May 18, 2016, 06:10 PM
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5.3 to 5.7
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
From: AZ
An LS1 isn't supposed to go more than .010" over (yet some have...) but the aluminum 5.3L blocks can go out to 3.905" as well.
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
so the issue is just with the 5.7 block that cant be bored over extensively. so the 5.3 aluminum block can be bored over just as much as the iron block? im just wanting to make sure before i get into to it too much
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OH.. KC says it above... i was a bit late to this party.
ugh, the internets.... 
Well. Then you better go tell my 5.3 liter L33 (aluminum HO block) That's bored out to 3.878 that it can't do that! lol. It Can and IS done. You guys were listening to too much internet banter, and now vomiting it out as fact to this poor guy. I have the 5.3. I bored it, and it's great. I didn't have to buy 243/799 heads because it came with the motor. (smaller valves and lesser cam than a Z06) Paid $705 for the motor complete. 60K mile motor. Looked more like 30K miles. So.. For $250 in machining, A very nice set of very lightly used LS6 rods and Pistons ($160) new bearings and piston rings. $230. $200 crank assembly balance and then, I have a fully rebuilt bottom end to LS6 specs.. (add rebuild gasket bolt kit for $160)
Total cost (If I were to leave it at that) is $1705 for a Very nice rebuilt 5.7 liter That's pretty identical to a Z06 bottom end. And will make very nice wheel horsepower. reliably for a very long time.
That said. the 5.3 HO L33 is actually an outstanding platform for boost in its stock form.
Well. Then you better go tell my 5.3 liter L33 (aluminum HO block) That's bored out to 3.878 that it can't do that! lol. It Can and IS done. You guys were listening to too much internet banter, and now vomiting it out as fact to this poor guy. I have the 5.3. I bored it, and it's great. I didn't have to buy 243/799 heads because it came with the motor. (smaller valves and lesser cam than a Z06) Paid $705 for the motor complete. 60K mile motor. Looked more like 30K miles. So.. For $250 in machining, A very nice set of very lightly used LS6 rods and Pistons ($160) new bearings and piston rings. $230. $200 crank assembly balance and then, I have a fully rebuilt bottom end to LS6 specs.. (add rebuild gasket bolt kit for $160)
Total cost (If I were to leave it at that) is $1705 for a Very nice rebuilt 5.7 liter That's pretty identical to a Z06 bottom end. And will make very nice wheel horsepower. reliably for a very long time.
That said. the 5.3 HO L33 is actually an outstanding platform for boost in its stock form.
All LM7's should be able to go to the std bore of an ls1 5.7L which is 3.898" I have heard of some rare bird lm7 engine blocks that could not be bored to 3.898" because they failed the sonic test for wall thickness. I would imagine these blocks were just GM "defects" that got out the door. Never seen one personally though.
LM7's are iron blocks and are going to be as common as 305/350 gen 1 engines were in the 80's. They are the main engine platform for GM trucks and think it was said that there are 2 or 3 LM7's out in the world for every other version of lsx engines available in the truck platform!
LM7's are iron blocks and are going to be as common as 305/350 gen 1 engines were in the 80's. They are the main engine platform for GM trucks and think it was said that there are 2 or 3 LM7's out in the world for every other version of lsx engines available in the truck platform!
There's a thread in this section that the op talks about boring a 5.3 to the 6.0 bore and he said that at the 6.0 bore that 5.3 blocks walls were still thicker than a gen1 350's walls . It was just maybe 2 months ago ,,,,,I would'nt try it . But I would for sure do the 5.7 bore getting it sonic checked of course .
story is when i went to the machine shop i asked them if they have ever did a 5.3 to 5.7 before guy said yes.... i guess he thought i ment if they have worked on 5.3 and 5.7 i even told the guy it was a 5.3 and i needed it bored to 3.898... then he calls me and tells me he cant do it.... i told him to read this thread, he did a little reading and said that he would sonic test it for another 100 (im already up to 340 with boring, baking and tumbling, cam bearing, ect....) and that to bore it that far it would be another 60 so all together its 500. i guess im just gonna get a set of forged pistons for the 3.800 bore....
