Is anybody running a a 5.3 with a 6.0 crank and rod? Will this work good?

 

well, the 5.3 and the 6.0 have the same stroke, so not sure why you want to swap.
(I believe the crank is the same part, but you may know more about it)
Also, the rods are the same.

 

crank and rods are the same so yes it will work

 

stroke is the same, but balance is different. something to look at

 

Please explain?

 

The 5.3L, 5.7 & 6.0L crankshafts have the same casting number (c\n 12552216), while only the 5.7L pieces are gun-drilled. The piston weights are different enough for the 5.3L, 5.7L and 6.0L that you want to have the balance checked when swapping stock components. Also, cranks used in the engines with floating pin rods, which are way heavier, throws a little more of a kink in just swapping components. People swapped cranks between the 305’s & 350’s for years without major issues and they had vastly different piston weights as well and you can probably get away with it in your average street motor, but in a motor that you know is going to be turning higher rpm’s, it would be prudent to have the reciprocating assembly rebalanced.

Also, while it would seem that a gun drilled crank from a 5.7L would be the way to go for less reciprocating mass, it is really more in help in bay to bay breathing than anything, due to the weight being removed from the centerline of the crank and not from the out extremities, but weight is weight to a degree. Most of the aftermarket cranks will have the rod journals drilled as well as the main journals for a truly lighter package all things being equal.