my family has a dodge 1500 ram with the 318v8 and it pulled 2 dirtbikes and 3 quads 5 hours away
but something funny happend the trans went out this winter [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

I thought the vortec (on the v-8s) came out in '96

 

In 1995, if ol's truck was a V8 its a 5.0 or a 5.7 throd. body not a vortech and you are correct bing the vortech design injection system did come out in 1996. Yaaaaaa, you are right about the ten horse difference in the 4.8 and the 5.3 the TQ difference isabout 30. The old vortech 350's were better pullers than the 5.3's, the 350 had a lot lower peak TQ rpm than the new motors. I can't rember rather its the bore or stoke but the current 6.0 V8 in the 3/4 tons and awd gm 1/2 ton trucks is basicly the old 350 (5.7), I think it was the stoke that was changed to make it a 6.0 from the 5.7

The 1995 and prior trucks took chip replacements and in 1996 the obd2 systems came out, at the same time the vortech's did, those could be reprogramed by handheld programers of varios brands, I always used hypertechs. I did'nt notice a whole lot of power gain but I hated those 100 mph govenors.