Forgive me if this has been covered or if this should go somewhere else, but using the search left me with more questions than answers. I have an '05 Sierra 1500, 5.3 with auto trans. I'm coming over from the diesel world, having owned an '02 F-350. My intent is to build power in the GMC, but I want to maintain as much reliability as possible with it being my daily driver.

I am leaning toward a front-mounted turbo setup, but that's because I know next to nothing about superchargers. I'll learn more about those as I go. My primary question now is what are the weak points in my truck as I build power. With the Ford, I knew the transmission, injectors, and connecting rods were the weak links, so where are the weaknesses in my current vehicle?

I'll go ahead and ask the second question here in hopes of either an answer or a shove in the right direction. Turbo vs supercharger. Do SC lower fuel economy being belt driven, or do they improve it with the power gains? I know driving style is the number one factor in fuel economy, but if all else is equal, which setup allows for better mileage when I'm not at WOT?

Thanks in advance for any assistance, and again, sorry if I've resurrected the horse that has already been beaten to death

 

Gas mileage wise, they will be about the same in all cases.

Weak links would be the trans and rear end if you have the factory locker....also the factory driveshafts like to explode over 100mph.

I would do a tvs1900 style blower. Run a 10psi pulley, 60lb injectors, walbro400 fuel pump, maybe a cam if you feel like it, shift kit and servo in the trans, and call it a day.

 

Do head gaskets tend to blow with these trucks with forced induction?

 

With enough boost or timing combined with an unskilled tuner, yes, but I would not say headgaskets are your biggest concern.

 

check the head casting in your engine you might have the first year for the ls6 style ports. 243 or 799.

 

also if you have an rcsb you might have a steel driveshaft.

 

What is an rcsb? Please forgive any stupid questions, but I'm completely new to this type of vehicle and really don't know much about gassers at all, since I didn't start doing my own maintenance and upgrades until I had my diesel. And what are ls6 ports and how do they compare to other heads?

edit-Regular Cab Short Box?

 

Next question, where is a good place to give me a idiot's guide to superchargers? I know how turbos work and what the different components are, but I'm thinking a supercharger will suit my needs because I'll be using my truck for hunting and offroading, so I'll want the immediate response vs waiting for a turbo to spool up.