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Third gen 5.3 guys lend me your knowledge

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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 01:47 PM
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Default Third gen 5.3 guys lend me your knowledge

Hi all. I have an 86 TA that I'm putting a 5.3 turbo into. Car has a T56 transmission and 4.10 rear gears (too high I know). The info I have so far is to use the 317 heads with 6.0 head gaskets, 6.0 truck manifolds to start off the turbo hot side, probably an MP T70 turbo since everyone has a lot of success with them, and an LS6 cam and intake manifold. I am guessing injectors in the 60 lbs range from the info I got on here? I also plan on getting a magnafuel pump set up and running some nice new big steel lines from the tank.

The car has a BMR tubular LSx swap K-member in it now so clearence should be pretty good. I'm just wondering from those of you who have done it, is there any info you can give me as far as tips on how to get this to work in a third gen F-body? Any engine set up pics you have so I get an idea of how you ran the piping? Thanks all in advance. I want this swap to go as smoothly as possible and any problem areas I'd like to find out about now!
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 03:50 PM
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the swap is pretty easy. i just used the lsx swap spohn crossmember and motor mounts. im pretty sure your going to have clearance issues with the driver side manifold hitting your powersteering box. and on my car the passanger side hit the side of the engine bay. i had to flip mine up and ran the dp beside the motor on the passanger side and where the stock exhaust was.
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 04:15 PM
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^^imo should wrap those lines also. how is everything holding up to the radiation of the hotparts?
what exhaust manifolds did u use?
i have mine routed completely diff. and using diff. accesories also.
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 05:34 PM
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well everything remotely close i wrapped. and its all fine. i used the non-egr truck manifolds that came with my 5.3
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 07:35 PM
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Leave the 5.3 heads alone unless you have a high comp L33. The 317 heads will drop compression and won't flow any better. The stock 5.3 compression is fine with boost unless you're doing a max effort build. It will run better when not under boost and give you a little better fuel eco. There's nothing wrong with the 5.3L intake manifold unless it won't fit under your hood. I don't think the Ls6 intake manifold is a big improvement in a turbo application.
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by old motorhead
Leave the 5.3 heads alone unless you have a high comp L33. The 317 heads will drop compression and won't flow any better. The stock 5.3 compression is fine with boost unless you're doing a max effort build. It will run better when not under boost and give you a little better fuel eco. There's nothing wrong with the 5.3L intake manifold unless it won't fit under your hood. I don't think the Ls6 intake manifold is a big improvement in a turbo application.
The truck intake manifold def will NOT fit under the hood of a trans am, and I don't plan on putting an aftermarket hood on it. As far as the heads go, I'd really like to make around 500 RWHP and that was the reason for dropping the compression. This won't be a daily driver by any means, and will most likely be driven on nice days ONLY in the summer, so great streetability isn't a big concern.

And nasty86, thanks A LOT for the pics!! I thought I was pushing my luck when I asked for pics lol.
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by NightmareTA
And nasty86, thanks A LOT for the pics!! I thought I was pushing my luck when I asked for pics lol.
no proplem man. i knew theyd come in handy to somebody. it fits great in the engine bay with my car accessories. even running the stock k-member. but plan on buying a spohn tubular with in the next month
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by NightmareTA
The truck intake manifold def will NOT fit under the hood of a trans am, and I don't plan on putting an aftermarket hood on it. As far as the heads go, I'd really like to make around 500 RWHP and that was the reason for dropping the compression. This won't be a daily driver by any means, and will most likely be driven on nice days ONLY in the summer, so great streetability isn't a big concern.

And nasty86, thanks A LOT for the pics!! I thought I was pushing my luck when I asked for pics lol.
few guys have made 500+rw with 4.8 and 5.3 motors.
if going for budget build, use a c5 ls1 intake. they are sealed like the ls6. do not have egr bore. ive used them before with turbo budget motors. work very well.
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Old Nov 1, 2009 | 10:43 AM
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yeah ive seen quite a few people who have made 500+ hp on 4.8's and 5.3's
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Old Nov 1, 2009 | 10:17 PM
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i saw one fella running up to 15psi on a 5.3 pullout, 500whp should be the default minimum
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Old Nov 2, 2009 | 09:05 PM
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heard of a 5.3 shop truck making somewhere around 800....
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Old Nov 16, 2009 | 10:10 AM
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I've got a 2003 4.8 motor in mine with a stock set of 241's+spring and prods. Running a reverse split on a 116lsa, and a tc78 on a 9# spring. VERY easy engine to tune... motor has never seen over 4*kr it entire life. I bought it for cheap thinking I was going to just learn and tune on it and see if I like the turbo thing before I plopped my low compression 408 in there. Dont want to muck up that puppy.

the 241 heads with stock head gaskets and arp BOLTS brought the whole thing to about 8.8str. My Dcr however is 11.2 haha. very simple setup, engine isnt very strong out of boost, thats the only drawback... it acts like a low compression 4.8.
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Old Nov 17, 2009 | 12:21 AM
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Im sure you seen my thread... i made 528hp and 491tq at 14psi on me budget 5.3 setup..

317 heads, 02 ls6 cam, 7.425 pushrods, ls6 intake, MPT70/.96AR

made those numbers at 5500rpm... it drops like a rock aft 5500, after i get this issue figured out im sure it will pull 600hp no problem.

Last edited by 1BAD_LS1; Nov 17, 2009 at 01:14 AM.
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Old Nov 17, 2009 | 12:29 AM
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Originally Posted by 1BAD_LS1
Im sure you seen my thread... i made 528hp and 491tq at 14psi on me budget 5.3 setup..

317 heads, 02 ls6 cam, 7.45 pushrods, ls6 intake, MPT70/.96AR

made those numbers at 5500rpm... it drops like a rock aft 5500, after i get this issue figured out im sure it will pull 600hp no problem.
sounds pretty close to mine...317 heads, stock 5.3 short, ls6 cam and intake, tc76/.96 AR at 14.5 psi it made 527hp and 565 tq and didnt go past 5500 to help it live longer
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