Questions about 5.3 swap

[best97obs]

Hey yall, I would like some info on a 5.3 ls swap. What all is needed? How much would the "estimated" cost be? My friend is willing to give me a good deal on a 5.3. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I know it is not popular opinon, but I would not waste my time on a 5.3L.

 

[best97obs]

I understand your opinion, I was just wondering because my friend is willing to give me a good deal on a rebuilt 5.3. What are your recommendations @L31MaxExpress ?

 

[95burban]

I’m on the fence about LS swaps…

I would love to here what @L31MaxExpress has to say, I bet we both have the same mind set.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Engine, harness, PCM, the pedal if it's a GenIV. I'd prefer to get the trans too, if it's good.

It's hard to estimate costs these days.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I understand your opinion, I was just wondering because my friend is willing to give me a good deal on a rebuilt 5.3. What are your recommendations @L31MaxExpress ?

Rebuilt 5.3L even makes this even less desireable in my opinon. Who rebuilt it? Warranty? Doubtful it transfers owners. You will be betting on a used, rebuild to run well after blowing your budget on thr swap. No thanks.

I will say the engine itself is probably 20-25% of the cost of a LS swap. The rest is all the other stuff needed to actually mount it into place, control it, feed it fuel, and plumb it all into place.

 

[best97obs]

Rebuilt 5.3L even makes this even less desireable in my opinon. Who rebuilt it? Warranty?

My friends had it rebuilt from a local machine shop that's been around for years where I live. No warranty, motor came out of a 2003 Silverado

 

[Moofus02]

Computer swap, mounts accessories etc etc. I would 0411 swap the truck and build a 5.7, l29 or 8.1 before I put an ls motor in if it was a driver. For a drag strip in a light car or s10 i would consider a 6.0. If I had a 6.0 truck that blew up i would grab a free 4.8 and drop it in and sell the truck

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Computer swap, mounts accessories etc etc. I would 0411 swap the truck and build a 5.7, l29 or 8.1 before I put an ls motor in if it was a driver. For a drag strip in a light car or s10 i would consider a 6.0. If I had a 6.0 truck that blew up i would grab a free 4.8 and drop it in and sell the truck

I agree, 383 or 396 small block is a lot more fun to daily drive than a 6.0L with similar peak hp. Even at nearly 7,000 lbs, with a 4L85E and 3.73 geared 10.5 FF the Express will break the rear tires loose relatively easily with the 383s torque. Stock for stock, spanked more than 1 of the Gen 3 5.3L trucks in my 97 Express conversion van in an impromptu stoplight drag. 350/4L60E bottom end and midrange grunt would launch that van rarely spinning a tire and have it grabbing 2nd before the 5.3L hardly got across the intersection and into its powerband. L31 powered van would pull a bus length on a 5.3L truck from 0-50 mph and hold on to its lead well past 80 mph. It got even worse for the 5.3Ls when I 0411 swapped, put shorty headers on it, replaced the restrictive OE garbage can of a muffler with a magnaflow, took the TB lip off, streamlined the air intake ducting with silicone couplers and ran a ported MAF.

My 2003 Tahoe 4x4 L31/5spd was equally fun picking on slammed to the ground Gen3 trucks and 5.3L Tahoes with their mufflers cut off on heavy 22s and 24s. 4wd high launch with that 5spds deep first gear and the tuned 350s torque would get that pig off the line quickly. I would be grabbing 2nd before they were hardly rolling on a hard launch. I had the rev-limiter raised to 6,000 rpm in the Tahoe to make 1st gear more useable, engine was not really making more power up there but it made the recovery rpm higher going into 2nd where the engine instantly was up in its power again.

 

[Moofus02]

I agree, 383 or 396 small block is a lot more fun to daily drive than a 6.0L with similar peak hp. Even at nearly 7,000 lbs, with a 4L85E and 3.73 geared 10.5 FF the Express will break the rear tires loose relatively easily with the 383s torque. Stock for stock, spanked more than 1 of the Gen 3 5.3L trucks in my 97 Express conversion van in an impromptu stoplight drag. 350/4L60E bottom end and midrange grunt would launch that van rarely spinning a tire and have it grabbing 2nd before the 5.3L hardly got across the intersection and into its powerband. L31 powered van would pull a bus length on a 5.3L truck from 0-50 mph and hold on to its lead well past 80 mph. It got even worse for the 5.3Ls when I 0411 swapped, put shorty headers on it, replaced the restrictive OE garbage can of a muffler with a magnaflow, took the TB lip off, streamlined the air intake ducting with silicone couplers and ran a ported MAF.

My 2003 Tahoe 4x4 L31/5spd was equally fun picking on slammed to the ground Gen3 trucks and 5.3L Tahoes with their mufflers cut off on heavy 22s and 24s. 4wd high launch with that 5spds deep first gear and the tuned 350s torque would get that pig off the line quickly. I would be grabbing 2nd before they were hardly rolling on a hard launch. I had the rev-limiter raised to 6,000 rpm in the Tahoe to make 1st gear more useable, engine was not really making more power up there but it made the recovery rpm higher going into 2nd where the engine instantly was up in its power again.

Don't get me wrong my 6.0 lq9 ran strong. Awd Escalade avalanche style it would blow all 4 265/70/17 tires up in smoke if I shut off the traction control. But it had stuff done to it and it stalled the converter to 3500 rpm so when you hit it it came alive. That said it was a pain in the ass as daily transportation and got lousy fuel milage. My 8.1 k2500 suburban would eat it's lunch was more fun to drive and got a lot better milage