Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

Hey guys, im just starting this but I figured I would list the old specs and keep everyone updated on the new progress I will be making.

1991 S10

Old Setup:
355
stock vortecs
GMPP dual plane
Holley 600 vac secondary
Crane energizer (.454/216*)
Roller tips
Stock crank
stock rods
Forged speed-pro flat tops

TH350
auto/manual valve body
2200 stall

7.5"
3.42's
Powertrax




Just pulled the motor a few days ago.




.....and this is the new bullet, 2000 5.3


Plans for the winter:

-box the frame rails
-cage
-rebuild the rear end
-all new lines
-sheetmetal dash (maybe)
-decide how i want to fuel the 5.3 and drop it in


Its going to be a long project, but I will keep it updated.

s10-den

now I know you just didnt take out a good running v8???...haha

philntx

iTrader: (8)

Ditch the TH350, put in an AutoOD. You'll like it better in the long run.
Sell your old motor/trans.

Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

whooops

other s10forum.com-ers would call me crazy hahaha

Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

Does a 700r4 bolt up with the same spacers as a th350/400 does? I dont see why it wouldn't.

Carshopinc.com

iTrader: (5)

You can install a 700r4 behind the engine you will just need to either order a new converter with a ls1 specific pilot or order the spacer and bolts to accept a stock style converter. The next challenge is installing the tv cable and having it work correctly, I belive street and performance makes a bracket for this. Are you building this truck to just go fast or as a daily driver? I would keep the th350 stick a 3k stall in her and have a little fun.

philntx

iTrader: (8)

Slap in a 4L60E and let the computer control it. That's what comes with these engines.

Jhankinson

iTrader: (1)

Yeah 4l60e most def.

silver-mod-o

iTrader: (15)

why not a 6L ??? an LQ4/9 block would have gone in the same way...

Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

because I didn't want a 6.0, thats why.

silver-mod-o

iTrader: (15)

damn, a little touchy about it?? I have a 5.3 that I run in my fullsize, I wasnt hating on it, just wondering why if you were going with a whole new setup, why not maximize what you can get out of it with absolutely no more work.... thats my point...

Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

6.0's are hard to find (around here anyway), alot more expensive, and come with iron heads. Not to mention the slight decrease in fuel economy. The truck is going to see alot more street time than it used to and it will be nice to have a nice, smooth, quite, good mileage factory feel to it. The aluminum headed 5.3 will save even more weight and prob. weighs less than the AC, 4.3 that came in the truck. Heck, my iron headed 355 prob. weighed the same, after all the weight reduction the truck sat higher with the small block than the v6.

I didn't mean to come off as pissy, the 5.3 just makes a few things easier thats all. Im not looking for a ***** out pavement pounder.

Carshopinc.com

iTrader: (5)

Only early 6.0's were iron headed, 5.3 is a great affordable option.

ncd1966

iTrader: (2)

I seen a guy at the track with a 5.3 L S10 blazer and he was runn the stock cam and bustin out some 12.3 runs. not sure what tranny was he runing but. It was pretty quiet.

I say go with the 5.3 they make good power

silver-mod-o

iTrader: (15)

I think you may have been misinformed about a couple things....

there were only one or two of the erliest years of the 6L that came with iron heads. the '02 and newer motors had 317 heads for the most part, which is a really nice flowing stock aluminum head. The physical dimensions of the 5.3 and 6.0 motor are absolutely identical and they weigh within 20lbs of each other.

The only difference in the swap is the amount of cubes in the motor. I wasnt trying to be a jackass or anything myself, I just like to make sure people in your situation are 100% informed. the extra cubic inches of the 364 allows you to be able to run a bigger aftermarket cam if you so please and still drive closer to stock... put a TR220 in a 5.3 and you have a pretty good lope and need a decent stall depending on LSA... same cam in a 6L gives you a nice thumpy idle and great off idle torque, making it a great driver if you dont want a big converter... and really good power for a light truck like an S-dime... I had a 327 S truck myself and went to a 4.8L not knowing much coming into it but after some research, I kicked myself in the ***....

as far as finding a 6L... look in 2500 and 3500 cargo vans, suburbans, box trucks and anything rated bigger than a 1/2 ton. only the Escalades and SS trucks had the LQ9 6.0 (higher compression rated at 345hp/380tp) and the rest had the LQ4, (lower compression... boost friendly ) either way you go in that light of a truck you wont be dissapointed... I'd just hate for someone to put all that time and effort into something and still not really have what you want... no reason you cant have a perfectly driveable gas friendly truck, that will kick the **** out of most things out there. Its all in the tuning, and the combo you pick...

silver-mod-o

iTrader: (15)

as far as making either motor a little better suited for a truck application... go over to performancetrucks.net... they'll get you straight

I'm making over 500 to the wheels with a 5.3 so I know they arent any kind of slouch, just more potential with the 6L

Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

I know they are the same outside dimension. And as far as weight goes, i wasn't comparing the 6.0 to the 5.3 so much as I was comparing the iron head to the aluminum head. However I dind't realize that the later 6.0's came with aluminum heads too, its a moot point though due to cost. A newer low mileage motor was/is out of the question and all 6.0's are expensive around here, newer ones even more so. If i were to get a 6.0 for what i spent on the 5.3, it would be a high mileage iron headed piece. The 5.3's are a dime a dozen around here (why, i dont know lol) so it was an easy decision, finding one with low mileage for a good price is easy. A 6.0 with the same mileage would have cost tiwce as much.

I dont mean to toot my own horn but I know what im doing, im just new to the lsx scene. With a stock cam, the truck intake, swap headers and a tune I think 12's will be easy as the truck is already somewhat of a track truck. With an auto, fuel injected motor and a big tire im hoping its a bracket racing weapon that i can drive over an hour to the track, i wouldn't even think of doing that with my old carbed motor.

silver-mod-o

iTrader: (15)

understandable... I just wanted you to know everything relevant to what you are doing. It really sucks you cant find a decent 6L for a decent price... have you tried car-part.com?? or the classifieds on performancetrucks.net? bunch of motors over there for sale all the time. make sure you get an '02+ PCM to run it on if you are using a truck PCM. I know that little truck can run dead ***** consistent 12's with a combo like that...

I daily drive my fullsize, extended cab, 5.3/auto truck every day. Take it to the track and I run mid/low 13's on street tires with no spray, on a nitrous tune... put the bottle to it and it'll go 12's as is, on the 255 wide street rubber... I'm sure you'll have no problems getting where you are trying to go... my motor currently has about 115K miles on it and runs like a champ every single day. as a matter of fact I'm headed to the local 1/8 mile track in about an hour and running in the bracket class... should do really well... I'm pretty deadly on the tree this year so far...

-Good luck to you man, I'll be following your build I have a back halved, rcsb '93 S10, thats already tubbed, 9", 4.10's, roll cage, aluminum interior, powerglide.... just waiting on the motor that I'm building for it to be finished up... forged 370ci, big single turbo, meth, nitrous, and street driveable with radio

Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

Thank you, id love to see pics of your truck.

Whats the reason for running the '02+ PCM? Im going with a stand alone system and i might get the computer from Jared at Current performance as i dont have one, it never even crossed my mind what year to go with. He said any computer from a lsx based vehicle would work.

silver-mod-o

iTrader: (15)

assuming you are going with a truck PCM, the pre 02's have some false knock issues, before you install that motor, it will probably be a good idea to replace the knock sensors... If it were me, I'd tune it SD, and have a single wideband instead of messing with narrowband stuff to control the a/f... it took me a while to get past this. of course, you can turn them down in the PCM, but then they wouldnt be doing their job.

if all you want is to run 12's, no need for a stand alone IMO. get a wrecked fullsize truck's engine wiring harness and just use what you need. if you get a newer 4L60/65E, you can do wonders with it via the PCM settings. I have a fully built FLT unit with a nice Yank converter, and the option of fine tuning it with a laptop is so nice... no dropping the pan to change springs/washers in a shift kit to make it how you want it. Fill in some cells, upload, and go... some people dont like the 60E variant transmissions but after I got a good stout built unit, I have had no problems.

some 8.1L marine injectors (42lbs) are a nice upgrade too or just the truck injectors for that matter (31lbs) there are a few "truck fuel system specific" things you have to watch out for when messing around with upgrades in that area unless you like to cut and splice wiring for each injector. Your stock injectors are 24lbs and will run out of steam quickly if you ever want to upgrade that cam and valvetrain.

..... just some thoughts rattling around on the top of my head...