I want to add a forced induction but I am more confused than ever on what to buy in the future. Good thing about the Radix

Ease of installation and comes with everything you need
Buy smaller pulleys to make more boost
Intercooled

Good things about the STS
Make insane amounts of boost with meth injection and larger turbos
Awesome sound that cant be mistaken.

But the downside of the STS kit is you have to buy everything seperate but it still comes to the same price as the Radix kit.

Also I have read things about some STS equipped truck in Texas that is running 15 psi and makes 510 rwhp out of a 5.3

I also want to know what size turbo to run GT35 or T76 or any others because I am not familiar with turbo sizes.

My goal with my cam 214 220 .600/.532 115 lobe is to make 480-500rwhp out of a 5.3, but importantly I want without constantly tuning the thing (That probley isnt possible) Would the turbo or supercharger be better.

 

intercooled procharger?

 

I also have thought about the procharger! But from looking at previous Threads everyone says go with the Radix. In fact I called Procharger last week and they said with the P1SC kit alone will make 400 rwhp with a 5.3! Of course I would upgrade to the D1sc and they said I could hit the 500 rwhp mark with the cam and blower.

 

If you want to just add some easy power go with the Radix. If you want to make serious power I would do a STS or Combination turbo kit(when/if it comes out) or an intercooled Procharger like Deckhand said.
Since you said you don't want to constantly have to tune your truck, I would just go with the Radix.

 

whats considered serious power these days?

 

I would like to make 480-500rwhp

 

How much extra is the GT67, GT35, or T76 costwise?

 

quick, where are you located?

 

Anything in the 500rwhp range is gonna require serious tuning IMO. The turbo will be the harder to tune but it's not that big of a deal. Any good tuner should be able to do it NP.

Just keep in mind that on a stock 5.3L it's gonna require a lot of boost to hit your goal. That guy in Texas that did 510@15psi had a horrible looking dyno sheet. Granted he had some issues and I'm sure it can be smoothed out but until I see the new data I wouldn't use that as a good example. I hear he is working on it though so that is good.

On a basically stock motor with a cam I did 436rwhp on 13psi on a GT35. I feel that if we had known more about tuning and methanol injection would could have gotten more but we are noobs at the injection part. Intercooling would have been awesome also. I bet I could have gotten closer to 480rwhp if I knew then what I know now.

As for turbo sizing you need to decide how you wanna drive the truck and what it's main purpose is. For basic daily driving and great power with very little lag the GT35 worked excellent. I just didn't like the lack of top end but part of that could have been due to too much methanol spray. *shrug*

I ended up going to a GT67 with a .96 housing and that was WAAY too much lag. I dropped the housing to a .81 and it was a lil better and didn't seem to hurt my top end at all and that's where I am right now. I still have bad lag if I don't spool it up but I am ok with that because I built the truck for racing and not stoplight to stoplight stuff. When I am serious I simply stall it up and build boost to 8psi and let her rip, no lag then.

If you want the best all around I'd say go with the GT35. It's a good turbo for the 5.3L and can get you to your goal if you do enough fuel system mods and either intercooling or methanol to keep things cool.

Also check out my dyno sheet. 436rwhp doesn't sound like much but look at how flat the curve is. Only thing that comes close to it is a Radix.

 

Better go the turbo route then. You'll be lucky to get 450 out of the radix.