truck back and it still runs like crap and skips, and also it's super loud and the inside smells like exhaust again. I'm assuming the skipping is from the burnt spark plug wires from before. So now I need a plan to get my truck back to running like it was before and I really don't know where to start. This truck was supposed to be my first performance build but listening to people that REALLY don't know what they're talking about or doing got me into the situation that I'm in right now. So now it's up to me to figure out a way to get everything back in working order. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also does anyone know of any good devices that can fix the speedo because I have 3.73 gears and my speedo is off. This time I am only listening to the advice I get on HERE!

Excellent, because the advise you get here is not going to be biased or aimed at making the advisor money.

Exhaust - take the truck to an exhaust shop and have them connect the pipes to the manifolds. Shouldn't cost that much.

Spark plug wires - Pick up new Borg Warner wires from the parts store. Also pick up a new cap, rotor plugs and coil. Replace them all AFTER the exhaust is fixed. With damaged, shorting wires you most likely damaged the cap and rotor, and this isn't good for the coil. On the plugs I suggest NGKs.

Speedometer - Will require a reprogrammer. You can send the computer out to have a tune put in, or you can pick up a Hypertech reprogrammer. Or, take it by the dealer. A 3.73 ratio was available for your truck, so they can stick a program in. The dealer would be the easiest option, and they may do it for a half hour's shop time.

Oil change, fuel filter change, add a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil to a full tank.

This should get your truck into running order for less that 250 bucks, then we can help you boost performance.

WOW!!! Thanks for the advise! I honestly thought it would cost me more. I would love to do the programmer because I do have the jet"lsd" chip in there but considering my current situation I may just go to the dealer like you said. I just wanna get my truck to run like it used to. Glad you told me about the spark plugs too! When I used to go to the parts store they generally talked me into getting the AC Delco Platinum spark plugs. I'm gonna stick with that plan that you posted.

Just listen to old uncle speeder and everything will work out.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

If you got a stock motor put the stock ac plugs in duralast wires are good as well and so is the duralast gold cap/rotor thats a profesionals advice

Agree for the most part, but I'm going to have to dissent a bit and say stick with AC-Delco cap, rotor, and plug wires (lifetime warranty on the wires). Get them through RockAuto using the discount code found over in the Classifieds section here. Have used the Delco and the BW stuff, and did not care that much for the BW when put side-by-side with the Delco pieces. On the wires, use the dielectric grease on the inside of the boots, don't forgo that step.

On the plugs, the NGK Iridium TR55IX plugs will idle noticeably smoother than the factory Delco Platinums. They last a long time and don't have the little round pucks which can come off like the Platinums do. Worth the money, IMO.

Here's the link for the discount codes. If you're not familiar, a lot of us on here get parts from them, so we keep a thread going with the latest discount codes. I just posted my latest one earlier today:

http://www.pacificp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=101134#101134

Thanks again guys. I will keep you informed. From all the info I've seen on here I know I can't go wrong here.

By all means ac delco is superior. I always like to put stock plugs back in and iv never had problems doing so. I work at an independent repair shop so iv seen and used a wide variety of parts.

Whipped383 wrote:

By all means ac delco is superior. I always like to put stock plugs back in and iv never had problems doing so. I work at an independent repair shop so iv seen and used a wide variety of parts.

The NGK TR5(i think) is a good plug.....BUT.....
the L31 in a marine engine uses the AC-DELCO platnium plugs and even the non platnium mr43-lts is a wonderful spark plug and hands down built more solid and constructed better than NGK.(just break one open and you will see... we ran over a bunch with a forklift to see who held up better)

We have had multiple times that a different marina used the Midas (Mercury's/Mercruiser's) parts look up program which has listed the NGK plug listed on it to go by for installing NEW spark plugs in a Boat for service. Well the motor comes with AC DELCO plugs from the Factory and ALSO the flame arrestor on the engine has right on it listed the CORRECT spark plug to use AC-Delco Brand.... This is for a reason.
Back to the "other" marina's installing the NGK plugs.... well some how after the NGK spark plug heats up it will create a mis-fire situation under load (possibly because its one bad spark plug in a batch). All we do is change over to the AC delco spark plugs and the issue goes away.
This has happened MANY times!
We have even had a few brand new engines(4-stroke outboards) that with NGK spark plugs have developed a symptom that sounds EXACTLY like a motor running out of fuel.... but its after the spark plug gets hot and for some reason just stops working. Unfortunately we put NGK right back in it but have seen a TON of bad NGK spark plugs with the same scenario get warm then quit.....

Whipped383 wrote:

By all means ac delco is superior. I always like to put stock plugs back in and iv never had problems doing so. I work at an independent repair shop so iv seen and used a wide variety of parts.

That's cool. I try not to come across as if I'm "correcting" anyone on here (sorry if I did), just personal preference.

Naw its cool It took alot of convincing for me to finally go over to the ngk on my truck even tried autolites for a bit but Im also far from a stock motor now to. Turns out the missfire issue I was having was tune related so tryin different plugs never made a noticable difference.

do you have a spare PCM? if so, the speedo cal is easy enough to have done. if no spare pcm, call a couple of tire shops that sell the 22's and bigger rims. they can probably set you up with someone that can help. if no joy that way, dealer. its easy enough in TCII. also, try a couple of 4wd shops if you have some. i do work for some of them around here and we do the speedo recal's for the 32's and up. sometimes takes a techII for the ABS....

No matter, I'm not offended. The main thing to pay attention to on the cap is that it NOT have aluminum lugs on it as the aluminum will disappear in short order. Aluminum is very conductive but every time the spark hits it a little bit gets burned away, far more than with copper or brass.

The Borg Warner parts work well enough especially if you're working a stockish engine, or just need to get it going now, and are about the best non-OEM parts you can get at a local parts store. They are generally the best non-factory part you can get in a parts store. And beleive me, the parts stores have some real crap available. When looking at factory parts, AC Delco and Delphi are pretty much interchangeable as AC Delco was bought by Delphi a few years ago. If you have the time, Rock Auto is definitely the way to go. I started using NGK plugs due to this board and have not had a problem with them in the past, but that's not to say that they can't have gone down hill.

On the JET thing, I'd toss that piece of crap in the trash. I wouldn't even try to sell it because I'd feel like I was setting out to screw the buyer. People that use the JET stuff normally start having wierd engine problems about 6 months after they start using them.

Speeder wrote:

On the JET thing, I'd toss that piece of crap in the trash. I wouldn't even try to sell it because I'd feel like I was setting out to screw the buyer. People that use the JET stuff normally start having wierd engine problems about 6 months after they start using them.

Speeder i agree completely!!!! Wow Very very very true!!! I would consider that The Very first thing to remove. I was thinking he said (JET DST) but upon re reading it I realized it was one of those go between POS things.
I would RUN from those very fast!
That's almost as bad as being married to a suicidal pathological liar two faced pitbull meth headed hiv infected crack whore!
Poor truck

stroker97k1500 wrote:

Speeder wrote:

On the JET thing, I'd toss that piece of crap in the trash. I wouldn't even try to sell it because I'd feel like I was setting out to screw the buyer. People that use the JET stuff normally start having wierd engine problems about 6 months after they start using them.

....That's almost as bad as being married to a suicidal pathological liar two faced pitbull meth headed hiv infected crack whore!

, I mean no disrespect to you or your truck, only to the JET modules that plug in between the ecm AKA lying machines.

I really didn't expect this much positive feedback guys. I took a quick look at my truck today and one of the spark plug wires is burnt in half! You guys are correct with the JET chip. It's a plug and play type chip. I thought it was doing my engine some good until I came on this site. lol. I'm really leaning on getting the comp cams fast flash tuner. Anyone ever used that tuner on here? Here's a link for it: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FST-170382/

I had the comp flasher the fast it worked pretty good till I had some more serious mods done the good thing about it was itd make cam changes. Im more than willing to sell it if your interested its for 96-97

that sounds nice but I have the 98 model. Would it work for that year?

Oh no it only works on 96-97 its not as generic as the hypertech one.