5.3 ls motor potential

[megaladon6]

i suggest you talk to some people who have actually driven an LS car and/or actually done the swap. hell, do a search on this site. it's not a difficult swap, and it's not as expensive as it was. they now make parts specifically to put an LS in the g-body. and since the 5.3 takes all LS mods, that means you can swap the higher flowing LS6 heads and cam onto it. retune the ECU (usually worth 15-20% on a STOCK motor) and a dual exhaust, and you are well over 400hp, in a near indestructible block. there's a reason why the LS is so popular, why even ford and dodge owners are using them, why they've been around for 15years and GM isn't getting rid of them. and good luck building a BBC for $2k! unless it's a 396, and they're not worth it. plus the car will handle like sh*t!

 

[custom442]

megaladon, see this is where I disagree. I know a LOT of guys running 5.3's in their trucks. I've seen what they can do, I've seen bolt on ones, small hits of nitrous, turbo etc. And the only thing that impresses me is the turbo. It's ridiculously involved and too much time. I feel BAD for guys running bolt on 5.3's because I KNOW how much cash they put into them and theyre still turds on boxes with wheels. These engines need forced induction to get moving.

I guess it comes down to this -
If someone sat a g body running with a stock 5.3 or a stock 350 I would take the 5.3.
If someone sat a gbody and next to it was a 350 and a 5.3 engine. I would take the 350 and bolt it in.
If someone offered to pay for the 5.3 swap, I'd take the money and build something else.

AND to make 400 n/a hp with a 5.3 in order to save money or low cost is just dumb, a 383 will easily make 400hp with a lot less money, time, tuning etc. I have a 4.3L, I've tuned it extensively I've done a small tune for my buddies 5.3 crew cab, I know what goes into making power with a 5.3. You don't wana be that guy.

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree

 

[82Calais]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk9uU_3VHT0

Pretty cheap power considering all the variables - old school vs new school.

I don't know sbc or LS but I want drivability, fuel milage & power = Turbo for the win !

 

[liquidh8]

Fuel injection all the way IMO

 

[custom442]

Buy a 5.3 and put a turbo on it. Everyone seems to think its such an amazing thing to do. Can you IMAGINE how much time they've spent tuning this??? The fuel LINES and fittings themselves would be 80-120$. If you run non return. More if you run return. The pump another 150-200$. The wiring would be a mess and a harness and computer is another 300$. Mounts are more expensive, air cleaner/intake piping exhaust etc.

IF you had an entire truck to pick off of and you got the entire setup for 500$ go for it, the swap would cost you over 1000-1500$ in the end. But you don't.

my question is why wouldn't you buy an ls1 for 200$ more Or 6.0 L for 200$ more than that. Or 6.2L for 200$ more than that. Or 6.6L diesel for 200$.... you get my point though seriously the 5.3 is weak

En effing stock buick 455 has more torque than a tuned 5.3 on 6psi. And would only need a 150 shot to get that car to a 10 sec 1/4 mile.

I give up. twin teurbo 5.3's are awweesoom dude sweeet

 

[jrm81bu]

En effing stock buick 455 has more torque than a tuned 5.3 on 6psi. And would only need a 150 shot to get that car to a 10 sec 1/4 mile.

If it does, then the tune sucks. I don't normally quote magazines but in one of my latest they had a guy put a stock 5.3 in his Nova. Keep in mind this wasn't a magazine build. He ran 13.4x's with it stock, then with 125 shot went low 11's.
6 psi would be comparable to the nitous shot, and I don't see any stock 455 running bottom 11's. You said yourself that many people are overrating the 5.3, while that may be true, you are still underating it.

 

[FE3X CLONE]

Part of the issue with these engine's in the trucks is the amount of TM (Torque Management) that is programed both into the engine's computer and the transmission.

Most handheld programmers don't get rid of it all. I know my Diablo Predator took care of some of it and the truck felt much better but I then had it custom tuned and was able to get most of the TM removed from the engine side. The problem is that they haven't been able to hack the computer on the transmssion side. At least not with the Predator model (I believe they have a new model that can finally).

With my custom tune the truck is a night and day difference it both power and driveablilty. I have found however that to get around the TM, you need to alter your driving style compared to a traditional vehicle. Easing into the throttle gradually produced a much faster time than stomping it since the computer reads how fast your opening the throttle and if it's too fast, will kill the power to keep from shocking the driveline.

Now from a 65mph roll the truck is brutal for such a small engine.

Something else we need to keep in mind here. These 5.3L engine's are only 325cid and are able to make these heavy trucks accelerate really well. They are giving up 25cid to the 350's of yore in the older trucks but haven't given up any power or comfort/driveability.

There's also a few different power levels of the 5.3L. I know mine is rated at 315HP and 338ft/lbs. but I believe the earlier models were less.

 

[custom442]

En effing stock buick 455 has more torque than a tuned 5.3 on 6psi. And would only need a 150 shot to get that car to a 10 sec 1/4 mile.

If it does, then the tune sucks. I don't normally quote magazines but in one of my latest they had a guy put a stock 5.3 in his Nova. Keep in mind this wasn't a magazine build. He ran 13.4x's with it stock, then with 125 shot went low 11's.
6 psi would be comparable to the nitous shot, and I don't see any stock 455 running bottom 11's. You said yourself that many people are overrating the 5.3, while that may be true, you are still underating it.

If I am then I must. This guy is gunna go out and spend 2500-3 grand to do this swap and have headaches and wonder whats going on and go to start up his car and it wont start and he's got computer issues and grounds wrong or his tps is off or theres a short in some resistor or the speedo is taching weird speeds and he's throwing codes all over and one bank is lean or whatever. And everyone on here is going to say, hells ya that 5.3 rocks. when a 500$ 5.3 is not likely to have over 300hp at the crank. To get it up to a respectable power level he's going to have to get 500$ in bolt ons and 300$ tune and pretty soon he's got 4 thousand dollars in an engine that makes 350hp.

I have to be active in this thread for a reason. I've done things in the past I don't wish on other people. I've seen these engines in the real world many times like I say I know what they can do. You can put your videos and magazine specs out there but thats not on the street next to one. There is a HUGE difference in a 5.3 in the hands of a tuner and a guy just wanting a nice engine swap with upgradeable power in the future. HUGE difference.

....and how many people put 455's in a nova and run nitrous

 

[custom442]

These 5.3L engine's are only 325cid and are able to make these heavy trucks accelerate really well.

fe3x - is yours a 6l80e?

 

[81cutlass]

Gotta remember, most 5.3's you swap in probaly wont need a rebuild. If your putting in a SBC it will 75% of the time at least need a gasket kit if not more. Going to get an aluminum intake right? Better distributor? Rebuilt carb at least?

And if your spending $4000 your doing something wrong. If you have any decent fab skills $2000 is closer. $2500 to make more power. Your going to have $1000 into a SBC block and rebuild kit. $1250 by the time you put on other stuff. Yeah, the LS costs twice as much, but its driveability and MPG.

The SBC is easy, the LS gets the 'real life' points.