Next reincarnation- 5.3 turbo

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Jakefromstatefarm

Master Mechanic
Feb 26, 2014
465
923
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The 6.0 thing is the same around here- they go for stupid money for Gen 3's and Gen 4's are generally going to be had buying a complete vehicle or $2k +
People have gotten wise to that as well..

I had to drive 2 hours and drop $1200 on a 230k mile 6.0... and it needs gone through because once I got it home and did a leakdown test... It's not great. It ran and drove but that doesn't always mean it will last a while.... So to save myself from pulling it again later.. I'll go through it now.
 
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64nailhead

Goat Herder
Dec 1, 2014
5,660
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Upstate NY
People have gotten wise to that as well..

I had to drive 2 hours and drop $1200 on a 230k mile 6.0... and it needs gone through because once I got it home and did a leakdown test... It's not great. It ran and drove but that doesn't always mean it will last a while.... So to save myself from pulling it again later.. I'll go through it now.
Leakdown usually is bad on an LS due to valve seal. If it's rings, then it will need an overbore. At the moment, the point I'm at in my life is that I don't intend to go though the bottom end of a stock LS ever, hence my comment that the next one is less than $500 and 10 minutes away. A quality valve job and good set of springs are not a waste of money AT ALL. If you want to spend money SBE LS's, then new oil pump, lifters and lifter trays.

Hopefully next weekend I'll have some reasonable results of a completely stock bottom end.


As mentioned previously, if the OP wants to rebuild one, then great, but if he's planning to put the boost to it, then he is one mechanical failure, i.e. fuel pump, injectors, coil pack, etc, away from blowing up the best built engine out there. No ring land/connecting rod/rod bearing is going to live at 15 psi, 6000 rpms and 16:1 AFR.
 
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fleming442

Captain Tenneal
Dec 26, 2013
13,046
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Hopefully next weekend I'll have some reasonable results of a completely stock bottom end

Translated into laymen terms is "I'm sending it on way too much boost and I'm leaving all the rods on the track from 200' to the 330' mark"
 
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87National

G-Body Guru
Apr 15, 2009
661
679
93
eastern SD
Where I live the junkyard 6.0’s go for a premium, a cored short block averages $1200. The iron block 5.3 can always be bored 30 over down the road. If I’m buying a used motor I’m still doing a partial tear down with heads removed for cleaning and inspection, I’m not going to take any chances especially on a higher mileage engine. So again, it’s better for me to just start with new stuff and make it the way I want it.
Complete, turnkey 6.0s start at $800-1000 around me.....200k+ miles of course. Running/Driving donors can be had reasonably....you just need to know where to look.

Sounds like you've made up your mind....sometimes I forget not everyone operates on a PBR budget like myself:). I've had good luck with untouched JY motors....so I'm going to stick with what works.
 
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mclellan83

Comic Book Super Hero
Jun 27, 2017
4,204
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Pgh, PA
Did I mention your eligibility for the buddy discount?
space docking GIF
required?
 
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Buster

Apprentice
Jul 26, 2020
72
227
33
PA
I decided to pop the oil pan and inspect my rod bearings, if the rod bearings are good typically the main bearings are fine.

Everything looked fine, I was ecstatic. Pulled the heads to replace the HGs with MLS jonnies. Decided to put new lifters and trays in it, since it was apart.

Disaster.

Ended up having to hammer the lifters out through the bottom. Fun times.

Since I was already that deep into it I decided to put new rod bearings in it. Pulled the pistons out. 3 of them had broken rings. WTF.

That's when I decided fck it and just ordered new pistons and rings.

Honed that biddy out with a 3 stone and slammed it back together.

At the end of it all I was actually happy all that dumb sh*t happened, otherwise I never would have found the broken piston rings. That wouldn't have been fun.

I absolutely enjoy the whole don't look at anything and slap it together method, but sometimes it does pay off to spend a little time investigating the situation.
 
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64nailhead

Goat Herder
Dec 1, 2014
5,660
1
12,060
113
Upstate NY
I decided to pop the oil pan and inspect my rod bearings, if the rod bearings are good typically the main bearings are fine.

Everything looked fine, I was ecstatic. Pulled the heads to replace the HGs with MLS jonnies. Decided to put new lifters and trays in it, since it was apart.

Disaster.

Ended up having to hammer the lifters out through the bottom. Fun times.

Since I was already that deep into it I decided to put new rod bearings in it. Pulled the pistons out. 3 of them had broken rings. WTF.

That's when I decided fck it and just ordered new pistons and rings.

Honed that biddy out with a 3 stone and slammed it back together.

At the end of it all I was actually happy all that dumb sh*t happened, otherwise I never would have found the broken piston rings. That wouldn't have been fun.

I absolutely enjoy the whole don't look at anything and slap it together method, but sometimes it does pay off to spend a little time investigating the situation.
This is how it starts.

LS = 'no love'

Throw that beech in the trash pile and grab another. If the cam bearings aren't spun then send it!!!! Falling in love with an LS is like watching a virgin at the wh*re house.

Lifter trays from BTR - less than $40, budget lifter $8/per, BTR head gaskets -$40; stock, reused head bolts - free. 20 psi and send it!!
 
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fleming442

Captain Tenneal
Dec 26, 2013
13,046
24,216
113
You should get one of these distributor/coil relocation packages:
Badass, fo'sho'.
 
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Buster

Apprentice
Jul 26, 2020
72
227
33
PA
This is how it starts.

LS = 'no love'

Throw that beech in the trash pile and grab another. If the cam bearings aren't spun then send it!!!! Falling in love with an LS is like watching a virgin at the wh*re house.

Lifter trays from BTR - less than $40, budget lifter $8/per, BTR head gaskets -$40; stock, reused head bolts - free. 20 psi and send it!!



Fourth Of July Wrestling GIF





For style points I did reuse my headbolts.
 
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