5.3 turbo build questions
02-06-2014, 11:16 AM
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5.3 turbo build questions Getting ready to tear down my 5.3 so I can start getting parts yo put it together. Ive been reading a lot but not seeing the answers to my questions. So what power will the stock internals hold, do I need to buy arp rod bolts and head studs, will ls6 heads work on a 5.3. Im wanting to put ls6 heads cam and intake on it. Im looking to just single turbo the motor but id like to have over 600 whp. Just need to know the ins and outs of everything before I mess something up or spend money I dont need to. And im not looking to spend a fortune all at once. So any help would b appreciated thanks
02-06-2014, 11:58 AM
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Everyone will tell you the internals will hold different hp #'s. Stock will eventually give when maxed out. Rod bolts would be a precautionary measure. Head studs will help with pushing water at higher boost levels. If doing a budget build check alper motorsports for budget studs. these guys run all there stuff in sandrails and buggys. The 243 heads will lower compression from 9.5:1 down to about 9:1 which will work better for boost. hope some of this helps...
02-06-2014, 12:06 PM
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One of the car mags did a article about boosting junk yard truck engines with cheap e-bay tubos. They were using what they thought was a 5.3 and made up to 1200HP before the ignition system couldn't keep up. When they tore it down, they found it was actually a 4.8. I think that article was called "modern mouse" and it was in HorRod or maybe Chevy High Performance...
Rod bolts are popular upgrades and seem to be 1 of few weaknesses of these engines. Not sure if head studs are necessary but I think the head bolts are "torque to yield" so you'll need new ones anyway.
Do you already have the LS6 parts? The intake is one of the best but a new aftermarket or custom ground one might not be much of a price difference if the used LS6 cam has an unknown history...
Rod bolts are popular upgrades and seem to be 1 of few weaknesses of these engines. Not sure if head studs are necessary but I think the head bolts are "torque to yield" so you'll need new ones anyway.
Do you already have the LS6 parts? The intake is one of the best but a new aftermarket or custom ground one might not be much of a price difference if the used LS6 cam has an unknown history...
02-06-2014, 05:05 PM
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What year 5.3 ? How many miles on it ? What year ls6 cam is it ?
2005 and up have the better rods and can handle more hp.
If it is a low mileage engine you might want to check the ring gap...They tend to be tight on some of them sometimes and can pop a ring land if they butt from the increased heat from boost.
If it is a healthy high mileage engine I would throw some ls9 head gaskets, a set of the cheap head studs, a good set of valve springs, install a really good fuel system, get a good tune and let it eat.
If it's a pre 05 engine it should be good for 600rwhp or so and a 05 up can handle 750+rwhp...Those are generalizations and depend on supporting mods.
Do a search over in the FI section...Lots of good stuff you can find there...Check out Denmah and sloppy mechanics for some low budget builds.
2005 and up have the better rods and can handle more hp.
If it is a low mileage engine you might want to check the ring gap...They tend to be tight on some of them sometimes and can pop a ring land if they butt from the increased heat from boost.
If it is a healthy high mileage engine I would throw some ls9 head gaskets, a set of the cheap head studs, a good set of valve springs, install a really good fuel system, get a good tune and let it eat.
If it's a pre 05 engine it should be good for 600rwhp or so and a 05 up can handle 750+rwhp...Those are generalizations and depend on supporting mods.
Do a search over in the FI section...Lots of good stuff you can find there...Check out Denmah and sloppy mechanics for some low budget builds.
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02-07-2014, 02:20 PM
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I remember a lot of people using the cam out of the LS6 powered Z06 Corvette...which is not the same cam that came in other LS6 engines. Do your homework before buying because I don't think the regular LS6 is anything special...