I've got a 5.3 build in the works for my 84 Chevy C10. The block and crank are at the machine shop getting cleaned and checked over. I wanted to list off everything I plan to do to it and see what you guys think and get some feed back before I pull the trigger and get reacquainted with the UPS man

The 5.3 will be N/A and mated to a 4L80E transmission with a TBSS shall

5.3 stock block
5.3 stock crank
5.3 stock rods
OEM rod bolts
4.8 pistons
799 heads milled .030 for 10.5:1 compression
TSP polished dual spring kit w/ PAC valve springs and Titanium retainers
Hardened pushrods
Texas Speed 220/220 .600/.600 111LSA cam
LS1 MLS head gaskets
OEM head bolts
Stock 5.3 rockers w/ comp cam trunion rebuild
LS7 lifters
LS2 timing set
FAST intake manifold
1-7/8 long tube headers

Opinions welcome ��

Edit: I will not be installing a turbo so I changed my list up a bit.

 

This is what I would do in a high performance N/A or Boosted Setup. A N/A Setup will vary from a Boosted Setup.

What Gen Block will you be using? If you plan on Boost, plan on using ARP Main Studs along with your ARP Rod bolts. Don't forget to have the mains and rods line bored/trued when using ARP. If you are using a Gen3 Iron Block, I would use Gen4 5.3 Rods with the 4.8 Flat Tops, they are a stronger rod. Have the rotating assembly balanced as well.

Also, if you plan on doing Boost, do not over do it on Static Compression. Ideally 8.5-9.5:1 Compression is best for 10+ PSI. You can get away with 10:1 or a tad more with 6psi or less. If you plan on staying N/A, 10.5-11:1 Compression would be a ideal.

- 799/243 heads are a great choice, just remember to not over do it on milling the head and raising the compression if you plan on boost. I would also choose a head gasket thickness that will keep your Quench between 0.032"-0.038" for better burn and to help with knock. A 3.910" Bore, 0.040"-0.045" Compressed thickness head gasket is usually what is needed. Always measure first, you will need to know how far the piston comes out of the bore. Generally (-)0.005"-(-)0.008" is the more common, but always measure first.

- Good on valve springs, use their .660 kit with no more than 400 lbs open pressure for stock rocker arms. 155 lbs Closed/400 lbs Open is good.

- I would use Tick Performance 5/16", .105" Wall, Hardened Pushrods, or equivalent. The thicker .105" wall helps with distortion to reduce valve float and keep the valvetrain harmonics stable at a higher rpm. Always measure for pushrod lengh.

- I would have a cam spec'd from one of our sponsors using a Cam Motion Core, or talk to one of our sponsors, such as TheWS6Store, for an off the shelf cam. A N/A Cam will differ from a Boost Cam, so keep that in mind. I would also use a split pattern cam, for example a 218/226 .600/.600 112+3 LSA. The LSA on a Boost cam is generally wider, such as a 116 or 117. Also, Turbo Cams will vary slightly over Positive Displacement (Supercharged) Cams.

- OEM Head Gasket will be 0.051" Thickness, Cometic and Felpro offer different thicknesses as well.

- I would use ARP head studs over bolts in a boosted engine.

- Stock Rocker Arms are great, tho I would use a different Trunnion kit, Comp has had some early failures. Look into Straub/Smith Brothers Bronze Trunnions, CHE Bronze Trunnions, or TheWS6Store Trunnion kit which uses Needle Bearing Style Trunnions and New GM OEM Rocker Arms. TSP also offers a Roller Tip OEM Style Steel replacement rocker arm with a 1.72:1 Ratio.

- LS7 Lifters will work, I would also look into GM's CTS-VR Lifters, Morel 6504 stock replacement lifters, or Morel 5290 Link-Bar Lifters, if budget allows.

- LS2 Timing Set with LS2 Dampener, or new GM Sprockets/LS2 Dampener/Katech C5R Chain. You can also go with an adjustable billet setup as well as a double roller setup, I generally do not use those.

- FAST LSXR 102mm with a 102mm Throttle Body would be great for a Boosted Setup, as well as a Modded N/A Setup.

- American Racing, Kooks, or Stainless Works 1-7/8" x 3" Longtubes if budget allows. TSP Longtubes are a good budget friendly header.

-Depending on Cam Choice, and N/A or Boost, you will need a Converter with a Stall of at least 3,200 RPM. Boosted engines usually run around a 36-3800 Stall, and your N/A Setup can use a 3200-4,200 Stall.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share all that information 07NBSChevy

I guess I wasn't quite as ready as I thought I was for my build. I think after reading what you posted it would be worth it to just build it as an N/A motor and later on if I do decide to boost it I'll just yank it back out and rebuild it and make changes. I kinda feel like I'd leave some power on the table if I geared the build towards boosting it and either never end up doing it or take forever to do it if that makes sense.

Do you know about what compression ratio I'll be at with .030 milled off a 799 head, stock bore and 4.8 flat top pistons?

I've got a gen 3 block so I'll be picking up some gen 4 rods like you said, I didn't know they were stronger.

 

Don't overcomplicate it. Too many people here seem to have that issue.

Take pushrods for example (timing chain follows this as well, as do rocker trunions to a lesser extent). Valve spring rates and cam lobe ramp rates dictate how strong a pushrod has to be. Simple solution? Run a cam with sub .600 lift and a mild lobe so you can run cheaper single beehive springs and stock pushrods/timing set and stock rocker trunions.

Heads? Don't mill them. It will guarantee you need a different length pushrod, and will make it harder to swap heads in the future (thanks to pushrod length). How to keep it uncomplicated? Run the flat tops with 862/706 heads, this will give you ~10.5:1 compression. When you want to go turbo, swap to the 799/243 heads for 10:1, or 317s for an even further drop and keep your stock pushrods every time.

ARP studs are also not necessary. Stock bolts work fine 99% of the time. If you're that worried, run ARP bolts, they're much cheaper. The best time to really consider studs is with an aluminum block.

TSP or even Speed Engineering headers are great for the price.

 

I think maybe I'll just build it for N/A. Never had a turbo motor and don't know much about them, also I don't think I really want to make my C10 into a drag strip/street race monster. Just want some good reliable power that I can have fun with, which the 5.3 seems to be a perfect candidate for. After much researching it seems if I want big numbers then a 6.0 iron block would be the best to start with for the money.

My 5.3 came with the 862 heads, but I've read that they don't flow as good as the 243/799's. I'm looking for around 10.5:1 CR so with flat top pistons and stock bore I can either make my 862's flow better or get some 243/799's and have them milled down, which then would mean I'd have to get a different than stock pushrod, which doesn't bother me to much. I'm much more trustworthy of the local machine shop to mill down some heads rather than have them get to crazy porting a set of heads and possibly hurting my flow numbers. Still on the fence with this one I guess.

I'll probly end up sticking with the factory rod, main and head bolts since it'll be N/A

I like the power that the TS 220/220 .600/.600 cam is making and it seems it'll pair well with a TBSS converter which I like and it has a nice little chop to it.

I haven't read up on how thick the LS1 head gaskets are or how much that will effect my compression ratio, so I guess now I'll go do some research on that.

Wasn't aware really that the gen 4 rods are stronger than the gen 3, since I'm not boosting it anymore I'd imagine the stock gen 3 rods I have will be fine. I guess if I see a cheap set of gen 4 rods I might as well get them?

Still have some research to do it seems about rocker arm ratio, possibly just because I don't really know what the numbers mean. I know it effects how far the valves open, but don't really understand if or why I'd have to stray away from the stock ratio.

 

You don't need an iron 6.0 to make any power with a turbo.

You could turbo a 100% junkyard stock 5.3 and make 550 HP without changing anything at all, even cam.

Its a fork in the road, you have to decide which way to go.

 

Yea I know, I read the article that one of the magazines did where they thought they were strapping a turbo to a 5.3 and pulled some good numbers out of it, but it ended up being a 4.8.

I've ditched the plan of doing a turbo entirely at least at this point.

 

Mill 30 off 799 should yield a cc of under 61 and put you at approx 10.4 cr iirc with flat tops

 

That's about what I'm shooting for is 10.5:1 compression. Thanks

 

Would the 224r cam be a better choice over the 220r cam?