2001 Tahoe 5.3L ...Help me make horsepower....suggestions please


i have a 2001 Chevy Tahoe LT , 5.3L 8-cylinder engine. please give me any help or tips to make it gain horse power.

i already have:

1) K&N cold air intake

2) dual cat-back borla exhuast system.

i would like bolt on ideas please. i don't want to start disasembling the engine for work. also no nitrous or super chargers. i was told to stay away from that stuff.

u should klnow that i am not looking ot race. i just want it to have the ***** where if i am driving and i want to punch it i can.

thank you guys.

 

You pretty much have done it all then.

 

how do u like your super charger? i was told that i would hate it and that maintenance on it sucks.

also i was thinking of a good power programmer and mass air flow sensor, maybe headers, that tornado thing in the intake pipe, etc....

i dunno really know what to do.....i am a car audio guy so i am not too familiar with speed. any and all suggestions is appriciated

 

I will let others answer that question for you.....My opinion may be a little one sided.

I can say this....I have not touched my supercharger on either of my trucks for a collective 65K. How is that for maintenance?

 

A colective 25 hp gain...and that is giving the tornado .5 hp

 

the mass air sensor change is going to be better as a paperweight for your desk and the tornado makes a good pen holder as well (or so i've heard). the hpp3 makes for a good programmer for someone with little skill and unfamilier with upgrades. i'd recomend looking into a different program situation such as a pcm from pcmforless.com or one of the other vendors on the site. they are all familier with your style vehicle and have more programming ability than an hpp3 is going to give you. as for headers, good call as long as you get the best for your application and meet emissions in your area.

 

just step on the gas and go bro.

 

Look at Blown being all modest..


A good supercharger should be almost near maintance free... The Radix fits that bill nicely....

IMO your only choice at this point is a cam, long tubes and a converter. The cam really isn't all that much work on our trucks and I would be hesitant to call it "tearing into the motor". It's your next step in REAL hp other than forced induction.

There really is nothing else out there that is going to make a decent enough of a diff. to warrant spending money.

I gained almost 10mph in the 1/4mile with bolt-ons and a cam. Over 10mph if you count my weight reduction. Most people gain about 10mph+ with a simple supercharger install and no additional mods which makes driveability a dream.

 

How fast do you want to go?Both a Radix and a STS turbo kit will get your 5.3 Tahoe into the low 14s out of the box and both can be tuned for more power.But to go further will require pretty serious transmission mods.The Radix is a very complete kit that includes everything you need,if you want more performanc smaller pulleys are available for about $100 ea.The STS turbo kit looks good out of the box,but looks you'll buy a lot of expensive extras[bigger turbo,bigger,injectors]if you want more power.The only real down side to the STS is the location of the intake underneath the rear of the truck,if it rains or snows a lot where you live that could be a problem.My 01 Tahoe 5.3,running a Radix,ASM headers,Yank TT3000,electric fans and BFG drag radials turned a 13.2 1/4mile at the track[not a G-Tech].That was my old setup.

 

I don't know anyone whos supercharger didn't bring a smile to their face the first time they drove it and every day since.

The maintenance on the truck only changes in that it becomes more important to do certain things on a more regular interval rather than getting away with letting it go, like the fuel filter. Fuel filter on a blown truck should be changed every 12K or four oil changes. Trans Fluid should be checked regularly - not necessarily for level but for signs of problems - color, smell, etc. Synthetic oil should be run in the crankcase to hold up to the higher piston and valve temperatures. Some superchargers have their own self-contained oiling, the interval on those it typically 15k.

You can do all the little bolt on stuff at $75 per HP or slap a blower on it at about $30 per HP.

Into the cost of a supercharger install the additional cost of a transmission shift kit should be factored in. The 4L60-E really needs this recalibration to better handle the extra torque.