Ive recently bought a 2000 5.3 from a truck. I plan on changing the oil pan to the f body style, retaining a/c and running my wc t5. Im going to use a 4 inch cowl hood and do a color change after the engine swap

i have a few questions about this.

Fuel: can i just use a inline pump? like maybe a walboro?

Transmission: I know the t5 will bolt up, my question is which clutch and presure plate to run? A fly wheel from a manual trans 4.8 or 6.0 should work right? Please dont tell me it wont work and its a waste of time, i refuse to go auto on a stick shift car, and the engine is only 295 hp.

Wiring: sort of scares the crap out of me, I guess what i will do is use the stock truck harness and connect everything i need to make it run, and run a autometer gauge cluster

please dont tell me to use the search function, as i have. It has a lot of good info, and alot of unresolved questions too.

Im not wanting to do an imaculate engine install, i just wanna replace my smoke on start up l98 with something with a little bit better options for performance.

 

Cool, how much did you pay for it? Just curious.

 

pocket man he is a god at this.... hit him up with a pm and he will give ya prices very reasonable to man.

the tranny,.......... idk if it will work or not i dont think so but you could always go with the t56...... let me no if you need any parts i got tons!!!

 

Does the WC t5 have the same trans>bellhousing bolt pattern as the later v6 t5? If so it's the same as the ford toploader trans and you can get a scattershield that adapts the ford trans to the LS1. That has been done before. I don't know if the wct5 has actually been bolted to an LS1/LM7 before and completely hooked up? Maybe check LS1tech for that info. Lots of guys don't want to run the t56 for some reason.

Fuel; inline pump is fine as long as it's up to the duty of the 55+ psi that the LSx requires. You'll need a regulator somewhere between the pump/filter and the fuel rail. Lots of guys use the 'vette assembly.

Wiring, if it doesn't have to look pretty, it's easier than hell. Connect all pinks to ignition and orange to battery hot, your grounds and fire it off.

 

First you asked about an external, in-line fuel pump. The MSD 2225 will do the job. After that, place a Mallory 4305M regulator. LSx fuel pressure is referenced to outside air pressure, so the Mallory's air pressure fitting does not need to be connected to anything, unless you add boost. This will support up to 12 psi if you boost-reference it, but at that point, pump voltage becomes critical.
Second, the flywheel: Because the T5 isn't the strongest, it'll have better chances if you run an aluminum flywheel intended for a '98-'02 Z28 LS1. Aluminum flywheels do wonders for saving transmissions, and they can be had in the $370-380 price range.

 

Not worried about how long the t5 lives, im just doing a stock 5.3 swap so all i have to do when the time for the built 6.0 comes, its bolt it in and have it tuned. yes an aluminium flywheel would be better, but im doing this on a budget, 1100 bucks is the most im willing to spend on this atm.


The engine pcm, engine, harness with all the truck accesories was $500

Nobody has ever put a t5 behind a 5.3? why wont a t56 clutch and presure plate work?

 

Fuel, put a walbro 255 in your stock tank and call it a day. External pumps complicate things

T5, youll have to figure out how to get the input shaft lined up with the crank properly. The biggest issue for older trans on the newer LSx blocks is input shaft length. The crank flange vs bellhousing surface is about .5" forward with LSx engines vs older SBCs. Be nice to the T5 or it will explode behind that torque monster. Easiest option is to go T56

Wiring, read the sticky. Send me a PM or post a new thread if you get stuck

 

Wrong, alum flywheels reduce rotating mass and allow you to rev up faster. This would put the torque through the already weak link faster, which is what you dont want. Plus, alum fatigues exponentially faster than cast iron so explosions are MUCH more common when using them. To make it safe, youd want a bulletproof bellhousing which blows the budget away. In the interest of your feet, Id never use and alum flywheel

Also, LSx T56's use a hydraulic TOB that has an integrated slave. The T5 uses a conventional external slave on a pivot arm. You may be successful mixing and matching clutch parts, but you wont know until you try. More likely, something custom will have to be fabricated driving costs up even more

BTW, $500 for everything is a great deal. If you lose interest you can part the engine out for more than that

 

ok so after some reading this is what i came up with on the t5 mating.

A t56 clutch and presure plate throwout bearing, and ls7 pilotbearing.

A BIG BLOCK chevy bellhousing is the only bell housing that gm made that will allow this swap. Its big enough to fit the t56 clutch in, where the t5 wont.
This creates another problem, the 15 degress on the t5 bellhousing. My best guess would be to install it, see how much the shifter it off then heat and bend til its right. Or does somebody make a 15 degree shifter for a t5?

 

Pocket, you just don't grasp basic physics. Were you asleep in class? Or flirting with some cute girl, or boy?
The aluminum flywheel is lighter. It stores less energy, in the form of inertia.
Build 2 identical cars, except the flywheels, put drag slicks on both of them. Put T5s in them. Take them to the dragstrip. Start doing launches, dropping the clutches. Do the first launch in each at 500 rpm, the second at 1000 rpm, et cetera. The one with the aluminum flywheel will let you launch at least 500 rpm higher before it breaks the same trans parts as the iron flywheel car already broke 500 rpm ago.

 

so if your so slick about flywheels how do i make stock 6.0 flywheel mesh to a t5 racing clutch i installed 6 months ago? that would be way better than buying a new clutch and bellhousing

 

good with physics theory is a far cry from practical knowledge of clutches. My specialty and career is engine building. Matched combos. And for that, a solid grasp of physics is mandatory. Hooking up the engines I build, that's up to whomever is doing the installation.
Besides, we haven't even determined yet if your crank has the rare long pad, or the more common short pad. The short pad only extends about 1/4" past the rear of the block. The long pad extends about 5/8".

 

ok, just a weird thought, but why cant i use a t56 lt1 bellhousing? i know they will fit a t56 clutch

 

Real mature

FWIW, only 99-00 LQ4s with iron heads got the longer crank. ALLLLLLLL 4.8/5.3/LQ9's got the shorter crank

To the OP, if you look at a T5, the case is actually 15* out, not just a bent shifter. A custom shifter may solve it, but the hole alignment is likely going to be off slightly. Trim the hole a bit and it should be good to go

 

Depth. Input shaft problems again, plus it lacks the proper holes for the HTOB and lines

 

Not so. Long cranks were used with some of the pre-'01 M/T trucks of less than 6.0L. I've seen a couple myself.
Second, it was 18*, not 15.
Stating fact isn't immature. Your age is, but noone ever said I had to act my age. You're just butt-hurt about your error about the flywheels. The way to save face is to say that you stand corrected. It'll do wonders for your credibility.

 

Why does every forum have to have a troll?

 

I second that.

 

What's a troll? And whom are you accusing? Pocket and Atilla are both really helpful, so it can't be either of them.

 

niether one of these guys have trolled, maybe just a tinge off topic, but its ok.\

so from what im gathering, a big honkin bb chevy bellhousing (for a 168 tooth flywheel, ls t56 clutch. 6.0 flywheel. open the trans tunnel up some. somebody said use a ls7 pilot bearing?

now that i know how to mate the two, how do i make the hydraulic clutch work, im pretty sure the oldschool bellhousing wont have provisions to put on the slave clyinder

 

I may be off here but just use the t5 everything and a pilot bearing extender, moroso makes one this would be a cheap way out.

 

im all ears here if it can be done this way? but i don think the t5 clutch matches the ls1 flywheel very good

 

Umm, no

The longer crank flange was for 6.0's mated to the 4L80E because the 80 series has the same depth as old trans. The longer flange was GM's cheap fix for the issue. Later when production needed to be streamlined (remember 5.3/5.7/6.0 cranks are the same) the longer flanged cranks were dropped and the adapter was designed as an add-on to the new engines equipped with the 80'

Since the 80' was never put behind anything BUT the 6.0 in the LSx world, the chances of you finding a longer crank LM7 are about as good as chances to find a L98/T5

If your T5 flywheel is for a 1pc RMS, bolt it on and see how the trans lines up. A picture thread will help for the future because questions about T5's behind LSx engines pop up frequently

 

If your T5 flywheel is for a 1pc RMS, bolt it on and see how the trans lines up. A picture thread will help for the future because questions about T5's behind LSx engines pop up frequently[/quote]


So your saying try a l98 flywheel on a 5.3? is the bolt pattern even anywhere close?

 

Will it fit? Good question, but here is an image of the L98 Rear Main Seal



Here is an image of the LS1 Rear Main seal:

 

Guys using older auto trans reuse the old flexplate on the LSx engines along with the adapter plate. I was referring to the bolt pattern on the crank flange with the 1pc RMS comment. Older 2pc cranks have a narrowed flange and the flex will not fit the newer engine. Same should apply to the T5 stuff, but its not a guarantee