LS……4.8 or 5.3????

[clgodwin79]

Ok, so this happened today……almost……

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[stutaeng]

What are you asking? If it's a 4.8 or 5.3?

Look here: https://help.summitracing.com/app/a...5/~/i-know-my-vin.-which-ls-engine-do-i-have?

Looks like 8th digit for V = 4.8L; T or Z = 5.3
Externally, both are the same. One was dished pistons and the other has something different. I can't remember what.

What are you doing with it? Just convert to a drive by wire. It looks like it's returnless fuel system. There's a popular mod from a Corvette for that.

 

[clgodwin79]

So there was an add for a complete and running 5.3 out of an ‘04 Yukon that had a lifter tick for the first 15 seconds after start up. It was complete was all accessories and the harness and PCM. So I was like, wow. Too good to be true. SOLD!!

Paid a deposit yesterday and took my son to pick it up this morning.

If you look up 5.3’s out of ‘04 Yukons it either had to be a LM7 or a L59, which is the flex fuel (E85 capable) version of the LM7. Which is also considered the, “garden variety”, version of the truck LS since it was by far the most mass produced, so therefore, most common one to find.

I get there to pick it up and it’s literally on the ground in front of the Yukon that it came out of. Right next to the transmission and transfer case as well.

So, as we’re loading it into my truck bed, I tell my son to snap a picture of the VIN of the Yukon. That way we can research and know for sure what exact version of LS it was. Being LM7 or L59. So he did. When you research it, it’s based on the 8th digit of the VIN.

We finally get out of the backwoods area to the main road and my son needed to use the bathroom. So we stopped at a gas station. I told him to message me the pic of the VIN, so he did.

While he’s in the bathroom I looked it up. The 8th digit was a V, which means LR4, 4.8L!!! WTF?!?! They lied to me and tried to pass off a 4.8 as a 5.3L!!! I was p1ssed to say the least.

So I messaged her back. It’s a woman who drives a tow truck, but also buys and breaks down and sells GM trucks and SUVs as a side hustle. And she had told me how much of an LS expert she is. Which just further enforces and tells me that she was trying to screw me over.

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[clgodwin79]

What are you asking? If it's a 4.8 or 5.3?

Look here: https://help.summitracing.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4755/~/i-know-my-vin.-which-ls-engine-do-i-have?

Looks like 8th digit for V = 4.8L; T or Z = 5.3
Externally, both are the same. One was dished pistons and the other has something different. I can't remember what.

What are you doing with it? Just convert to a drive by wire. It looks like it's returnless fuel system. There's a popular mod from a Corvette for that.

Nope, sorry, telling a story. You posted this before I was able to explain. Keep watching, making the posts as fast as I can.

 

[clgodwin79]

So she replies and says that she has, “another”, 5.3 but it has an externally leaking head gasket. Meaning that it’s leaking outside of the block, not inside.

Well, honestly, I don’t really care about that part. I just wanted a 5.3 that’s complete with accessories, harness, PCM, and not major bottom end damage. Like a rod knocking or whatever.

I literally don’t even have a vehicle or project for this engine because I’m keeping the 350 Vortec that I’m building for my father/son 1995 Z71 build. I just really wanted to get and work on an LS. Don’t ask me why. Just a bucket list thing I guess. Maybe sounds stupid to some people. But this is the type stuff that I enjoy doing.

 

[clgodwin79]

So I turned around and went back and gave her the 4.8 back and took her, “supposed”, 5.3. It’s literally impossible to tell visually alone from the outside of the block the difference in a 4.8 and 5.3. Literally the block is stamped with both on the outside. You have to either pull a spark plug and use a borescope and look at rather you have flat top or domed pistons, or pull a head and do the same. And/or measure the cylinder diameter.

So here’s what I actually came home with. It has a blown head gasket at a minimum and maybe moisture in the cylinders based on that alone. But since whatever I end up doing with this, I plan on getting it bored over regardless, I don’t really care. Again, mostly just wanting to avoid any catastrophic bottom end damage.

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[clgodwin79]

So I’m back at the house now. I stopped by Harbor Freight to try and get another engine stand and there are none at any of their stores in my area. I guess I need to get on FB Marketplace and try and find one. But people always want $5 less than a brand new one when it’s 10 years old and rusty and beat up.

Anyway, I need to at least get the intake and heads off to get any and all water out of the cylinders so that it doesn’t corrode or rust anymore than it already may have done. Plus that way I can figure out what cylinder heads I have as well as make sure that it’s a 5.3

I’ll keep you guys posted on how that goes.

 

[DerekTheGreat]

LoL yeah, the prices people want for beat up trash compared to a new version of said trash make me laugh.

 

[clgodwin79]

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[Schurkey]

Perhaps a moderator will move this to LSX + Carb Swaps.

Not to be a wet blanket, but if you're going to put money into an LS, shouldn't you start with at least a 6.0L?

If all you're doing is a dissection to see what makes 'em tick, a 4.8 or 5.3 would be fine.