Recommendations

[swathdiver]

So would you say intake manifold, upgraded throttle body and headers would help out more for that?

If memory serves, the FAST LSX intake with the longest runners and largest throttle body gave a 5.3 about 10 RWHP. That's a lot of money to spend for 10 horses. There's a semi-active member on here running around with that intake on a 5.3, ask him.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... the FAST LSX intake manifold with the longest runners and largest throttle body gave a 5.3L about 10 RWHP.
That's a lot of money to spend for 10 horses.

And those are horses at PEAK RpM, very likely well over 5600RpM.
It's why my next 6.0L will use a trucky intake manifold, and whichever pope hat intake port heads get as close to 10.9:1 scr without going over. (Does any tuner have da bawlz to tune a 6.0L OVER 10.9:1 scr?)
Power UNDER 4000RpM is more important than peak RpM power.

 

[Charlie207]

A turbo kit alone would probably cost similar to all the other parts you'd need to upgrade to make meaningful power, and still add way more power compared to the price of new heads, valve springs, pistons, LT headers, a tune, and all the hardware needed to hold it together.

 

[Trey Hardy]

How's it going everyone I'm new to this forum. I just bought a 09 Chevy Tahoe ppv 5.3 vortec that has a TSP chopacabra cam in it. I'm looking to add more HP to it trying to figure out what type of headers I should get for more gains. Also looking to do the plugs and wires any help would be greatly appreciated

I’ve had great luck with my speed engineering Longtubes I have their 1 7/8” with the full 3” exhaust x pipe duel corsas to 7” axle dumps and it sounds great and really helped out in power especially after the tune. I’ve never seen the benefits of all the money for a nice intake I’ve personally had decent gains by doing nothing but home porting the stock throttle body and intake
I also took the stock 243 heads and had them ported and milled down a hair with new springs retainers and a valve job and the truck just ripped to be on a 9” lift and 37s it would just get down even with the stock 3.73 gears in her

It was a basic build
5.3 with the ported and worked 243 heads
Ls7 beehive springs with titanium retainers
Valve Job and milled the heads
Bigger hardened tsp pushrods
All new gaskets
1 7/8” Longtubes full 3” exhaust no cats
K&n cold air intake
And a bad ass tune
The next step for more umph is gears it’s the best bang for your buck imo

Nothing but Longtubes and exhaust with some gears and a bad ass tune and you would have a pretty stout machine