My 99 1500 4X4 is about to get new rubber. I want 35 inch tires. The problem is the power levels. My 318 has a harder time with the truck with my new NV4500 transmission. This thing is like a three speed with a granny and overdrive. My goal for this truck is not to be a daily driver, more of a show-off truck to be driven on rare occasions or when I need a bully to pull with. However, I would like to retain enough fuel mileage to be able to drive it to off-road events out of state. So, here are the options I can forsee...

1. Take my 318, and buy a stroker kit. Hughes engine sells them, they run around $2,000.

2. I have an old 360 block behind my workshop. I could buy a stroker kit for it, and turn it into a 408 for a little more money.

3. I have seen several V10 engines on eBay. They can be had for around $800. This would need no souping up, I would just need the pcm and harness.

My favorite option is the V10. I am worried about terrible mileage, though. What do you think?

 

You will need a different tranny with a V10.

What you really need first is some 4.56 gears.

 

Have you looked into getting new gears, 4.10s or 4.56s would help you out a lot
My vote would be for the V10

 

The input shaft in the NV 4500 is different for a v8 and a v10

 

Your NV4500 should bolt up to a cummins. If you want good power and good gas mileage, I'd get a cummins. You can't go wrong with one. Don't get a gas engine. Diesel may be more expensive, but the mileage those things push-out compensate for that i believe.

 

Usually a cummins is the best choice, but like you said the up front cost will be way higher

 

You can buy alotta parts and gas for the price difference between a gas and a diesel. If you are driving this thing cross country, then yes diesel would be nice, but for a trail rig and some highway id go with the 360 (no tranny mods needed then).... and 4.56s

 

Remember the v10 and Cummins nv4500 has a different input shaft than a v8 4500

 

Thats why I said go for the 360

 

I would say 4bt cummins if you want a diesel if you want gas go with a 5.9l I had a lot of problems with my v10 and there wasn't a lot of aftermarket toys for it. But my 5.9l is a beast and I really don't have a lot of green into it. Also you can get superchargers later on down the line if you want to get crazy.