Steve91T

To be fair, I'm talking about aluminum vs aluminum. The L33 vs the LS1.

The LS1 is very popular, light weight engine that can makes 325 rwhp with headers and a tune.

The L33 might be 20 lbs lighter than the LS1 (from what I've read, not sure if I believe it). It requires headers, cam and a tune to get the same numbers as the LS1. But it comes with LS6 heads, which are good.

A cam for the 5.3 will run, what, $800? And the 5.3 won't have the low end torque of the 5.7.

Plus, LS1's are pretty easy to find right out of Fbody's, which means they have nearly everything you need. The L33 will need a pan and accessories.


Is the real savings from the iron 5.3 which are dirt cheap?

Seems like LS1's are going for roughly $1800. L33's for about $800. But by the time you spend the money to get the little 5.3 up to the power of the LS1, you could actually have a stock LS1 which has more low end torque and room to grow.

My project will be a mid 90's E36 M3. 3200 lbs daily driver that'll rip up the road courses on Sunday and haul the family around on Monday. To me, torque equals fun, which is why I'm nervous about the 5.3

Learn me please.

Thanks,
Steve

ls1nova71

iTrader: (4)

Yes, the real savings is in the iron 5.3's. Also the LS1 is getting up there in age and finding low mileage ones is getting harder to do. The aluminum 5.3 is newer, thus easier to find in decent mileage. But in reality, it depends on what fits your needs best, because you're right, putting the pan and intake and all the accessories from an LS1 on a 5.3 does eat into the cheapness of the smaller engine.

Blackpony

iTrader: (6)

If you shop around and know your way around an engine, you can pick up a high mileage ls1 and rebuild it pretty cheap. I know where a high mileage take out ls1 is right now for cheap!

tfi racing

iTrader: (2)

Also depends on what part of the continent you are in.In some places especially the more north and west one gets,the chances of finding any LS1 in any condition are fairly slim to non-existant.

D_Eclipse9916

Steve,

I went through this decision (and the 6.0 Iron block as well) recently. If you can find a decent deal on an LS1 that runs under $1,800, it doesnt make much sense if all you want is ~350rwhp. A simple tune, cheap ls6 cam on an LS1 will do it for under 2 grand. If you are talking an agressive cam, new springs, lifters, pushrods, heads, than you are maybe looking at saving a couple hundred doing a 5.3 over 5.7. Not enough to fret about in the overall cost of the build.

I am headed down to Charlotte, NC from DC this weekend and have a good 5.7 longblock LS1 for sale....

nastylx

From what i've been told, (as i am new to lsx motors) is that not only are the 5.3's cheaper but can handle boost much better

garys 68

iTrader: (1)

Around here you rarely find LS1s under 100K miles and they're still asking premium prices. Aluminum 5.3s are not too common, but they generally ask a premium price. Although they can be found with relatively low miles.
For me the iron 6.0 and 5.3 was an easy choice for both price and milage. The only penalty is the 70lbs extra weight.

MustangLS

iTrader: (5)

I can only speak from my experience but I have a iron block 5.3 with longtubes, ls6 intake, cam swap ($500 for barely used cam, valve springs and pushrods). In a 3150lb car I went 11.40 @ 118 with a converter set up for nitrous. I never dynoed it but online calculators put it around 360RWHP or so and there was a shop that posted in the dyno section a similar 5.3 that put down around 380RWHP. I think the 5.3 is plenty capable of making good power. I'm sure a similarly modded LS1 would put down more it just comes down to what you start to put into it from the start.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

I paid $220 for my iron block 5.3 in running condition.

Slap in a $99 Zr1(or LS9) cam and $120 on pac1218 springs, and exhaust.

You've got over 325hp.

Have you seen the cam test car craft just did on a "Stock" 5.3? Suposidly engine had nothing but valve springs, cam, and Holley EFI.

The $99 zr1 cam swap alone netted over 400 crank hp.

Then spend the remainder of your savings from not going with an LS1 on a cheap turbo kit. Thats what I did anyway...

A_Pinstriper

iTrader: (1)

The 5.3 and 5.7 have the same stroke, so low end torque should be about the same on both of those engines.

1970camaroRS

iTrader: (8)

What are you smoking? They will both make nearly the same amount of power given the same mods. The LS1 is 346" and the L33 is 325". A difference of 21". That's not very much. The difference between the two engines will be maybe 20hp all other things being equal.

And a $800 cam swap? You're doing it wrong.

kelsey_canard

iTrader: (6)

A 5.3 is more of a hassle to get compression out of a if you're doing a n/a build. Pistons aren't as readily available for the bore, and they come factory with small chamber heads. But I agree for a mild cam build, not a lot of difference. For a max effort, a ls1 will have the advantage.

1970camaroRS

iTrader: (8)

And at that max effort point you start to run into wanting to use a 4" or more bore block. I'm mildly surprised that the cost of the LS1 hasn't come down very far now that people are grabbing up 5.3L or 6.0L engines and skipping the 5.7L. Plus LS1 take-outs are becoming very common.

Steve91T

Do you feel the weight if the iron 5.3 in the m3 would really be a deal breaker? I'm more of a corner carver, so I think 70 lbs on the nose would be noticeable. Thanks for the LS1 offer If this was next year, I might have taken you up on that.

For me, the weight is important. I have to figure out how important.

Good to know, thank you.

I love low end torque so I'm glad to hear this.

Drinking, not smoking. You have to understand that the Internet is full of crap information. That why I'm here. I'm interested in NA. Ideally, I'd like 400 rwhp, yet be very well behaved. I'd imagine I'd be pretty happy with 350 though. $800 for the cam swap is something that I read several times. The cam, springs, and pushrods add up. But obviously there are cheaper ways.

.

And a cam build is exactly what I'd be doing.



I appreciate all of the information. I'm planning a budget E36 M3 build next year. Part of that planning is figuring out how much things will cost. Weight is also a big issue.

I plan on taking my time and hopefully I'll find a deal on an aluminum 5.3 and put a mild cam in it. I'd also love to find a way to keep the 5 speed that's in the M3. It only weighs 60ish lbs and can handle supercharged M3s power. Im sure itll handle a mild cammed 5.3. Plus they are dirt cheap. I'm just not sure if its possible to mount it to the LSX.

I read someone's iron 5.3/T56 swap and gained 150 lbs in his E36. Too much for me.