Silverchado

Ok so I am a total newbie to the 5.3 in my silverado although I can rework a 5.7 blindfolded. I am tired of getting walked on by the local lightenings. We all know chevrolet makes a superior motor for musceling up and if our factory started strapping on superchargers to everything GM performance oriented there wouldn't be much competition anymore. (Ford's philosophy - take a weak engine, supercharge it, and make it comperable to a normal GM performance powerhouse) Ok so venting aside I need to know if I am headed in the right direction. I want every cent I spend to be as beneficial as it possibly can be. For the time being I am going to be focusing on beefing up the drive train and taking the factory restrictors off of what I hear is a really strong engine (5.3) Im not interested in block swaps or nitro or superchargers of any sort at this time. When I build my engines they need to be all cube horsepower unassisted by boost or nitro.(that way when you finally walk on someone who is boosted you really can rub it in) So please expericed guys review my list of what I am about to spend my hard earned on and critique what could be done better or better parts or whatever you feel like I need to know and in return I will be a true loyalist to the GM Performance Truck scene.

I have one question to begin. Is the 5.3 a variance on the LS1? (like is it a cast iron smaller cube LS1?) and if so what rotating assemblies will interchange?

below is the list of what I plan on doing over the winter months. Please critique my plans and suggest anything you feel like can be done better.

1. The Other Guys long tube ceramic coated headers
2. Corsa Stainless single side exit non-touring exhaust
3. Custom 3" Y pipe and pipe welded through my kitty converters - by local performance exhaust guru
4. Volant Cold air with their new front ram air bumper valance(mainly because it looks good)
5. BBK 80mm throttle body
6. GGM Mass air flow sens.
7. Westers PCM programming
8. Direct Hits Capacitive discharge ignition
9. Magnecore 8.5mm plug wires
10. Flex-a-lite Electric fans
11. 160 Degree Thermostat
12. 5 Core Aluminum Radiator
13. Underdrives Crank/Alternator
14. Electric Water Pump(need suggestions on what fits and where to get one)
15. Hotchkis TVS performance Drop
16. Should I go with 18's or 20's considering I am more concerned with performance.
17. Tranny reworked by local Auto Tranny Guru John Gobel(bulletproof when he finishes with it)
18. ARB air locking diff
19. Baer Eradispeed Rotor conversion
20. Yank 3000 stall converter
21. SLP 1.85 Rocker arms w/ti retainers/clips ti pushrods and heavy springs.
22. Need suggestion on 02 Simulators (what with the kittys welded through)
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Ok thats all I have come up with for now Yall please look over my list and steer me in the right direction I want this thing done right right from the start and I want to learn from what you guys already have discovered. Please help me kill some fords!!!!!!!

1bad57

to be honest,
save your money first then do a 6.0 swap! bone stock those things are smoking! little work-very fast; lotta work-good god!
it really is worth swapping over!
jaybo

Allgonoshow

iTrader: (1)

If you stay with 5.3 the only thing on your list I wouldn't bother with are the throttlebody and maf, if you got the cash the rest looks good, go with 18's rather than 20's as well.

David

fastinspirit02

iTrader: (1)

Looks good but you might could save some money by putting in ls1 fans instead of the flexalites. Also I've heard the mass airflow sensor isn't worth the money and whistles badly, don't have experience with that myself but its what I've read here and was told the same at a local shop. As far as 02 simulators, i think you can just remove them with the cats and get it edited out with the westers pcm, you can with the nelson tune I beleive.

greentahoe

iTrader: (2)

If you want bang for the buck, I think you are going the wrong way. You are going to be dissapointed with that setup I think.
Check out the threads on some of the Tuners. Ive spent about 1K with various tuners, Im now doing it myself. HPTuners is about $500 and includes a scanner. Westers pretty much blew me off.
If you really want a great setup, go with a 6.0 pullout. Throw a good cam in there and tune it yourself on a dyno (with some help if you need it).
Those LT's would be great as would a converter.
I dont think catbacks are worth all that much, but they sound nice.
You dont gain much of anything with the BBK, GMAF, or the Direct Hits and that is going to save you quite a bit.
Electric Water Pumps dont save much HP and dont cool as well as stock Ive heard.

Silverchado

Ok so yall are saying that the throttle body and MAF aren't really worth doin? Man I guess I was off base I know on my LS1 Camaro I used to have that throttle body made a huge difference but then again different motor. Also I notice allgonoshow had the Volant Intake How do you like that thing? Are the LS1 fans pretty much a straight bolt in? I appreciate yalls input. Also thanks for the tip on the 6.0 swap, but I have always been a small block fan and I think I am going to stay in the smaller cubes for now. I will keep that in mind in case I ever decide to get radical. And once again does anyone know if the 5.3 is a variant of the LS1?

greentahoe

iTrader: (2)

5.3 is a variant as is 4.8, and the 6.0.
The volant is very nice, but very pricey. I made my own cold air intake with ram air and it works very well. Parts cost me about $25 and about an hour.
Dont waste your money on the little crap. You can get a complete 6.0 for $1800 or less.
GMAF is like $300, Volant is $300, and TB is $400. You are almost at the cost of 6.0 and those things are awesome. Im hoping to do the swap early next year.

zippy

here's my thoughts on the list.

F8L Z71

GM doesn't make a superior engine to Ford. Take almost any major engine manufacture and give the same cubes and I bet you come out with similar power. The fact you called nitrous "Nitro" shows me you don't know as much as you think you know. A TB giving you a HUGE power increase on a 5.7L LS1?? Nope, sorry. If you gain 10rwhp on a stroked motor you'd be doing excellent.

The 6.0L motor is still a small block.....


As for your list. Did you just throw a bunch of junk into the shopping cart from Tbyrne or Thunder racing? LOL

Sorry for being an *** but I have a feeling you're just wasting the time of the guys that have replied to you. If I am wrong then my appologies *bows*

Black Blown 02

All the mods you listed are maybe good for only 50-60 rwhp. And thats alot of $$$ for 50-60 hp. A 6.0 swap wuold give you that much. A 6.0 is still a small block like the 5.3. It bolts right in.

I'd say 6.0, cam, tuning, converter, intake, and exhaust.

If you want to stay with the 5.3, cam, tuning, converter, intake, and exhaust.