3406C needs more power... How would you start?

Hello all, I have a 3zj 3406C that is rated at 350hp and I am hoping to get some more power out of it. I believe it is a full mechanical (has a throttle linkage, no drive by wire).

I am admittedly very new to trucking & wrenching but am very eager to put in the time to learn how to do it right. What are your recommendations for first steps & other things I need to identify before moving forward?

Thanks in advance!

 

Thanks Diesel Dave! Appreciate the tag

 

Thank you much @wore out ... that sounds like my kind of advice! Last thing I want to do is create a ticking time bomb...

Before I do anything I plan on doing some "monitoring mods". My rig is an older unit with a fairly limited amount of instrumentation (1993 Ford L9000, 205k miles) so I've currently got a good boost gauge and pyro on order. My goals are not anything too crazy; If I can get a healthy 425-450hp while still maintaining proper reliability I will be a happy guy.

I'm sure each configuration varies, but does this sound like a fairly realistic goal to achieve with minimal mods?

 

Outstanding! I really appreciate your time & response.

 

I have not checked the AFRC yet, thank you for the heads up! As stated I do not have a boost gauge yet, so my optics are limited... But after doing some reading on the AFRC this is probably a great place to start. Interestingly enough I have never even seen a hint of dark smoke even under full throttle pulls...