5.3 build it or not?
11-09-2005, 05:42 PM
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5.3 build it or not?
hey guys i have an extra 5.3L out of a 2002 i want to put it in my truck soon but i was wondering if it would be worth it to bore it stroke it or what i'm not sure what to do or how much it would cost but i have a whipple and will be intercooling it soon so any advice would be nice. thanks
11-09-2005, 06:30 PM
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And then get a good set of heads. Oh yea and make sure to get pistons that will be under 9.5:1 compression. Try to get some 8.5:1 compression pistons and you will see a bunch more power due to the lower compression and the supacharger. Then BOOST the HELL out of it!!!!
11-09-2005, 10:50 PM
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Toss the 5.3 pistons, and pick up a good set of LS1 5.7 pistons and punch out the block.
get a set of 317 6.0 heads and have some work done to them.
Now grab a good blower cam with a LSA of 114 to 115.5 with a lift of around 550 to 570.
Get a set of ARP rod and head bolts and just force feed that thing all the air it can handle.
The rest of the mods can come later.
get a set of 317 6.0 heads and have some work done to them.
Now grab a good blower cam with a LSA of 114 to 115.5 with a lift of around 550 to 570.
Get a set of ARP rod and head bolts and just force feed that thing all the air it can handle.
The rest of the mods can come later.
11-20-2005, 09:34 PM
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At least from a forced induction point of view...
Max bore I would go on the 5.3 block is 3.9" or 99mm. That takes you to the same bore as the LS1/LS6 block. Keep your 3.622" crank... there is NO reason to upgrade the crank unless you feel you "must" stroke it. IMO, a 4" stroke forged crank is not even worth the 900 bones you'll pay for the cheapest forged crank... an Eagle. Stock cranks just don't break and if they do it is about as often as an entire shortblock coming apart because of too much boost, detonation, stupid tuning, or or all the above. Ya, so you can get a bit more torque with a 4" crank... your tires will go up that much quicker. You can also accomplish the same task buy reducing pulley diameter of the blower pulley... or doing your homework on a bitchin cam to match your application.
So, I guess you need to ask yourself what your expectations are. What kind of power are you looking for? Are you prepared to spend the coin on the rest of the drivetrain to handle it? How do you plan on hooking up? Daily Driver? Weekend Warrior? Full Race?
Did you know a properly built 346 (5.7L) will blow a 4L60E up just as fast as a 402? Knowing that why spend the money on stroking or perhaps the latest craze... a sexy LS2 block when you can accomplish the same things with what you have? The ONLY reason why I would bore a 5.3 block is how long I would be willing to wait for the exact pistons I wanted. I purchased ALOT of JE pistons over the last couple of years. Their 3.9 bore pistons, with varying degree's of CR apps on a 6.125 rod are plentiful... some on the shelf ready to ship from JE. Other Manu's I'm sure have similar stock. The 5.3's 3.78 bore will come into its own as far as off the shelf availability as demand warrants if it hasn't done so already.
I would look at replacing the factory rods altogether with a 6.125 SBC rod. JE makes several different pistons for the 3.9 bore on a 6.125 rod with the correct pin diameter for that rod. Yes, other manu's do too... just making JE out as an example. Eagle makes a fantastic 4340 forged H-Beam that is cheap and VERY strong. Strong enough to NOT be the weakest link.
Heads... I'm talking about truck, F-Body, or C5/C6 street performance. How many comparisons have you seen where a shop does a cam only install, publishes the results, then slaps on their best heads and repeats the test? Anybody pay attention to the results on a heads only test?... or the net results of such a test? You want to spend $1200 to $3k or more for how much extra power? Do the research... and confirm where your hard earned dollars will be maximized. I have seen guys with stock unported LS1 and LS6 heads putting out in excess of 600rwhp. Maybe someone will chime in and say they have seen a car or truck do more with factory unported heads. Point is there is no need to spend money on heads if you do your cam/valves/springs homework. Leave the heads alone and build from the chamber down. Tell your machinest what size chambers your heads have. Order the correct reverse dome (dished) pistons to get you to about 8.75-9:1 CR. You can play with a CR calulator at http://www.rosspistons.com/calculator.php. Use GM's MLS (multi-layer steel - 0.054" compressed) headgasket along with a set of ARP head studs. I wouldn't worry about bigger head studs or o-ringing unless you plan on going over about 15psi of boost.
Remember, the "since yer in there" advice can bust some projects into financial failure before they have been completed. Figure out what your willing to spend (in a smart way) and plan accordingly...
Bill
Max bore I would go on the 5.3 block is 3.9" or 99mm. That takes you to the same bore as the LS1/LS6 block. Keep your 3.622" crank... there is NO reason to upgrade the crank unless you feel you "must" stroke it. IMO, a 4" stroke forged crank is not even worth the 900 bones you'll pay for the cheapest forged crank... an Eagle. Stock cranks just don't break and if they do it is about as often as an entire shortblock coming apart because of too much boost, detonation, stupid tuning, or or all the above. Ya, so you can get a bit more torque with a 4" crank... your tires will go up that much quicker. You can also accomplish the same task buy reducing pulley diameter of the blower pulley... or doing your homework on a bitchin cam to match your application.
So, I guess you need to ask yourself what your expectations are. What kind of power are you looking for? Are you prepared to spend the coin on the rest of the drivetrain to handle it? How do you plan on hooking up? Daily Driver? Weekend Warrior? Full Race?
Did you know a properly built 346 (5.7L) will blow a 4L60E up just as fast as a 402? Knowing that why spend the money on stroking or perhaps the latest craze... a sexy LS2 block when you can accomplish the same things with what you have? The ONLY reason why I would bore a 5.3 block is how long I would be willing to wait for the exact pistons I wanted. I purchased ALOT of JE pistons over the last couple of years. Their 3.9 bore pistons, with varying degree's of CR apps on a 6.125 rod are plentiful... some on the shelf ready to ship from JE. Other Manu's I'm sure have similar stock. The 5.3's 3.78 bore will come into its own as far as off the shelf availability as demand warrants if it hasn't done so already.
I would look at replacing the factory rods altogether with a 6.125 SBC rod. JE makes several different pistons for the 3.9 bore on a 6.125 rod with the correct pin diameter for that rod. Yes, other manu's do too... just making JE out as an example. Eagle makes a fantastic 4340 forged H-Beam that is cheap and VERY strong. Strong enough to NOT be the weakest link.
Heads... I'm talking about truck, F-Body, or C5/C6 street performance. How many comparisons have you seen where a shop does a cam only install, publishes the results, then slaps on their best heads and repeats the test? Anybody pay attention to the results on a heads only test?... or the net results of such a test? You want to spend $1200 to $3k or more for how much extra power? Do the research... and confirm where your hard earned dollars will be maximized. I have seen guys with stock unported LS1 and LS6 heads putting out in excess of 600rwhp. Maybe someone will chime in and say they have seen a car or truck do more with factory unported heads. Point is there is no need to spend money on heads if you do your cam/valves/springs homework. Leave the heads alone and build from the chamber down. Tell your machinest what size chambers your heads have. Order the correct reverse dome (dished) pistons to get you to about 8.75-9:1 CR. You can play with a CR calulator at http://www.rosspistons.com/calculator.php. Use GM's MLS (multi-layer steel - 0.054" compressed) headgasket along with a set of ARP head studs. I wouldn't worry about bigger head studs or o-ringing unless you plan on going over about 15psi of boost.
Remember, the "since yer in there" advice can bust some projects into financial failure before they have been completed. Figure out what your willing to spend (in a smart way) and plan accordingly...
Bill
Last edited by billreid1@cox.net; 11-20-2005 at 09:52 PM.
11-20-2005, 10:33 PM
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The 5.3 bored to 346 with 6.0L heads is exactly what I am going to do when I upgrade. I plan on using the stock rods though with ARP bolts. The factory powdered metal rods will hold up to extreme power and are very light weight. You get a really light weight piston and that just means the rods will hold up better due to the less weight that is tugging on them.
I'm with you 100% with the stock heads. I'm an old school guy and the gen3 heads stock out-flow most high dollar gen1 small block race heads. You may get some gains with aftermarket gen3 heads but there is no comparison with the gains a gen1 engine would get.
I'm with you 100% with the stock heads. I'm an old school guy and the gen3 heads stock out-flow most high dollar gen1 small block race heads. You may get some gains with aftermarket gen3 heads but there is no comparison with the gains a gen1 engine would get.
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11-23-2005, 07:24 PM
#9
"Anybody pay attention to the results on a heads only test?... or the net results of such a test? You want to spend $1200 to $3k or more for how much extra power? Do the research... and confirm where your hard earned dollars will be maximized."
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Are you reffering to mostly FI applications?How much in your opinion does this apply in N/A application,and could you please give some heads only test results,no need to dig up past posts,just off of memory.
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Are you reffering to mostly FI applications?How much in your opinion does this apply in N/A application,and could you please give some heads only test results,no need to dig up past posts,just off of memory.