How many people running the 5.3???

[Steve91T]

How is the engine holding up? How difficult is the swap and what kind of cost can one expect? How difficult was the wiring?

 

Thanks.

[Den341548534727]

I am running the 5.3. I ran it all last year as the guinea pig. It is holding up fine. Just dynoed it for the season on Saturday. Dynoed at 259 hp / 299 tq with a 52mm plate.

The difficulty of the swap depends on what you are swapping the engine into. If it is into a existing LS car it is not difficult at all.

The 5.3 needs F body intake, oil pan, exhaust manifolds and water pump and alternator brackets. All these items are very easy to get through Ebay or Craigs list.

The only difference between a 5.3 and 5.7 is the bore is 3mm smaller on the 5.3. So the 5.3 will sit where the 5.7 sat with a weekend of wrenching and a few replacement gaskets.

 

If you are talking about converting a LT cat to a LS1 car that is a completely different story and really has nothing to do with the 5.3

If you are converting a LT car to a LS car it is much more involved.

The LS1 k-member has different bolt holes for the motor mounts than the LT. LS1 motor mounts and perches are needed.

A LS 1 steering rack is also needed as the angle for the steering column connection is much different.

A stand alone wire harness is the easiest way to go. But if you get a F body engine harness that is all you need

There are 5 or 6 wire connectors (Depending on the year) that come of the engine harness that run through the firewall or up to the firewall on the passenger side wheel well.

The connectors are the C100, C101, C105, C210, c220 and c230. Coming out of these connectors are:

5 pink wires which need 12v power. They power the injectors and the coils.

1 orange wire which needs 12v power to the PCM at all times

2 Fan relay wires Dark blue and Dark green which trigger the fan relays. Fan 1 and 2.

1 green and white for Fuel pump relay

1 white Tachometer wire for tach signal

2 wires for the ALDL port. (Diagnostic port) Tan and Purple.

1 Brown wire for the Service engine soon light

1 dark blue wire for the VATS.

That is it. This will make a LS run. There are a lot of minor details but in a nutshell that is it.

The truck harnesses will work but the layout is hard to work with and the injector connectors are different than F body/ corvette.

[64GunPilot]

Will any 5.3 work? From any GM vehicle if its a 5.3 the manifold and such will bolt right up and fbody wiring harness works? I have not done much research but am interested.

[cozog1548534733]

Will any 5.3 work? From any GM vehicle if its a 5.3 the manifold and such will bolt right up and fbody wiring harness works? I have not done much research but am interested.

 

Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Vortec_engine#Generation_III_3

 

I believe it's the GenIII engines that shared the LS1 block.

 

Bob can correct me if I'm wrong since he's the professor of the 5.3 swap.

[D Algozine]

Will any 5.3 work? From any GM vehicle if its a 5.3 the manifold and such will bolt right up and fbody wiring harness works? I have not done much research but am interested.

 

Per the rules, 5.3 needs to be one of these long blocks

 

7.14 GM 5.3L LS Engine Option

Late GM cars may substitute the engine long block assembly with the 5.3L LS series LM7, L59, LM4, and L33 long block assembly from 1999-2004 GM trucks. The intake, exhaust manifolds, and all external accessories and electronics from the Late GM 5.7L cars must be retained

 

Non of the 5.3 shared a block with an LS1. However, the only difference between an LS1 block and a 5.3 block is the bore size. 5.3 is slightly smaller bore. All other measurements and internal components are the same dimensionally.

[Dustin M.]

Will any 5.3 work? From any GM vehicle if its a 5.3 the manifold and such will bolt right up and fbody wiring harness works? I have not done much research but am interested.

 

Per the rules, 5.3 needs to be one of these long blocks

 

7.14 GM 5.3L LS Engine Option

Late GM cars may substitute the engine long block assembly with the 5.3L LS series LM7, L59, LM4, and L33 long block assembly from 1999-2004 GM trucks. The intake, exhaust manifolds, and all external accessories and electronics from the Late GM 5.7L cars must be retained

 

Non of the 5.3 shared a block with an LS1. However, the only difference between an LS1 block and a 5.3 block is the bore size. 5.3 is slightly smaller bore. All other measurements and internal components are the same dimensionally.

 

I still have a beef with the way this rule is written, I'll probably submit an RCR when the time comes. The L33 is an aluminum block engine with LS6 heads that only came in 05-06 trucks. If we want to allow it, we must expand the years to 99-06. 07+ is when the cylinder deactivation came into play.

[ls168camaro]

Will any 5.3 work? From any GM vehicle if its a 5.3 the manifold and such will bolt right up and fbody wiring harness works? I have not done much research but am interested.

 

Per the rules, 5.3 needs to be one of these long blocks

 

7.14 GM 5.3L LS Engine Option

Late GM cars may substitute the engine long block assembly with the 5.3L LS series LM7, L59, LM4, and L33 long block assembly from 1999-2004 GM trucks. The intake, exhaust manifolds, and all external accessories and electronics from the Late GM 5.7L cars must be retained

 

Non of the 5.3 shared a block with an LS1. However, the only difference between an LS1 block and a 5.3 block is the bore size. 5.3 is slightly smaller bore. All other measurements and internal components are the same dimensionally.

 

I still have a beef with the way this rule is written, I'll probably submit an RCR when the time comes. The L33 is an aluminum block engine with LS6 heads that only came in 05-06 trucks. If we want to allow it, we must expand the years to 99-06. 07+ is when the cylinder deactivation came into play.

 

Yes, this needs some rules clarification. I know the directors don't like to do a rules change without an RCR and not during the silly season. But this seems it should be clarified for anyone who might buy one of these motors.

Directors-is it possible to get a clarification?

[nape1548534725]

I still have a beef with the way this rule is written, I'll probably submit an RCR when the time comes. The L33 is an aluminum block engine with LS6 heads that only came in 05-06 trucks. If we want to allow it, we must expand the years to 99-06. 07+ is when the cylinder deactivation came into play.

 

With GM's history of parts bin engineering, I always laugh at the "only" phrase. With that in mind, what's the engine code for the AL block 5.3 in '03+ Trailblazers/Envoys/Rainiers?

 

There weren't any years listed there, just engine codes. To my knowledge, GM didn't make an AL block 5.3 until '03. Before that, they were iron and the LM7.

[Dustin M.]

L33 in particular is AKA the 5.3 HO. It got higher compression, aluminum block, different cam, and flat top pistons (due to the 243's larger combustion chambers intended for the 5.7) when compared to the LM7. Going off of memory here, it was only available on 4 door half tons in 4WD or the TX trucks that were 2WD with 4WD suspension (had axle stubs bolted into the hubs I do believe). There are so many variations of the 5.3 out there now it'd be really difficult to police, I say let them all fly regardless of the year and don't call out specific RPO codes because even an L33 will have to get choked back down in the end anyway. If someone really wants to deal with cylinder deactivation bullshit, more power to them. All it takes is a magnet to determine block material for the car's 50# weight penalty.

[nape1548534725]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Vortec_engine

 

I had to look it up, I knew I read it somewhere.

[Dustin M.]

OK, 05-07 because the "classic" body style ran into 07. I remember they sold them both ways that year. I've been thinking a little more on this and it really comes down to if the powers that be want to allow the LS6 and LS6 derived heads or not. IIRC, all 07+ trucks came with LS6/LS2 based heads. Their combustion chambers were smaller so they could use the dished pistons and I believe the port volumes decreased slightly, but they still retained the shape of the ports that made the later heads so much better. The 07+ could be had with/without cylinder deactivation and with iron or aluminum blocks. We could say no aluminum block 5.3s or have head casting numbers that are a no no. Or we could just let any old 5.3 fly with the only caveat being the 50# penalty if you have an aluminum block. I like the latter better, not everyone is knowledgeable enough to discern between the umpteen different variations of this motor so why make it that much more difficult to police?

[Glenn]

LS6 heads are legal already as they came on 2002 F-body's from the OEM.

Some were LS6's from block on out to the heads.

LS6 block and heads are the only parts available for OEM replacement LS1 block and heads. So one of this should be an issue.

[Dustin M.]

You say that, but it's only the couple hundred Dale Earndhart Camaros that actually got the full blown LS6 engine (and SLP T/A I think) cam and all. Unless you're confusing 241 heads (late LS1) with 243 heads (LS6)? I've never heard anyone else ever claim that Camaros came with an LS6. Block (hit and miss) and intake manifolds yes, but that's neither here nor there because I don't want to start an argument about that. If we're good with LS6 heads then I say we should be good with lifting RPO and year limitations on the 5.3 to remove ambiguity from this rule. Was there ever a reason to specify which 5.3 to use in the first place?