5.3 silverado, heads/cam question

[faslane505]

anyone familiar with the LSx based engines? i just picked up a new DD (03' silverado 5.3). want to throw a cam and maybe a few other goodies on it to hop it up a bit...nothing extreme. i really dont want to do a stall...so the cam cant be too extreme.

please enlighten me

 

[rare03srt10]

my 02 just had a corvette converter, intake, lt headers, programmer and 4.56 gears and she got good mpg and ripped solid with no internal engine work. drove it from day one to about 160k before i sold it.(btw from day one to 120k i rode on the original front brake pads)

 

[faslane505]

my 02 just had a corvette converter, intake, lt headers, programmer and 4.56 gears and she got good mpg and ripped solid with no internal engine work. drove it from day one to about 160k before i sold it.(btw from day one to 120k i rode on the original front brake pads)

that was a 5.3 silverado? nice...i really like mine so far...did a k&n, and single chamber flowmaster w/dumps...its rides out pretty good i think...

 

[phxpoolguy]

Thought I read something in a magazine a few years ago regarding a cam swap making a lot of hp, think I can find the magazine. Guess those motors are sleepers. Working on an El Camino now so been going through the Chevy stuff now, I'll post up if I find it.

 

[faslane505]

thanks...yeah these LS based engines wake up big time with cam/headers/tune...in know the LS1's will make around 400rwhp with similar setup.

 

[rare03srt10]

that was a 5.3 silverado? nice...i really like mine so far...did a k&n, and single chamber flowmaster w/dumps...its rides out pretty good i think...

yea 5.3 / Those are by far the best silverado motors besides the 6.1 now lol.

Yea mine was on a magnaflow 3" and it sounded bitchin. Even on 22" it ripped hard

 

[ARRESTmeRed04]

We have a 5.3 in my wires tahoe and its a turd, last Chevy I'll ever buy

 

[rare03srt10]

We have a 5.3 in my wires tahoe and its a turd, last Chevy I'll ever buy

really? My buddy bought a tahoe (5.3) when i bought mine(in 2002) and he accually still owns it to this day. Just got a new tranny the other day as a matter of fact but other then that no problems and still runs strong

 

[ARRESTmeRed04]

really? My buddy bought a tahoe (5.3) when i bought mine(in 2002) and he accually still owns it to this day. Just got a new tranny the other day as a matter of fact but other then that no problems and still runs strong

Yup its an 03 Z71, about 89k miles. Had a problem with it putting itself in 4WD going down the high way, once it locked itself in 4Lo. Coolant disappears, not leaking on the ground and not in the oil....and to top it all off it only gets 15mpg on a good day. In fact my wife drove my 10 to work for a month before we got the tahoe and she got better fuel mileage with the 10.

 

[FastRam]

Yup its an 03 Z71, about 89k miles. Had a problem with it putting itself in 4WD going down the high way, once it locked itself in 4Lo. Coolant disappears, not leaking on the ground and not in the oil....and to top it all off it only gets 15mpg on a good day. In fact my wife drove my 10 to work for a month before we got the tahoe and she got better fuel mileage with the 10.

Your problems sound like the ones I had with my 96 5.7L PU. That thing went thru 3 sets of intake gaskets, leaking coolant. The gaskets on that motor failed where the intake met the head and top of the engine block (in the rear corner). Check the side and rear of the block and around the intake for leaks -- not sure if the 5.3L's have the gasket problems... Also, my 4x4 Xfr case wanted to shift into 4hi on its own. The shift fork pads were worn and the sun gear assembly was "gummed up", even though I changed the fluid often. The shift fork pads were replaced and the gear assembly was cleaned (and added a slip yoke eliminator kit to slacken drive line angles) and all was good. My truck had a NP-241C xfr case. Not sure what the newer models use but I'll bet its a computer controlled button shift xfr case -- no stick . You also may have a computer control issue causing it to shift. I hope you weren't going that fast when it shifted into 4lo on its own...

 

[ARRESTmeRed04]

Yeah the newer engines don't have coolant going thru the intake like the older 5.7's did. And yeah it is the push button 4wd, it put itself in 4lo at a stop thankfully.

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

I am very familiar with the platforms and you throw a nice little bumpstick around a 224/224 .590/.590 114lsa with the LS6 intake and mill the heads a hair and a nice 3000 stall converter and you'll have a nasty lil Silverado
A nice tune to match all the components and you'll have fun. Go to the LS1 forums and get it all used for lil or nothing.

 

[faslane505]

I am very familiar with the platforms and you throw a nice little bumpstick around a 224/224 .590/.590 114lsa with the LS6 intake and mill the heads a hair and a nice 3000 stall converter and you'll have a nasty lil Silverado
A nice tune to match all the components and you'll have fun. Go to the LS1 forums and get it all used for lil or nothing.

i dont really want to go with a stall...can i run taht kind of cam without a stall?

 

[faslane505]

and how much should i mill the heads?

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

A looser stall will wake it up significantly. Even go 2500 stall minimal. Heads about .010 just for a slight bump in compression. Also thinner MLS gaskets will bump a hair more. Around an 11:1 pump gas torque monster! Headers are a must if I didn't mention them as well as an underdrive pulley. A great CAI is a must.

 

[VENOMOUS1 RACING]

A looser stall will wake it up significantly. Even go 2500 stall minimal. Heads about .010 just for a slight bump in compression. Also thinner MLS gaskets will bump a hair more. Around an 11:1 pump gas torque monster! Headers are a must if I didn't mention them as well as an underdrive pulley. A great CAI is a must.

 

[faslane505]

thanks bro...i appreciate the advise...i think im gonna go with LT's...a good cam like you suggeested...3000 stall, tune and intake for now...thanks again