GenIII53

I have an extra 4l60 out of my Astro van that I am thinking of having built with a Yank Converter. I have an 05 Silverado 5.3 CC SB 2WD and want to upgrade the running gear to some more stout stuff. I want to add a rear end and leaf springs out of a 3/4 ton 1 ton truck, and the 4l80. But if I can have my extra 4l60 built, then that is the route I would like to go. The truck is used for hauling my show car only, and I just made a trip from Houston to St Louis, and was NOT HAPPY AT ALL with the performance of this truck. NO POWER!!!!!! I had to haul in 3rd gear pulling a 1500 LB trailer and a 3500 LB car. So, I want up grade the running gear, and then once that is done, a N/A stroker 6.0 will find it's way in or a turbocharged 5.3. Looking for @ 450 lbs foot of torque, but I need it DOWN LOW.....3500 RPM and below. Also, will the 4l60 out of a 97 Astro van be the same as the unit in my truck right now?????

jerome

what you want is a bigger rig. if I understand right, you arent using it for racing. just for hauling, and when you haul you wanna do it comfortable fast...you just need a bigger, more powerful rig. a nice motor/tranny/FI combo will set you back more than necessary for a tow rig. on the other hand, if you want to haul your car to the track, and then show up all the other trucks, then i guess a bigger motor package is called for. seems like your chief complaint is towing performance...unless your rear end is really low when you tow, you dont need a heavier rear end. all you need is more power. as for the tranny, i would wait til it blows up to mess with it. or at most, shift kit and cooler

Leroy_454

Exactly what he said. The truck should be big enough to tow the weight, just find the most cost effective way to add more torque. Since your truck is almost new(5.3 should last a long while), look into a Radix supercharger or the Livernois turbo kit. These would offer a huge torque increase. As for the transmission, a Transgo shift kit should suffice for a long while as long as your tuning is safe.

James B.

iTrader: (1)

The Astro Van 4L60-E will not fit your truck. It has SBC Gen-I/II geometry.

The 80 is probably twice the real-world strength of the 60, but you might be diappointed with the gearing. It's close-ratio which is great for towing and performance, but the overall span of range is less than the 60. First gear will feel about half way between your current first and current second.

GenIII53

Thanks guys for the replies. Yeah, I sold my 03 Powerstroke Dually, that was chipped, and made HUGE amounts of power, so I guesss you could say I got spoiled. I sold that truck because 1) My wife could not drive the dually, too wide for her, she got nervous on the highway thinking the truck did not fit in the lanes, and 2)I thought the 5.3 would be more than enough power to handle what I need (single car trailer and car with tools, etc.. in the bed) and it's NOT!! I know I need to change the gear set (it has the 3.23 in it right now) But I thought if I could pick up a 3/4 or 1 ton rear end with a 3.73 or 4.10 in already, I would go that route. I am thinknig about the turbo set up for more ooomphhh. And then I was worrried about throwing that extra power and weight behind the weak link 4l60, and thought I should up grade that BEFORE I blow it up. Maybe try and sell the tranny since it only has 12K miles on it now.....

02sierraz71_5.3

iTrader: (2)

Id go with at least the 4:10's and I would probably pick the 402/08. The complete turbo kit will cost more in the end than building the stroker, unless you come across a deal. As far as the tranny with the added weight and power its gonna toast the 60. I have heared of people regearing the 80 might call JAG or FLP. Id much rather have a better base to build off of than start building on something that will fail

GenIII53

Exactly my point. Thanks. Do you know if a 3/4 1 ton rear will bolt right in my 1/2 ton truck???

cbrich

The larger axle should bolt in with some modification to your current rig. You will need the brake master cylinder and booster (if hydro-boost then the powersteering pump) from the larger truck and the drive shaft, or have the larger yokes put on your drive shaft. The biggest issue you will have is the 8 lug rear end, the wheels will not match correctly.

I would just find a used 3/4 with the 6.0, 8.1, or the duramax, the vehicle with these engine are more than capable to pull what you have and you will be happier in the end.

GenIII53

The thing is, I would be to upside down if I got rid of my truck now. And I am just not going to take that much of a loss on this truck. What I will probaly do is start with the 4.10's in this truck, and since I am not going to be launching on slicks, and hauling is all that I will be doing, we'll just see how long the stock rear end will last, as I forgot about the 8 lug. That puts a damper on that swap. I located a 6.0 shortblock that looks like I will pick up this weekend (making another road trip) I have to make a run to Michigan to pick up my 426 Hemi for my 71 Challenger, and on the way back, stopping at the Mopar Nationals in Ohio, AND then, stop in Kentucky to pick up my 6.0. What is a fair price for a 6.0 shortblock, that needs a basic rebuild. Really does not need that as it came out of a wrecked truck with only 20K, but figure since it is out, going to go through it and freshen it up. At what power level are the stock injectors maxed out?????

cbrich

I don't know how much a short block goes for, but I would not spend no more than $1500 on it, a $1000 would be better, that is if it has low mileage and not been abused. As for swapping in a 6.0L short block, everything from your 5.3 will fit assuming the 6.0L is a LQ4 (300hp). You will have to get new head bolts and if the crank is removed you will have to get new main bolts, since these bolts are torqued down using degrees, not ft/lbs. I would go with ARP studs for the heads and main, they are reusable, and get torqued by ft/lbs, not degrees, this will make installation a lot easier. If the 6.0L is a LQ9 (340hp) then you will need bigger injector. This also might be a good time to think about a cam, roller rocker arms, and valve springs.