5.3 ls motor potential

[Trevor87]

If GM only put them in trucks then that would make junkyard 5.3s illegal to swap into any car. Crate versions are okay unless they state for truck use only.

Pretty sure GM put the 5.3 in some passenger cars as well. such as the pontiac grand prix GXP.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

5.3s from those cars should be fine then if you install everything, 5.3s from trucks or vans would not be okay.

 

[82Calais]

Clone TIE Pilot wrote:
But the main reason everyone is so pro 5.3 is marketing. GM, the aftermarket, and all those car mags are doing a fine job brainwashing car guys that they need to spend big bucks on LS conversions to make any HP. Everyone knows you need fancy EFI, computers, direct coil ignition, etc to make big power.


I respectfully disagree. Gear heads started the movement & created the demand. Aftermarket companies are supplying the demand. In the recent past options were limited for swap kits & parts. The demand has grown exponentially..... more companies are offering swap kits/parts.

 

[pencero]

You can build a 383 out of a crappy 350 and get off the line faster for less money. You are missing the point of the 5.3 which is gas mileage. With gas at $3-5 a gallon and all over the place, gas mileage is a big deal and the 5.3 is a reliable motor. What are people going to do if gas hits $5-6 a gallon and their 350's are on the verge of needing rebuilt? Suddenly their car is obsolete in an all out economic depression. The point of the 5.3 ls isnt just the power, its that you can choose to build a 300hp car and still get 21-24 mpg on the highway because it drops revs when you let off the gas unlike an oldschool 350 - 383... And you can program cruise control to a carb'd 350 but I'm sure it's much easier on the ls the wire is already there lol. Cruise is a big deal if you are going to do a cross country trip with the family it will save you at least $100-200$. The gas mileage possibilities of the ls pay for itself in just 1-3 years and it's definitely worth spending the extra money on if you have it! Why are you guys hating on the ls? I would love to swap 1 into my big body cadillac and get more mpg w less displacement wtf - just don't have the $ right now! It would manage my 4L60E with very little work!

 

[CWPottenger]

You can build a 383 out of a crappy 350 and get off the line faster for less money. You are missing the point of the 5.3 which is gas mileage. And you can program cruise control to a carb'd 350 but I'm sure it's much easier on the ls the wire is already there. Why are you guys hating on the ls?

You can attain the same with a 383 if you plan the entire powertrain from the start. Cruise control has been around on GM V8's for decades so it is not hard to have cruise on a built SBC, Olds,etc.

It is not that people are hating on the LS series it is just the "full court press" many give how the LS is the greatest powerplant ever built and it can "walk on water" to borrow a phrase. Also many mislead on the "true" cost and amount of work it requires to do one correctly. Simply put to build a Ready to Run NEW LS from scratch is at least twice if not more expensive then a Ready to Run NEW SBC from scratch with comparable HP/TQ ratings . NEW and SCRATCH are the key words. One can always find a used motor, wiring, computer, etc and save money but then you have an as/is build.

 

[pencero]

right. I like the sound of a 383 but I think it really depends what you're doing. If theres a 4L60E / 4L80E sitting in the engine bay I would probably just get an LS motor since that trans requires a computer & the wires are already there. If I was starting with an empty engine bay I would save $ and just make a regular 350-383! In the case of my Caddy the LS would be really nice, for the cutlass I will probably just get a 350 when time come

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

You can build a 383 out of a crappy 350 and get off the line faster for less money. You are missing the point of the 5.3 which is gas mileage. With gas at $3-5 a gallon and all over the place, gas mileage is a big deal and the 5.3 is a reliable motor. What are people going to do if gas hits $5-6 a gallon and their 350's are on the verge of needing rebuilt? Suddenly their car is obsolete in an all out economic depression. The point of the 5.3 ls isnt just the power, its that you can choose to build a 300hp car and still get 21-24 mpg on the highway because it drops revs when you let off the gas unlike an oldschool 350 - 383... And you can program cruise control to a carb'd 350 but I'm sure it's much easier on the ls the wire is already there lol. Cruise is a big deal if you are going to do a cross country trip with the family it will save you at least $100-200$. The gas mileage possibilities of the ls pay for itself in just 1-3 years and it's definitely worth spending the extra money on if you have it! Why are you guys hating on the ls? I would love to swap 1 into my big body cadillac and get more mpg w less displacement wtf - just don't have the $ right now! It would manage my 4L60E with very little work!

My 305 gets 21 MPGs and pumps out 240 HP and it's considered the crappy SBC. If I put on 059 305 vortec heads it would be 300 HP and still be 21 MPGs or better for alot less than a 5.3 swap. High CR (9.5 or better), good heads, and correct quench will ensure good power and MPGs out of a motor. Besides not blindly ripping out the CCC. I don't know how many times I saw people swap in low performance 350s with low CR and thick head gaskets that throws quench out of wack.

Don't forget that every aspect of these cars are outdated and obsolete and many are probably in need of frame and body repairs just to be safe to drive again. They will never be like newer cars, even with an LS they still will get out handled by cars not that much newer yet alone the current stuff. Not without a aftermarket stiffer frame swap since our stock frames are very outdated and designed only to handle 400 HP. Heck in 5 years 5.3 swaps will probably be considered outdated like LT1 swaps because there will always be something newer and better than what you have.

 

[Kansas Bu Wagon]

I don't understand why in every post that has to do with an ls engine people have to point out how terrible of engines they are, how dumb you are for wanting one and how their 350 is the best thing ever built.

This guy wants to know the potential not the downfalls of a 5.3.

I fear the day someone ask about ls swapping a cutlass on 26's. This place will implode.

 

[Qdub24]

I don't understand why in every post that has to do with an ls engine people have to point out how terrible of engines they are, how dumb you are for wanting one and how their 350 is the best thing ever built.

This guy wants to know the potential not the downfalls of a 5.3.

I fear the day someone ask about ls swapping a cutlass on 26's. This place will implode.

There are already plenty of those. If I didn't already have a built, big block in mine I'd probably be going the LS route too.

Here's an LS Monte w/an LS motor on 24s:

[youtube]xZfJXzOwXVU[/youtube]

Here's the Cutlass that you asked for:

[youtube]tJSh8OBbjZ8[/youtube]

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

I don't understand why in every post that has to do with an ls engine people have to point out how terrible of engines they are, how dumb you are for wanting one and how their 350 is the best thing ever built.

This guy wants to know the potential not the downfalls of a 5.3.

I fear the day someone ask about ls swapping a cutlass on 26's. This place will implode.

Because people always say how awlful the older motors like SBCs are in LS threads. Crap like you can't get good MPGs or power with them. Every swap is going to have it's cons as well as it's pros. Every group is never going to talk about the cons of their favorite swap and sticking your head in the sand isn't the answer.

The reason people complain about 22s is that they often compromise a car's handling and usually render a car unsafe to drive which affects other people's safety.