HoldenHamilton

100% noob here. Just looking for a nice setup for a 5.3L. The motor came out of a 2003 silverado, roughly 100k on it. Going into a 1995 silverado 4x4 that I will be picking up for hardly anything. I have read hundreds of comments, and just need pushed in the right direction. I'd say my max budget is $2500. Would like to see maybe 400hp.
I do not know what type of heads are on the motor yet, but if they are clean I'm just going to keep them.
I plan on a cam, intake, fuel rails, larger throttle body, lifters.
Wish I knew more about engines, but I dont, this will be a learning experience for me. I'm not sure if I'll need to replace push rods, rockers, springs if I'm going to replace my cam. I don't want a real crazy "lopey" sounding cam. Just something like a stock corvette would have.
Anyways, what you you guys recommend as a set up for me? Any advice will be considered. Thank you in advance.




5.3L going in this truck.

76larkman

looks like a good project. whats wrong with just putting in as is. definitely have better power than sbc did with throttle body injection. if really want a cam i would call a cam company tell them what your doing. truck rv cam probably what you want. leave the truck intake on there. it has better torque curve for heavy truck. just shave the ugly off it. look it up on u-tube they look good when finished and it wont cost u if do it yourself.

HoldenHamilton

I think it will be an easy-ish project. But like I said, pretty clueless on what all needs to be replaced if I go for a larger cam. I don't know what any of the numbers mean on the cam sizes. I don't want to keep it stock because a few guys at work think they have some fast trucks. (Only stock trucks with mufflers and tips) so I'd like to shut them up on something I built and put together with a whopping $3k invested vs a $20k truck payment.
Also pretty clueless when it comes to heads too. Which ones are good/bad? Any good combos that could gain an extra 100-150hp is basically what I'm looking for. I'm not going to keep this truck for long, just a start for me to learn something new.

76larkman

if your not keeping it and dont know much about working on it. i would get a stock rebuild sbc in there. lots of changing in parts got to happen, let alone wiring to mess with. your budget will be gone in a hurry. headers/exhaust all the hoses, brackets to jive everything together rite. then fuel system work over. sit down figure it out. cam is expensive to do with all new parts. heads stock 799 0r 241 castings is what most are using. if want power step up to stock 6.0 with a cam

lumpy46

iirc Engine Masters did an article on various stock cams in a 5.3 and an LS2 cam made 370ish HP. it also costs less than $200.00 new and would use all stock pieces.....and idle rather smooth.

01SilveradoJakie

Brain Tooley Racing!! (BTR) makes an amazing cam for those motors! My friend out the truck can stage 3 kit which only cost $400 cam and springs and he gain merely 80 whp! They have super great help if you have any questions!