LTX and LSXPutting LT1's, LS1's, and their variants into Third Gens is becoming more popular. This board is for those who are doing and have done the swaps so they can discuss all of their technical aspects, including repairs, swap info, and performance upgrades.
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Trailblazer SS' also got them and were more common than SSr's
The TBSS only had the LS2 6 liter. The SSR MIGHT have had the 5.3 very early on but the later years were LS2s as well. However, I think the early ones had the LS6.
AFAIK the only performance oriented vehicles the 5.3 has come in are cars and the top of the line Colorado.
FWIW, those can be had cheaper locally from what I'm told and you don't have to ship them or go pick them up. Not a bad price though for others that don't have a local yard that will sell them cheap.
The TBSS = LS2, 6.0L. The 5.3's came in an optioned Trailblazer LT or LS.
__________________ 1994 Trans Am A4, Bolted, Tuned, Geared, Cammed, Stalled, Juiced 1987 Iroc A4, Carbed 305, Bolt Ons, H/C Carbed LS1/TH350 project 2006 Trailblazer SS, Stock AWD Daily with some exhaust 1996 Grand Am SE, 2.4L of hate EPFBA | Motor City/Street Lethal | DBD | Fquick
I'm giving serious thought to dropping a 5.3/4L60E into my wife's '92 RS, so I sure hope that I can find an inexpensive engine like that near me when the time comes...
You know....
I'm not sure what the weight difference is between my 87 GTA & my moms '05 Trailblazer, but the mileage rating between our 2 is the SAME 18 mpg. And I'm still getting 20mpg (original EPA estimate was 21, iirc), with 200,000 miles on the original, unrebuilt engine. Does that say good about my 22yr old car? Or bad about her 4yr old Trailblazer? 18 year difference & no better mileage? Yes, I'm sure hers makes more HP than mine, but that's not my point here.
My GTA runs GREAT. Starts before the engine even makes a full revolution. Smokes the tires easily. Sure...Its probably down on power, but you'd never know it!
The weight difference is pretty considerable. Also, your car is a lot more aerodynamic. That same 5.3L would probably get 24-26mpg on the highway in a GTA.
__________________ 2nd Place Modified Camaro - ThirdGen Fest '11 LSX / T56 combo, 420rwhp 407 ft./lbs. custom Ford 8.8" with 9" axle tubes, 4.10's and Ford Racing Cobra diff, Moser axles, LS1 brake swap front and rear, Hawks 1 3/4" longtubes, forged internals, TSP MS4, LS6 intake, Spohn LCA's/torque arm/cross member/k member/subframe connectors, Alston subframe connectors, Hotchkis springs, poly motor/trans mounts & sway bar bushings/end links, Memphis Audio / Pioneer audio system, etc etc et
Yes, I'm sure hers makes more HP than mine, but that's not my point here.
Remember, hers makes more power, and gets the same gas mileage in a heavier vehicle. It also has much tighter emissions restrictions compared to yours as well..
Same computer, yes.
Same tune, no.
You can get it running with a stock 4.8 tune but don't plan on doing any major driving until you get it tuned.
I doubt it, I've seen guys get away with driving LQ4s on LM7 computers. That's even more of a difference, so running an LM7 on LR4 programming should be possible. Go to www.ls1truck.com for all the info you could ever want.
By the way, pre-'01 engines have issues with the blocks, the rocker arms, and, when used in performance applications, the rod "bolts". Ask for '01 or newer.
By the way, pre-'01 engines have issues with the blocks, the rocker arms, and, when used in performance applications, the rod "bolts". Ask for '01 or newer.
Is that for just the 5.3's? I hadn't heard that before (concerning the 6.0's anyways). Also, I would be wary of dropping a salvage yard motor in a fresh engine sway anyways, I would want to crack her open and see what's inside and replace whatever needs to be replaced.
__________________ 2nd Place Modified Camaro - ThirdGen Fest '11 LSX / T56 combo, 420rwhp 407 ft./lbs. custom Ford 8.8" with 9" axle tubes, 4.10's and Ford Racing Cobra diff, Moser axles, LS1 brake swap front and rear, Hawks 1 3/4" longtubes, forged internals, TSP MS4, LS6 intake, Spohn LCA's/torque arm/cross member/k member/subframe connectors, Alston subframe connectors, Hotchkis springs, poly motor/trans mounts & sway bar bushings/end links, Memphis Audio / Pioneer audio system, etc etc et
By the way, pre-'01 engines have issues with the blocks, the rocker arms, and, when used in performance applications, the rod "bolts". Ask for '01 or newer.
what kind of problems are we talking here? just found a block locally that fits into this "troubled" year range and want to know what I'm possibly up against.
If you dont race or boost the crap out of the engine you wont have an issue
97-98 blocks have the older style internal oil passages. Later models were slightly tweaked for improved oil flow throughout. You wont notice a difference short of roadcourse action and even then, impact will be minute
Rod bolts were standard issue problem much like all 3rd gen rod bolts. The engines were not rated past 6,000 RPMs so they were not built to go there, much like TPI rod bolts releasing at 5k. ARP bolts and cleaning up the rod journal solves the problem
As for the rocker arms, issues come and go. They are a factory roller design, but use cast bodies and they do NOT like missed oil changes. The needle bearings like to wear and lock up and the castings like to crack when neglected or abused. These problems will be present on any LSx engine 97-present
If you want more in depth reading, do a search on each on LS1tech
If you dont race or boost the crap out of the engine you wont have an issue
not so. even stock work trucks have problems.
97-98 blocks have the older style internal oil passages. Later models were slightly tweaked for improved oil flow throughout. You wont notice a difference short of roadcourse action and even then, impact will be minute
it's not about the oiling, it's about the parts.
Rod bolts were standard issue problem much like all 3rd gen rod bolts. The engines were not rated past 6,000 RPMs so they were not built to go there, much like TPI rod bolts releasing at 5k. ARP bolts and cleaning up the rod journal solves the problem
are you nuts? TPI rod bolts don't just fail at 5001 rpm, I've had more than one B2L-turned-carbureted see 6000 rpm reliably. As for the LSX bolts, they did get improved for '01. these are usually good for 6800-rpm upshifts in 5.7 and smaller. Bigger bore 6.0s have heavier pistons, so figure 6500.
As for the rocker arms, issues come and go. They are a factory roller design, but use cast bodies and they do NOT like missed oil changes. The needle bearings like to wear and lock up and the castings like to crack when neglected or abused. These problems will be present on any LSx engine 97-present
there was a streak of rockers, we call them a batch, that were all extra-bad, and the batch was rather large. The best way to avoid them is to use '01-up rockers.
If you want more in depth reading, do a search on each on LS1tech
Most of what's there agrees with what I've been seeing in the vehicles of my customers. I'm active on LS1tech.com, under a different username.
what kind of problems are we talking here? just found a block locally that fits into this "troubled" year range and want to know what I'm possibly up against.
cracking is way more common, and you can't bore those early 4.8/5.3 blocks to 4" like you can the later ones, and some even won't go to 3.898" without having cylinder wall failure. Don't try nitrous, turbocharging, supercharging, high-compression, or high rpm with these early 4.8/5.3 blocks.
Is that for just the 5.3's? I hadn't heard that before (concerning the 6.0's anyways). Also, I would be wary of dropping a salvage yard motor in a fresh engine sway anyways, I would want to crack her open and see what's inside and replace whatever needs to be replaced.
Of the few early 6.0s that I've magnafluxed, none had any cracks. As for the cylinder walls, none of them needed over-bored at all, honing was enough.
Folks, this next part is opinion, but I think that until the '01 production started sometime in '00, the 4.8/5.3 block used different water jacketing than the 5.7 and 6.0 blocks, and I think finally they simply discarded the problematic version.
Check out how many blocks this guy has...
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