Jseal52

what is a better choice for a boosted application? Gen 3 6.0 or Gen4 5.3? The motor will get refreshed and maybe some different rings for the pistons. Will do studs on rods and heads as well as valvetrain upgrades and cam.
Will have to buy the 5.3 bit can get the 6.0 for free. I just heard that the Gen 4 are much stronger then the Gen 3 for boost applications.

BudRacing

iTrader: (3)

What are your intended uses and ultimate power goal?

I believe the gen 3 rods are good to around 600ish hp. The Gen IV rods are good for 900ish.

Personally, I'd opt for the free 6.0 and consider upgrading the rods with a bearing refresh and gapped rings. It's much easier to make power with the additional displacement.

RedXray

If it's a Gen III LQ9 (6.0) it will have the full floating Gen IV rods. If it's a late model Gen III LQ4 (6.0) it will probably also have the better Gen IV rods. A free 6.0 compared to having to buy the 5.3... the 6.0 any day for me. Even if the 6.0 has the smaller Gen III rods you could buy a set of quality aftermarket rods and still have money in your pocket.

Jseal52

1994Vmax

iTrader: (4)

Press fit pins in an 01. Full floating pin rods debuted in the LQ9 in 2002..... nothing Gen IV about them. I love how that term suddenly became the gold standard when a good chunk of Gen 3 engines have full floating pin rods in them too. Any 4.8, 5.3 or 6.0 built in the 04 calendar year has the full floating pin rods in them... and they are not Gen IV's. The blocks changed too in that transition as the older block has long headbolts for the center 6 and the outboard 4 are short where as in 04 they are all the short equal length that carried on with the Gen iv blocks.

I have been on the forums since like 99 and I remember guys calling the full float pin "LS2" or LQ9 rods which is more appropriate. The problem with guys saying Gen IV rods is suddenly they just came in Gen IV's..... and you have guys mind blown when they open up a Gen 3 with full floating pins in them.

You could get cheap out rods and pistons if you want the full floating pin ones probably for the price you will pay for the 5.3 lol.

Jseal52

arthursc2

iTrader: (5)

akls3

I picked up an 04 Silverado SS, build date is like 9/2003.... Do you think it has the stronger rods? From what I've came across it seems like the later year 04's with the larger valley cover and exhaust manifold bolt heads seem to normally have the better rods.

1994Vmax

iTrader: (4)

Ss is an LQ9. It has the full float pin rods regardless of the year as I said above.