Best budget upgrades on a 5.3L rebuild?

[ks03]

Is there another maker of 706 heads besides Castech?

Castech



...and whatever this is

 

[ks03]

I don't know what year or how many miles are on your hoe, but if it over 150K you should replace pistons.
Then if you do
Just have the machine shop bore the block to 6.0L
you have to bore it anyway for new pistons.

Get yourself a set of remanned 862s and leave everything else the same
Good to go. You can even run the same cam and tune is optional. Recommended but optional.

If your hoe lives below 5000rpms and you want more TQ,
That's the best budget upgrade on a 5.3L rebuild.

BTR stage 1 cam would then be the next step up from there.
Then headers
Then TURBO! LOL Its really hard to find a turbo kit for 4WD hoes

gotta plan your build.... don’t buy headers right before turbo

 

[fasteddy]

Is there another maker of 706 heads besides Castech?

I'm going to interpret that as 5.3L heads, cathedrals.

1. Remfg'd 862's are the most budget friendly...$500 (nothing will make more power at low rpms...CD factor)
2. TSP 5.3 would be next on my list. New castings and can order defined compression ratio $1300 outright
but you'll lose TQ at low rpms due to larger intake runner and bigger valves, but Texas speed makes f**king good heads.
3. After that you'll jump to $2K+ with TSP bigger, AFR, TF, TEA......just seach the web.

 

[fasteddy]

gotta plan your build.... don’t buy headers right before turbo

The turbo was LOL, JOKE.....

I'm going through the repower analysis process now too and it goes something like this.
5.3 to .....(assumption my trans is already built)
1. 6.0 is $4K (3 year warranty)
2. 6.6 gas is $9K (3 year warranty)
3. Add turbo to 5.3 or 6.0 is $8K (no warranty, and all the headache of a turbo and I can't even find a 4wd turbo kit)
4. Add Whipple to 5.3 or 6.0 is $11K (no warranty but very dependable)
and my personal fav....
5. Duramax Swap is $25K, 6.6L diesel, Allison 6Spd, 11.5 diff for stage 2 450hp, 800lbs of TQ and 25mpg.
Donor LB7s are so expensive because everyone wants them
But if you think about it though....$5K Stock Tahoe+$25K Durmax Powertrain is 50% of cost of new Tahoe with 3.0L baby ******** duramax.
And the seats suck in a new Tahoe and its 700lbs heavier than mine.

Thats where I am......currently leaning 6.6 gas. (500lbs of TQ, but 10-12MPG)

 

[iamdub]

I don't know what year or how many miles are on your hoe, but if it over 150K you should replace pistons.
Then if you do
Just have the machine shop bore the block to 6.0L
you have to bore it anyway for new pistons.

Get yourself a set of remanned 862s and leave everything else the same
Good to go. You can even run the same cam and tune is optional. Recommended but optional.

If your hoe lives below 5000rpms and you want more TQ,
That's the best budget upgrade on a 5.3L rebuild.

BTR stage 1 cam would then be the next step up from there.
Then headers
Then TURBO! LOL Its really hard to find a turbo kit for 4WD hoes

What's wrong with +150K-mile pistons? And good luck on finding a 5.3 block that can be bored to 4".

 

[fasteddy]

What's wrong with +150K-mile pistons? And good luck on finding a 5.3 block that can be bored to 4".

Pistons are cheap, I would put in new. 862s with LQ4 pistons make 10.6 compression approx
And on a 150K mile engine I would pull it and replace the seals and sensors as well. 18 year old rubber goes bad.
Other folks would just slap on a new head if just one blew and drive on. Completely acceptable.

I've bored a 5.3 to 4.065, its called an iron LS3. I wouldn't boost or spray it, but it works.
Texas Speed used to offer this config as a standard longblock.

I've sleeved a 5.3 to 4.125, with a 4 inch stroke, just a way to make an LS7. Fairly common. Texas speed does it. RED does it.

You could sleeve a 5.3 and use the stock crank and that would make a 388....I've seen folks do that in crazy dirt cars.
Called a destroked LS7 and with the right valvetrain will spin to 10K and make 750hp.

OP asked for budget upgrades.
Cheapest upgrade is more displacement. Rest (cams, manifolds) is all high RPM stuff. Im not sure my hoe has ever even seen 5000rpms.

 

[tRidiot]

So I met with a friend who is going to do the pull and replace. He talked to his rebuilder who actually said he's used 4 or 5 of the crate motors from AutoZone with excellent results. He recommends this over a rebuild, which will run probably $1500 parts and labor or more.

Went and checked them out today at the Zone - $2088 + tax, reuse oil pan, front cover (timing chain cover) and valve covers. $2299 + tax drop in ready. 4 year warranty.

Not bad for essentially hassle free.

Same guy rebuild the 4l60e trans for $1k.

AutoZone - $1446 + tax. 3 year warranty.

I'd figure around $5k tax, install and such out the door. Plus I guess a tune from Black Bear or something?

Interesting idea... complete practically as-factory-new motor and trans... Cost me some more, but a lot quicker than a rebuild and a lot less hassle, I guess.


Thoughts?

 

[iamdub]

Pistons are cheap, I would put in new. 862s with LQ4 pistons make 10.6 compression approx
And on a 150K mile engine I would pull it and replace the seals and sensors as well. 18 year old rubber goes bad.
Other folks would just slap on a new head if just one blew and drive on. Completely acceptable.

I've bored a 5.3 to 4.065, its called an iron LS3. I wouldn't boost or spray it, but it works.
Texas Speed used to offer this config as a standard longblock.

I've sleeved a 5.3 to 4.125, with a 4 inch stroke, just a way to make an LS7. Fairly common. Texas speed does it. RED does it.

You could sleeve a 5.3 and use the stock crank and that would make a 388....I've seen folks do that in crazy dirt cars.
Called a destroked LS7 and with the right valvetrain will spin to 10K and make 750hp.

OP asked for budget upgrades.
Cheapest upgrade is more displacement. Rest (cams, manifolds) is all high RPM stuff. Im not sure my hoe has ever even seen 5000rpms.

OP leads on that he's getting a rebuild- I'd hope that would include new seals! I agree with replacing all the sensors, especially since pretty much all but the coolant temp sensor are hard to reach.

There were a few rare 5.3 blocks that were made from the 6.0 castings and just bored to 3.78". I've heard of a few boring out the 5.3 to a 6.0. But, I doubt they ran for very long unless they were totally babying it. Why would someone bother with boring an engine they're gonna (have to) baby? All I've ever known TSP to offer is sleeved for big-bore 5.3s. Yeah, you can sleeve anything to make it whatever. Regardless, it's all a moot point for the OP cuz none of these are practical for what he wants.

 

[iamdub]

So I met with a friend who is going to do the pull and replace. He talked to his rebuilder who actually said he's used 4 or 5 of the crate motors from AutoZone with excellent results. He recommends this over a rebuild, which will run probably $1500 parts and labor or more.

Went and checked them out today at the Zone - $2088 + tax, reuse oil pan, front cover (timing chain cover) and valve covers. $2299 + tax drop in ready. 4 year warranty.

Not bad for essentially hassle free.

Same guy rebuild the 4l60e trans for $1k.

AutoZone - $1446 + tax. 3 year warranty.

I'd figure around $5k tax, install and such out the door. Plus I guess a tune from Black Bear or something?

Interesting idea... complete practically as-factory-new motor and trans... Cost me some more, but a lot quicker than a rebuild and a lot less hassle, I guess.


Thoughts?

Now you're flippin the script on us. You were looking for budget upgrades to get more out of your 5.3 since it needed a rebuild. Now you're looking at spending a little more for a stock engine. So, if warranty and turnaround time trumps all, then you should be shopping for best rebuilt engine supplier if you're questioning AutoZone's offerings. For this, I have no input.

 

[tRidiot]

Now you're flippin the script on us. You were looking for budget upgrades to get more out of your 5.3 since it needed a rebuild. Now you're looking at spending a little more for a stock engine. So, if warranty and turnaround time trumps all, then you should be shopping for best rebuilt engine supplier if you're questioning AutoZone's offerings. For this, I have no input.

I get that... I don't know that anyone local is going to give me a "better" rebuilt engine than a national company with a long track record? Yes, this is a big project, and if I'm committing to keeping the truck another 3-5 years or more, this is a good investment, I'd think?

It's an evolving situation - but I was hoping to get the swap for under a grand and the rebuild for under a grand. It looks like that's unrealistic in my local market. These guys are local part-time guys who do rebuilds regularly and are quoting higher number than I'd hoped. The one shop with supposedly a great reputation I got a real and solid quote from was about $3700 tax included (with my exchange) out the door and that guy acted like he'd never heard of a problem with the 706 heads - not too confidence-inspiring, if you ask me, from a professional full-time rebuilder. Adding another grand-plus to that and I could get a major national brand rebuilt motor and trans, installed.

Am I being unrealistic? Silly? Stupid? I don't know, that's why I'm coming here for advice, too. Warranty and turnaround don't trump all, but they are factors in a truck that has been sitting 3 months, with family vacation season coming up. In just over 8 weeks I have a 10-day trip to New Mexico planned driving around to Santa Fe and Four Corners, etc. If I have to rent a vehicle for that, it's gonna cost me probably an additional $1200-1500. That would suck major balls if my truck weren't ready by then.


<edit> The 285 HP Scoggin-Dickey reman LM7 mentioned in another thread is $4560.59.