I'm building a 5.3 blow-through turbo in my 85 IROC. My first turbo build, so I'll keep you all updated with how it goes. I'll post pictures later.

Engine:
5.3 LM7.
243 heads.
Speed Inc TU1 cam. .581/.581 225/225 113 LSA.
Brian Tooley .660" Platinum dual springs.
COMP .080 7.400 chromoly pushrods.
ARP head bolts.
MSD 6LS ignition box.
Magnafuel 300 fuel pump/filter.
15 gallon fuel cell.
Victor JR EFI intake.
Quick Fuel 750 blow-through carb.
On3 76mm turbo.
Tial Q 50mm BOV.
Tial MVR 44mm wastegate.
eBay intercooler.

Suspension:
UMI adjustable LCA's.
BMR adjustable Panhard.
BMR adjustable torque arm.
BMR weld in SFC.
BMR transmission crossmember.
8 point cage.

Drivetrain:
TH 350.
10 bolt rear end.
Richmond 3.42 gear.
Detroit Locker.
Moser 28-spline axles.
Moser C-clip eliminators.
Moser wheel studs.
Hughes 3500 converter.

 

Any porting being done on the heads? Also are you using the stock bottom end of the 5.3?

 

No porting, and yeah stock bottom end. My friend has a fuel injected 5.3 turbo in a notchback mustang. I'm using the same setup as him, only without the fuel injection. He made 598whp on 11 psi without touching the heads.

 

Awesome, ill be following the whole thread

 

Thanks man. It should be fun. I'm hoping for a car I can drive an hour to the track, run 10.xx and then drive it home. My friend went a 10.69 with his setup in the mustang, but his car will be lighter than mine.

 

With a 5.3 youll have no problem with that, good base to start with and can make wicked power.

 

Yeah that's what I'm hoping for. I just gave 75 for the complete motor (my friend had 3). This is a cheap and easy way to make some power from what I've read.

 

With all that good stuff, this:
...just doesn't make sense. Especially if you're driving it an hour to the track.

 

it definitely can be done and has been proven but get a good motorclub with towing and expect things to break there are guys that do it with no issues at all and run them for years and then there are the failures and then there are guys that build 15k motors and they fail too

 

Agree if you gonna be running turbo id change that rear end. I had turbo setup on mine but decided to remove since i knew my driveline wasnt gonna hold so i just left it stock 4.8 for now

 

should roll out. maybe the 10bolt will hold since it has some upgrades.
consider a aluminum housing cover. for the rear.

 

It has one. This is gonna be a street car mostly. The rear should hold for what it's gonna be out through. I'm going 9 inch eventually, but for right now this will be fine.

 

as long as you dont put some slicks on it you should be good

 

Noooo, I'm not. 275/60 drag radials.

 

As long as you don't put sticky tires that can hook on it, your 10-bolt should be fine...

 

Nitto 555R's, so not the stickiest drag radial ever. I've went 11.00's on a stock 10 bolt with the spider gears welded up. This one has everything you can do to one and it's just for a street car. It should be fine.

 

I ran nitto 555drs for 4 years with over 200 track passes with a 550 hp 6 speed dumping the clutch at 3k and pulled consistent 1.6 60 ft on a stock 10 bolt its hit or miss with them

 

See, people instantly think it's gonna fall apart when the hear the words 10 bolt. Lol. People just don't have the money of other people. In working with what I have and I think it'll do fine.

 

I just ignored everyone that said the 10 bolt wont last and its impossible to get a LT motor over 500 NA and I would never get below a 7.6 1/8th mile

Proved them all wrong

 

Yeah, and most people for even have experience with what they're talking about.

 

Lest you think I'm just a magazine mechanic...

I did everything you are supposed/can do to a 10 bolt. It lasted two launches with stock LS1/T56 w/LS7 clutch, small DOT slicks. It probably lasted more than one because the first was a low-RPM, total bog affair.

Of course, the other car with LS6 clone, high stall 4L60E, with the same things done to the 10 bolt, is in its 3rd season of a lot of hard running (plus being the daily driver) with nothing more than gear lube change at the start of each season. It happens to be quicker in the 1/4 than the T56 car was, with better 60' times. Still nothing compared to a turbo build.

It's your car, your money, do as you please. In hindsight, I'd been better off putting the $1100 I spent on the 10 bolt toward a 9" or S60.

 

Come on, everyone here knows 10 bolts dont break its just a myth! Carry on you'll be fine

 

any updates?

 

I will be following along on this build process as well. I am currently doing the same build. Well we have already finished the engine, but it is in a 4th gen right now. After we tweak the engine a little and make a few passes, the 5.3L will be coming out of the 4th and go into my 3rd. Then we will be putting in the already built 6.0 and doing twins on her. Good luck on everything, and keep us updated.

 

Just curious on how to post pictures from mobile if that's possible? I have some pictures to upload. Haven't really gotten anywhere with the motor. Been putting all the suspension together and spending a lot of time on that paint and body. Decided to go with Ford's new race red. It was the brightest red I could find. You can find them on the new raptors and stuff. I did get my turbo in the mail though.