i have a 2001 chevy tahoe Z71 with a 5.3 engine

I am new to this site so bare with me and im not a full blown mechanic but undrstand quite a bit so i am a rookie dont give me to much s*** LOL

i want to add up to 100+ HP and was looking at a trickflow top end kit.

Questions

1- how much HP and Torque can the bottom half of my engine handle

2- what upgrades will i need to do to my transmission

3- will my 3.73 gears in the rear end be able to hold up to the new HP

4- anything in my drive train that i might want to beef up

5- Anything else you guys can think of that im not asking?

I only drive this thing on the weekends and i will travel maybe twice a year to go camping or go to the beach ( no i dont tow anything with it) i understand i will be sacrificing fuel economy but how much do you think ill be losing in fuel economy with this top end kit?

i wouldnt mind racing it on the track but thats not my goal to do every weekend. i enjoy working on vehicles and learning more and more and am very excited to start this project at the end of the year ( i have to build up my project money first LOL)

i already have a C.A.I/ shorty headers/ upgraded spark plug wires/ superchip programmer / straight pipe. Honestly its been fun but starting to feel like a waste of money with these little upgrades.

Any help would be very appreciative. Thank you in advance.

 

1- how much HP and Torque can the bottom half of my engine handle
It will hold as much as you can make n/a as long as the tune is good and you have adequate fuel.
2- what upgrades will i need to do to my transmission
You will either want to build your 4L60e or replace it with a 4L80e out of a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck/van. There are several stickied threads on this swap in the GM drivetrain section.
3- will my 3.73 gears in the rear end be able to hold up to the new HP
Your gears will be fine but your G80 posi track may not be if you have one. Look into upgrading to an Eaton posi track or a Detroit Tru Trac.
4- anything in my drive train that i might want to beef up
See last two answers.
5- Anything else you guys can think of that im not asking?
Lots......trade the shorty headers in for long tubes, you will need to upgrade your fuel injectors and possibly fuel pump, may want to look at upgrading the intake to a TBSS/NNBS to go with those better flowing heads. Lastly, and most importantly, get an IN PERSON tune either street or dyno to make sure your combo is dialed in and safe.

 

thank you very much for the input and advice ! everything you said was what i was looking for. and yes i do have the posi trac so that is a question i left out and good of you to catch it for me. I will let you know later on down the road how it turns out.!

 

Sounds good buddy. Good luck on your build!

 

I would save the money and do nothing to the transmission besides a larger trans cooler and servo. A 4L60e should handle a n/a cam/bolton 5.3L no problem, unless you plan to drive the dog out of it. Same goes for the g80. Now if you were doing more than adding 100hp boost or nitrous then yes I would upgrade the transmission and rear end, but for your future set up it is a little bit of over kill.

My truck put down 328rwhp and 342rwtq 50K ago when I put the cam in and still has the stock 180K 4L60e running strong.