Best budget upgrades on a 5.3L rebuild?

[tRidiot]

I am leaning more and more toward the 6.0L, though. Talked it through with The Wife, she is ok with the 6.0L upgrade and rebuilding my trans - or would it be better to try to upgrade from the 4L60e to the 4L80e trans with the LQ9 6.0L engine?

Again, I don't tow, I might someday do a little, but I seriously doubt it's ever going to be a common thing for me. I don't think the 6.0L will be ******* the 4L60e, do you? Not the way I drive, like an old lady, essentially.

 

[Mudsport96]

If you are just tooling around, the 60e will be ok. If you swap to the 80e you need a different tcase, or swap out the input of your tcase to accept the larger output of the 80e. Then wore in the front speed sensor. And do a segment swap which could just be in tje factory tune for the 6.0 anyway. Id forget the LQ9, a LQ4 will be plenty without the need for premium fuel. You are already starting with far more power than the 5.3. LQ9 is over rated, check out the driveway engineer on YouTube. He did a LQ4 with stock 862 heads and stock cam, it made within like 5 hp of the LQ9 because the smaller heads upped the compression. Plus they flow bettwr for torque so you gain like 12 ftlbs below 4000 and only lose 10hp above 5000. And the stock cam is dying up there anyway.

 

[tRidiot]

Hmmm I just realized if I get the longblock LQ4 from one of the retailers, I'm going to have to eat the core fee. I can't swap out my 5.3L core for a 6.0L core.

 

[1BADI5]

If you have an LMG 5.3 you should be looking for an L96 6.0 or an L94 6.2.

L96 - iron block, 50# injectors, FF ready but no AFM with VVT. Oh and comes with 823 rec port heads , same casting as LS3 but different valves.

L94 - aluminum block (roughly 150# lighter), 54# injectors, FF ready, BUT has AFM & VVT

Just some food for thought. I went with a L96 and should be going to the machine shop in the next 60 days. Getting bored to 6.2 with LSA rods and pistons.

Both options with AFM and VVT delete and the right cam is good for an easy 500hp crank. My head/cam/intake(FAST LSX/RT 102) and exhaust put down 412/415 wheel on a 5.3.......more displacement, more power.

Just my opinion based off from my LS builds current and on going.

 

[tRidiot]

So I just got off the phone - the rebuilder guy said he can't rebuild it for less than AutoZone is charging for their "remanufactured" LM7 5.3L, so his recommendation was to go that route.

But my reservation is the potential of the 706/862 heads. I really don't want those. Pretty much all the remanufactured motors I see for the LM7 online have those part numbers listed. In addition, none of the Ebay resellers I've contacted nor the local remanufacturer in Tulsa can guarantee me I won't get Castech 706s or 862s.


<sigh>

On hold with NuTech now to see if I can buy a 6.0L and turn in my 5.3L core.

 

[tRidiot]

If you have an LMG 5.3 you should be looking for an L96 6.0 or an L94 6.2.

L96 - iron block, 50# injectors, FF ready but no AFM with VVT.

L94 - aluminum block (roughly 150# lighter), 54# injectors, FF ready, BUT has AFM & VVT

Just some food for thought. I went with a L96 and should be going to the machine shop in the next 60 days. Getting bored to 6.2 with LSA rods and pistons.

I have an L59, not an LMG.

 

[tRidiot]

So the NuTech guy on the phone says I can buy my LQ4 from Autozone ($3310) and bring back my L59 for core refund of the L59 core - $335. So about a $300 difference from the LQ4 core. About $3k total - plus tax.

Would I need upgraded intake, fuel rails, anything like that? I know my computer would need reprogrammed. Will my existing exhaust bolt right up? And it will bolt right up to my rebuilt 4L60e trans?

From what I'm told, it is drop in, but I'm just checking if there are little things I don't know about that I need to prepare for. New water pump? Oil pump? Injectors? Or all of my old stuff from my L59 would work just fine? My alt bracket fits in the same place with the same mounts and bolts? I did the electric fan conversion, so as long as I have the ECM reprogrammed and that feature is enabled, it is ok? We put in a new pin (I think it was pin 15?) and had it programmed before for that mod.


<edit> I think altogether, motor swap, trans rebuild and in & out and ECM reprogram looks like it should run me right about $5500 or so. More than I wanted to spend when I started this process, but... I should have a pretty bulletproof powertrain on my old truck when this is done, and I can focus on fixing it up some more. Seats/upholstery/carpet, heat/AC, small electrical issues, etc.

 

[fasteddy]

So the NuTech guy on the phone says I can buy my LQ4 from Autozone ($3310) and bring back my L59 for core refund of the L59 core - $335. So about a $300 difference from the LQ4 core. About $3k total - plus tax.
You should ask him for a discount on a group buy or ask him to become a sponsor on the site.

Now you're working. Good Job!
AutoZone 6.0, They make it hard to say NO. Maybe you can get a sticker.
Good Deal.

Everything stays the same. Just need a stock 6.0 tune....easy peasy....Easiest upgrade in the world.

Should beef up the 4l60.....your trans guy should know what to do. Performance rebuild + 5 pinion platetaries.....you'll be fine.

BTW the 5 pinion planets are kinda overkill.

Adding a big cooler is good too.

On your upgraded Computer...added a pin and calibration change....I don't know how the blackbear thing works, but as long as it just updates prior and reflashes for calibrations from the 5.3 to 6.0 you should be good there.

I use HP tuners so the tune would take me about 5mins.

 

[Tonyrodz]

So the NuTech guy on the phone says I can buy my LQ4 from Autozone ($3310) and bring back my L59 for core refund of the L59 core - $335. So about a $300 difference from the LQ4 core. About $3k total - plus tax.

Would I need upgraded intake, fuel rails, anything like that? I know my computer would need reprogrammed. Will my existing exhaust bolt right up? And it will bolt right up to my rebuilt 4L60e trans?

From what I'm told, it is drop in, but I'm just checking if there are little things I don't know about that I need to prepare for. New water pump? Oil pump? Injectors? Or all of my old stuff from my L59 would work just fine? My alt bracket fits in the same place with the same mounts and bolts? I did the electric fan conversion, so as long as I have the ECM reprogrammed and that feature is enabled, it is ok? We put in a new pin (I think it was pin 15?) and had it programmed before for that mod.


<edit> I think altogether, motor swap, trans rebuild and in & out and ECM reprogram looks like it should run me right about $5500 or so. More than I wanted to spend when I started this process, but... I should have a pretty bulletproof powertrain on my old truck when this is done, and I can focus on fixing it up some more. Seats/upholstery/carpet, heat/AC, small electrical issues, etc.

Everything from your existing 5.3 will bolt up to the 6.0 with no problem. That includes your old intake, injectors, brackets--everything.

 

[iamdub]

So the NuTech guy on the phone says I can buy my LQ4 from Autozone ($3310) and bring back my L59 for core refund of the L59 core - $335. So about a $300 difference from the LQ4 core. About $3k total - plus tax.

Would I need upgraded intake, fuel rails, anything like that? I know my computer would need reprogrammed. Will my existing exhaust bolt right up? And it will bolt right up to my rebuilt 4L60e trans?

From what I'm told, it is drop in, but I'm just checking if there are little things I don't know about that I need to prepare for. New water pump? Oil pump? Injectors? Or all of my old stuff from my L59 would work just fine? My alt bracket fits in the same place with the same mounts and bolts? I did the electric fan conversion, so as long as I have the ECM reprogrammed and that feature is enabled, it is ok? We put in a new pin (I think it was pin 15?) and had it programmed before for that mod.


<edit> I think altogether, motor swap, trans rebuild and in & out and ECM reprogram looks like it should run me right about $5500 or so. More than I wanted to spend when I started this process, but... I should have a pretty bulletproof powertrain on my old truck when this is done, and I can focus on fixing it up some more. Seats/upholstery/carpet, heat/AC, small electrical issues, etc.

If your water pump is good, then swap it over. If it fails, it's an easy 1-hour replacement. Of course, you can buy a new one for the new engine if you wanted to. As with many things of this nature, STICK WITH GM GENUINE for the water pump. The new engine should have a new oil pump already- no need to open it up and mess with that. Your injectors and intake manifold will support the LQ4, just get new manifold gaskets. Accessories brackets, accessories, wire harness... all of it will be plug-and-play. The e-fan conversion won't be affected at all. Just make sure the LQ4 tune has the fan controls enabled.

I agree with Greg on the trans. For your use and with no or very little towing, a 4L60E with a few key upgrades to the known weak points would be fine.