5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Hello,
I am going to remove the 283 that is in my 1970 and i want to put in a 5.3 or a 6.0L engine. Can you get decent HP out of a 5.3? Also, are either of these a hastle to install in my 70? Will they even fit? I have the option of a 5.3 or a 6.0, both drive by wire out of a 2007 suv. If i go with the 5.3 can i install a 4l80e on it, or are those transmissions only for the 6.0? I have read some 5.7LS1 threads, but i dont know if they apply to my build. Lots of questions, i know, thanks.
Rigo

Anybody from Roswell, NM? Trying to find like intrests in my area?

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

You should install either :) Several companies make adapters to install these engines. I made my own....not tough at all.

The 6.0L will be able to make more power, but not that much more really. Both are good, capable engines. The 5.3L are usually A LOT cheaper though, but if you can get a good deal on the 6.0L, go for it.

The 5.3L can be bored out to 5.7L and accept stock LS1 pistons too. I did a little research, and according to some of the newer truck guys the 5.3L can make around 370RWHP with all the goodies naturally aspirated. The 6.0L can make over 450RWHP. Both will stand up to boost or nitrous too.

The 4L80E will fit behind either engine. It's easiest to use the harness for the 4L80E though (the harness is the same as far as the engine is concerned, but different for the tranny).

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I just spent the last hour reading your build thread and its awesome! I am going to stay on top of your build.

Thanks

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

i did the 5.3 in mine. all stock i put down 221 rwhp on the dyno and 285 tq. it runs great, i have my camaro to go fast!!

check the link in my thread.....

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Go with the 6.0.The is no replacement for displacement.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

No substitute for cubic inches (except cubic dollars)

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I've got 5.3's in both of my projects (69 Suburban & 67 4 Door CrewCab). As stated above the 5.3's are cheaper. The only donwside other than cost that I've heard about the 6.0's is fuel mileage (and that may not be a concern for you). There are alot of different ways to go with the install and it will require $$$$ and time. If you want to spend less money it will take more time and vice versa. Either way it is not as cheap and easy as throwing a stock motor in there. Do lots of research and come up with the best combination (time/money) for you. The way I chose was not the cheapest, but at this point in my life, time is more valuable. If you have any specific questions let me know. Here's a picture of my 69 SuperBurb and the CrewCab, :D.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Exactly! Go with an 8.1L!

You can't beat the stock HP and torque from an uncorked 8.1L running on the proper emissions free calibrations. Plus they are a direct replacement for any small block (or big block) and will accommodate any year of big block header or exhaust manifold.

The hard part is finding an 8.1L

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

And also, they make absolutely ZERO aftermarket parts for them. If I'm not mistaken, the 4.8/5.3/6.0 are all the same block design. You can bore the 5.3 to a 6.0 if you'd like. Either way, I know people making 375+ to the ground with 5.3s and 475+ to the ground on 6.0s, before spray. Go with the 6.0 if you are wanting the power... you won't regret it.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

You don’t need aftermarket parts for a stock engine that makes over 400 HP and close to 500 lb ft of torque when properly programmed. Actually, there are a small amount of aftermarket parts if the stock HP isn't enough to suit yoru fancy but they are pricey.

I just finished this swap and would put it up against any stock 5.3L or 6.0L. Even mowing through the gears with a HD truck manual transmission I can attest it is much quicker than my bored and whored 396 in my 68' GMC.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Picts!! I saw an 8.1 spill its guts due to some forced induction, but I'd guess in rock stock they ought to run like a scalded dog!! They are out there and not too much interest in them as they are :gas hogs" so?

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Yeah...exactly....FORCED induction…I was talking stock. Stock engines are what the majority of our truck crowd friends will swap in and run. Swapping an EFI is a major feet for most of us let alone hopping up a late model EFI engine.

I work for a spun off division of General Motors that manufacturers stripped chassis for the RV and commercial truck industry and we have well over 150,000 units on the road with the 8100 where they get used pretty hard and routinely pull 24,000 lbs of motor home weight around with very little engine warranty exposure. We puke more 4.8L and 6.0L engines in UPS trucks than we do 8.1L’s in motor homes.

Like I said, the 8100 is great for stock HP and torque when properly tuned. Big blocks by nature are not one for the reciprocating mass of high RPM ‘s. Force induction with a stock BB is not a good idea either. But let’s put a STOCK 8.1L next to a stock 6.0L and see who wins the HP and torque contest.

You put an 8100 on a MEFI-4 marine engine controller with the proper cal files and you have an absolute animal on your hands....spin them past 5500 RPM and you can expect 8 big dents in your hood.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

That engines are LS1 and you can install a 4l60e or the 4l80, I have a 5.3 on my 2001 sylvy y love the power

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

i doesn't matter. get whatever is cheapest, 4.8, 5.3, 5.7, 6.0, they're all going to BLOW AWAY your 283 and get great gas mileage.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Well, I never done a swap with one of these motors. I have the 6.0 in my 01 crew. Its an ok motor. It sucks gas like no tomorrow. I have a couple friends that have the 8.1 in the same truck. They get 1 MPG better city and Hwy with the same set up I have. Now my Dad went out and bought a 06 1500 4x4 Crew with a 5.3 it also has 35" tires and stock gears. It gets 4-5 MPG better then my truck and feels like it has more power. Last time we went camping he was pulling approx 6500-7500 lbs and I was pulling 9k lbs. I figured I would run away from him on the mountain with 4.10 gears and the 6.0. It didn't happen. He was right behind me the whole way up the 6% grade.

IMHO 8.1 if your going to tow often then the 5.3 if your going to tow once in awhile or not at all.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

WOW! I am just the opposite. I love my new 6.0, and I would never have another 5.3. I get 17-19 MPG Highway and my dad has never gotten over 18 with his 5.3. I just drug home a 68 BB GMC on My heavy trailer nd the 6.0 never broke a stride, while the 5.3 sometimes goes into 2nd with an empty trailer going over an overpass. My truck is a 1/2 ton/3.73 Iguess with the 4.10 yours must be at least a 3/4 ton. I have heard from a lot of people that the 6.0 gets horrible MPG, but I can live with 17-19 anyday.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

6.0+heads,cam,long tubes=500HP. Need I say more?

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I put a 6.0 in my Burb and what HartRod said is correct, gas mileage is not THAT great, still way better than my stock 350, and the Burb is heavy, but I probably could have squeaked an extra 2-4 mpg with a 5.3, and with tuning I bet the power wouldn't be that different, maybe torque while towing or under acceleration
but I might opt for 5.3 I guess is what I'm saying?

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I agree also, the 6.0 mileage isn't that great. If I had it to do over I would've done all the same mods I have to a 5.3 because I think I probly would've gotten better mileage.

I know that I have read and heard great stories about mileage. I have a company truck that is a 2001 1/2 ton extended cab 2wd with a 5.3 and it gets about 15. With the 6.0 in my K/5 I get about 13.

Bill

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Guys,
As always, you have given great advise! I am currently waitin go hear on prices for a 5.3 or 6.0. Borardmember 70 RS/SS pointed me in this direction and i am waiting to hear what the prices are going to be. I have to say though, I am probably going to go with the 6.0. I would hate to spend all that time and money to find out that i want more (stock)power (i cant spray it 24/7). Also, I have to PM Nate from Porterbuilt. I need to know if i can use one of these engines with his dropmember set-up. I hope i can. His stuff is off the hook! Guys, i will be starting my project soon and will be on here often. I know i can count on you guys to give great advice and play devils advocate on every and all issues of my build. Thanks for all your honest responses.
L8R,
RC

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

:lol:

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

pretty good thread here
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=233302

Sold this one back in the winter, it had a 4.8 that I made a 5.7 using ls1 internals. Lets just say it was a hand full from take off:)

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Before the MEFI-4 engine controller fine tuning. The 8.1L sounds rather strange through exhaust compared to older big blocks due to the 8.1L (and other Gen III small block engines) having an untraditional Chevrolet engine firing order (the poor audio doesn't help either). I need a new video now that the calibrations are more dialed in but need a camera man do to so!

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Or lets get really wild: 7L, 427ci, 505hp, 490 ftlb, 6000+ RPM, LS7

Nice sounding truck Dirty Larry

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Your right. I thought I put that in there. But, looking back at it I didn't. Mine is a 2001 2500HD 6.0L 4L80E 4.10 gear and 35" toyo tire.

When I had 33" tires on it. I got 13.8 tops on the highway. I didn't think that was to bad for a big truck.
But, when I went to the 35" tires. I don't even want to know. I used to be able to go 4 days on a tank ($85) at the time. Now with the 35's I got about 2.5 days at $107 a tank (at the new and improved gas prices :devil:). Needless to say I don't drive it back and forth to work anymore. BTW its 37mi each way if you want to do the math.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I don't know guys. The trailblazer has the 6.0 and we get around 13-14 mpg. I think it would be a little better in a lighter (less than 6k lb) truck. It scoots the Trailblazer along pretty quick, I couldn't imagine the speed in a swb truck weighing in around 3800lb. I think i would spend the extra money on the 6.0 if you are really after power. If you are wanting mpg I would get the 5.3 just because it would be cheaper initial purchase and the gas would be cheaper also. Just my opinion though.
Shawn

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I'll chime in on the gas mileage thing just for reference. My last tank was about 60% highway at about 70-75mph. I got about 13.5 mpg. This is with the 6.0L, 38x15.50 tires, and 5.13 gears in a heavy ass Suburban. I gained about 2 mpg with the 5.13's vs 4.10's that I used to have. I would highly recomend the 6.0 over the 5.3, so much more potential for cheap.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Did you switch to the 5.13s after the tires? In theory, lower the rear end ratio allows for better MPG, lower cruising speed. But of course, on larger tires and the stock ratio the engine could be killin MPG to spin the larger tires.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

For whatever it is worth…. my 5.3L Z71 Hoe averages around 18 MPG but it doesn’t see many miles. It pretty much only hauls my skinny butt and 30 lb suitcase and laptop bag back and forth from the COS airport so it only sees highway miles.

I am often amazed how much power the 5.3L doesn’t have in a Hoe with 3:73 gears. Living at 5,000 ft elevation doesn’t help much. It feels like it needs one more gear in the trans to make the powertrain work in symphony. First gear acceleration is decent, second gear okay but the 2-3 shift the 5.3L and 4L60E falls flat on it’s face. I swear there are toe nail marks in the floor mat just to keep up with traffic.

One of the most annoying things with this powertrian combo is when I encounter this particular large hill I often encounter when the cruise is set and the trans downshifts from 4th to 2nd gear and the RPM’s jump wayyy the hell up. The 5.3L sounds like the pistons are swapping holes at that point. The RPM jump always scares me to so find myself tapping the brake pedal to release cruise and relax the engine. I am not impressed with the power that my 5.3L delivers in a SUV anyway living at high altitude. Maybe in a lighter truck it would be adaquate.

I actually hate this damn Tahoe and want to off it for a Poncho G8 but my wife really likes it and it is 5 payments from being paid off so I guess we are stuck with it for a while. SUV’s aren’t worth 50 cents in resale right now anyway.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

liked mentioned, if you want more power go 6.0, but mileage is the same, i went from a 5.3 > 6.0 in my 2001 ext cab with 4.10 and still get 15city/19highway, also with a 3200 converter that flashes at 3900, guys let me tell yo this, these new GENIII motors are awesome but you wont believe how much better you can make them if you have them tuned better with like HP tuners or EFI live, if you have them tuned right you can get a whole lot of power out of these motors and more gas efficient....

just to give yall at idea, my truck with the 5.3 went 13.2@99mph and then i swapped to a 6.0 and went 12.43@106, my trucks raceweight is 4700lbs, so I cant imagine a setup like this on a 1000lb lighter truck? which the 5.3 would perform awesome aswell.. these both motors have aftermarket cam only, both are stock heads....... i am also almost getting ready to put a 5.3 in my 68', i found a 2006 5.3 complete longblock with accessories, and 4l60e for $1000, can let go of a deal like that,,,,

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

exactly!! deals are out there. i got a 2004 5.3/4l60e complete for $800 had 20k on it. runs perfect!!

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

THat is the kind of prices I am finding also. So that sounds about right. You figure with all the other things necessary, you could probably get away with getting one all buttoned up (fuel tank, motor mounts, tranny mount, driveshaft shortened, etc) and running for around 1500.00 if you do all the work yourself and can figure out the wiring yourself. You can barely get a rebuilt 350 long block from your local engine builder for that (not talking crate motors).
Shawn

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I used the in cab tank, made adapter plates, used stock motor mounts, stock trans mount, stock trans crossmember, etc.... haha

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Well there you go! Do you have any trouble with fuel starvation going around corners when the gas in the tank is low and sloshes away from the fuel pickup?

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Guys,
How much does a 1970 C10 Short weigh? I am going to go with a 6.0l with a 4l80e trans. I think i am just going to get a tune for it and install a cam in it. My wife has a yukon with the 6.0 and it moves! I am sure my little 70 is way lighter than that beast. There was someone on ebay that had pretty good deals on motor combos, but he does not have any 2WD applications. I will continue to look! I am bound to get a good deal on a 6.0 with todays gas prices. How aggressive of a cam can i install (good street manners) in a 6.0? Any suggestions on cams?
You guys ROCK!

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

I have a 5.3/4l60 e in the garage and I am not too far away, interested?? PM me. What everyone is using as the measuring stick isn't necessarily realistic in that one the older truck is about 2k lbs lighter, you'll strip a bunch of emissions crap off of it, and the motor will be (should be anyways!) tuned to do away with the craptastic OE tune that is used to help GM avoid warrantee work, so low rev limiter, terrible shift point/perf, etc, etc. A 5.3 with a 6.0 cam and a tune plus stripping the crippling tune and a 5.3 ought to kick 300-350hp to the tires, right??

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Yes I switched the gears after the tires. The motor was just lugging too much with the 4.10's. Now I'm about 2400rpm at 70mph and the motor is hardley working, it's great.
As far as a cam, you can go as big as you want. "Good street manners" is a relative term. My truck now has a .551"/.551" 210/218 114lsa cam and it drives great. Little bit of a lope, but not much. Some people think it's too lopey. I'd actually like to go a little bigger. My last Trans am had a .595/.605, 234/240 114lsa cam and it was perfectley streetable too, in my opinion. It's all a matter of opinion. Your limiting factors are going to be valve springs ( stock are only good to about .500 lift ), and needing a higher stall converter if you go real big on the cam.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Guesstimate at around 4000-4500lbs, give or take a few hundered lbs. I forget what they said last time I asked.

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

dont usually let it get to low, been to just below a 1/4 and didnt have any probs.......

Re: 5.3 or 6.0 in my 1970?
 

Do you have 1 ton running gear? If I go over 70 mpg my mileage REALLY falls off, between 70-75 I only get a little over 11mpg.