96 Tahoe LT Engine Swap

[Barking-Iron]

I’m wanting to replace the motor in my ‘96 Tahoe. It’s the 2-Door LT with 4 wheel drive. As of now everything is stock, but I’d like to replace the motor for something with a little more HP. It’s a daily driver, so I’m not looking for anything that’s going to burn the rubber off my tires. I’ve thought about possibly a Gen-V 5.3L L83. There’s a salvage yard near me that has a couple 2016 GMC trucks that have been totaled, but no damage to the motors. Not sure what they’re wanting for the motors, or if that’s even a possibility for my Tahoe. I’m far from being a mechanic, so any info/help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I’m not sold on that motor either, so if there’s a better option please let me know. I’m hoping to not have to change out the tranny at this point, so that’s another element I need to keep in perspective when searching for a different motor.

 

[drakon543]

a 5.3 would be a good option but off hand i would suggest a 5.3 from something a bit older. guessing the mileage on the 2016s they have sweeten the pot a bit. however id like to point out since the 5.3 was introduced they have added more and more electronics to the engine. so im not sure how much you would have to do to make it work. however a 5.3 from say an 04 with the main harness and ecu and other bits in not aware of could probably get you running faster and cheaper.

 

[drakon543]

hit post too soon
back to the start tho a 5.7 vortec is also a good powerplant. if your just looking to get peace of mind with some more power to boot. i suggest doing a rebuild on your current motor nice cam and some other goodies with a nice tune to back it up will definitely net you noticable gains over the stock motor.

 

[Barking-Iron]

hit post too soon
back to the start tho a 5.7 vortec is also a good powerplant. if your just looking to get peace of mind with some more power to boot. i suggest doing a rebuild on your current motor nice cam and some other goodies with a nice tune to back it up will definitely net you noticable gains over the stock motor.

Thank You for the info. Regarding the wiring of the L83 if a guy was to get a harness like the 1 in the link would that eliminate your concerns for wiring?
http://www.swaptimeusa.com

 

[drakon543]

hmm depends on exactly what they offer. alot of harness adapters and such will take care of most of your problems but not all. id give them a call and see how much thier harness will take care of.

 

[liquify33]

IMHO as @PNW VietVet said, rebuild and tune yours unless you’re willing to go all in. Maybe somethings like this: https://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/...6-to-2000-350ci-chevy-vortec-5700-v-8-engine/

 

[drakon543]

either way its all about money and time invested. you can put almost anything in anything if you have the cash and time to invest. i was merely suggesting an older version of the 5.3 as as it might be cheaper and and faster to do if your set on a swap. just figure out what features of your original truck you want to keep and what you want to gain. some things run through an ecm but a different engine will also need a different ecm. off hand i can't think of anything specific my coffee isn't ready yet. i know a typical problem with putting some newer in something older is the gauge cluster. getting the signals from all the new stuff to read correctly on the old cluster.

 

[OR VietVet]

My name was brought up so I feel I should chime in. Yes, like Robert said, I would also recommend that you do a crate 5.7 engine and get it installed in your rig and then have a tune done. That would get the HP up a bit and still keep your same electronics. Swapping over to a 5.3 would be nice but more expensive in the long run because of all the adapting and rewiring and of course tuning you would have to do and I would be that you would be a year doing it. The 5.7 is a great engine. If you want a 5.3, spend your money on a newer rig and go from there.

 

[th3 shifty]

I would like to add, that might not have been clear, is that just because someone offers a wiring harness, for the motor, doesn’t mean it plays nice or is specific to YOUR truck.

They mention they offer “Stand alone” systems, that means they get the engine it’s wiring and power, but it’s up to you to do the fuel system(much different from the stock system), the interior electrical including trying to make your cluster work or respond to the new ECM

Stand alone systems usually don’t use the “Check engine” light either, so if you live in an area where you have to pass certification like a plug in test for registration, you’ll fail the OBDII test for sure as stand alone systems don’t use this.

hope this info helps

 

[MeHoe]

I'm doing a 5.3 swap in my 2000 Tahoe limited 5.7. I got my motor for a steal and as far as rebuilding I'm just doing everything upper bottom end is cast iron. But it came with everything and wire harness and fuse box and ECU. But after all the research taping in to the harness or useing the 5.7 or 5.3 I just decided to order one. After shopping around a straight plug and play cost around $650. But I found the same harness plug ang play in Ebay for $350 that shops make even called to confirm it so. Once my 5.7 starts giving me problems that's what is going in. My 5.7 has 282 on the clock and doesn't burn oil or leak but you can only do but so much with a 5.7 a ls swap is the way to go