Great 5.3i build up guys! I would love a report on the gas mileage cruising at a steady 70mph.
BTW- stock GM LSx wires are good for well over 650hp
For the guy wanting to do a mid 90's ZR-1 engine conversion.... waste of effort IMO. They are more complex (4 valves per cyl), their parts are rare... meaning GM doesn't carry cranks/blocks etc anymore, they are wider than LSx series engine, and would cost much much more from beginning to end. They were built to rev.... whereas the truck 5.3/6.0 is built to make gobs of low end torque and carry it across the board. Get a 6.0/NV4500 combo from a dismantler as they were available in GM trucks in this form from the factory. car-part.com is a good place to start.
BTW- You can install a used '02 Z06 cam into the 5.3 ($100 in parts), mid/long tube headers, underdrive harmonic balancer $180, ported stock TB $60, some ported 5.3 heads ($1200 from Texas Speed and Performance) and get over 400hp easily with perfect stock idle and great driving manners. PCM retune mailorder is about $200 and with these minor mods would be just about all you need. I made 505flywheel hp on an LS1 with ported heads, larger 233/239 .600" cam, ported stock TB, LS6 intake, and UD pulley. Knocked down mid 20's mpg on the highway (T56 6speed with 3:90's) and went 20K miles without any issues except normal fluid changes.
If you want more power... how about the Synergy Motorsports twin turbo LSx kit for trucks: Synergy Twin Turbo Truck kit.... - LS1TECH
The turd only makes 545rwhp/575rwtq on 91 octane/12psi thru a 4L80E and 2500 series driveline AWD. On 18psi (91/methanol injection) it made 717rwhp/715rwtq. This is with a stock 5.3 block/crank, forged rods, forged pistons, stock unported 6.0 heads, 60# injectors, Bosch 420 fuel pump, and the twin turbo kit. Stock 5.3i engines are good to about 500rwhp... beyond that the stock ring lands on the pistons begin to fail.
BTW- stock GM LSx wires are good for well over 650hp
For the guy wanting to do a mid 90's ZR-1 engine conversion.... waste of effort IMO. They are more complex (4 valves per cyl), their parts are rare... meaning GM doesn't carry cranks/blocks etc anymore, they are wider than LSx series engine, and would cost much much more from beginning to end. They were built to rev.... whereas the truck 5.3/6.0 is built to make gobs of low end torque and carry it across the board. Get a 6.0/NV4500 combo from a dismantler as they were available in GM trucks in this form from the factory. car-part.com is a good place to start.
BTW- You can install a used '02 Z06 cam into the 5.3 ($100 in parts), mid/long tube headers, underdrive harmonic balancer $180, ported stock TB $60, some ported 5.3 heads ($1200 from Texas Speed and Performance) and get over 400hp easily with perfect stock idle and great driving manners. PCM retune mailorder is about $200 and with these minor mods would be just about all you need. I made 505flywheel hp on an LS1 with ported heads, larger 233/239 .600" cam, ported stock TB, LS6 intake, and UD pulley. Knocked down mid 20's mpg on the highway (T56 6speed with 3:90's) and went 20K miles without any issues except normal fluid changes.
If you want more power... how about the Synergy Motorsports twin turbo LSx kit for trucks: Synergy Twin Turbo Truck kit.... - LS1TECH
The turd only makes 545rwhp/575rwtq on 91 octane/12psi thru a 4L80E and 2500 series driveline AWD
. On 18psi (91/methanol injection) it made 717rwhp/715rwtq. This is with a stock 5.3 block/crank, forged rods, forged pistons, stock unported 6.0 heads, 60# injectors, Bosch 420 fuel pump, and the twin turbo kit. Stock 5.3i engines are good to about 500rwhp... beyond that the stock ring lands on the pistons begin to fail.
