Taking my 84 t/a to the local 1/8th mile, never run this car or this track so its all gonna be new to me. Swapped in a carbed 5.3 with stock ls1 cam and spirngs 750dp and gmpp intake. Looking for some opinions on how to go about getting it to leave the best. What I got so far is 4.56 10 bolt (while it lasts), all stock ws6 susp. Tube k member, no front sway, gutted(3200-3300+me 150), 3500 10" converter 28x12.50 et streets and skinnies and home built adj torque arm. Sorry for the post just wanna give as much info as possible as I would like some input before Friday night comes.
Burnout or no burnout?
Flash the converter or not?
-1 pinion ok?
Just curious but any et/mph predictions?

 

Not sure what it will run but it sounds like you have plenty of converter to get a good 60ft out of it. You'll have to play around with how you launch it. thats what T+T is all about. Try leaving at idle. than try launching harder and harder until the brakes won't hold it or the tires start spinning. No reason not to do a burnout if your running E.T streets. Mine liked to be melted to work. I would say melt them and leave with all you have on the first run with the car cool and hope for a 8.0 in 1/8.

 

Thanks a lot for the input this is my first outing with anything other than a stick so wasn't sure what to do

 

Friend of mine went 8.0 last week with a bone stock 5.3 with a carb, this was in a Fox mustang so it was lighter, but not gutted, and has a 8 point cage. So, 8.2-8.4 in your car would probably sound right to me if everything clicks right, maybe even faster.

 

After reading the "TPI versus LSX" thread, I would say you should be high 5's or very low 6's in the 1/8 mile...JK LOL!

 

Haha def especialy with this lower sea level florida air but anyway thanks for the positive opinions guys and zone, didn't that fox have a tbreak? Did he run it foot breaking by chance?
And I've heard a lot about pinion angles seems they're all over tha place I'm just wondering if my -1 will be a good starting point I have the motor/trans at o• (assuming gen3s are level at the carb flange)

 

He was leaving at 3000 on the T brake on motor. But i run a -1.5 pinion angle in my cars.

 

We still have snow on the ground

 

-1* pinion angle is a great starting point. i think the car will run solid in the bottom 8's. maybe even better.

i'd do a hard burnout on the first pass. then, pay attention when you do your next burnouts. get into high gear (if you can) as quick as possible, then pull out of the burnout when the rpm's start to drag down as the tires start to grab the ground.

 

Ya snow sux its been mid 80s here for a little while but cooling down to low 70s high 60s at night so air should be nice and thanks for all the help guys I'm definetly gonna get some pics and vids tomorrow night and post it up hope it does well for a low buck junkyard build

 

That's only if it had a modified TPI!!!

 

Well it wasn't a great day for me at the track, I only got one run in and it wasn't special. I think the 5.3 has a serious problem now burnout went great track was prepped really good, bogged a little as I just mashed it from idle at the line and I lost oil pressure about mid track turned around and id wouldn't run again so loaded it up and left. Ended up with 8.9 @ 84 1.9 60ft I know if it ran right there's a lot more in it

 

That sucks, any idea what happened? Stock oil pump?

 

My 5.3 swap is giving me ***** right now, runs great, but off idle i have to roll into the throttle for some reason, not the other day, i was WOT tuning and it cut out at 5500 and died, i had to go WOT just to start it as if it just some how dumped way too much fuel. Really starting topiss me off as these swaps are usually to straight forward with zero issues and now i have a PITA out of nowhere, about ready to sell all of it and get a older 5.3 with a 6010 box instead of this 08 model with a 6012, not that it is the issue but it might end up being worth a try just to satisfy my nerves.

 

Just go to a gen I SBC

 

No thanks, dont want to go slower. I ditched the Vortec 335 that was in it for the 5.3 with a smaller cam and it runs harder.

 

Dropped the pan (tubular k member ftw) found some really thin steel shrapnel in it along with a shallow bed of metal shavings motors hard turn over. I didn't get to see where it came from yet too pissed at it to bother in the dark. But I'm. Hoping nothings bent or trashed cause I can't afford to throw a lot of money at it

 

Oh y still have (or had) a stock oil pump, anybody knows what hapens when the pump goes or where these steel paper thin pieces came from? I got a split second fire from it today before I pulled the pan and the oil pressure jumped right up to normal but couldn't idle or stay running and when it did it squeaked and rattled then just died and it was killing the starter trying to turn it over

 

Sounds like rod bearings.

 

I didn't think they were steel but I hope that's all it is cause tese genIIIs are awsome but bearings and such make sbc stuff look free lol I just hope the mains and bores are ok rodbearings and oilpumps are an easier fix, back to the track post I really like how the car felt till it fell on its face and all the home made stuff took a hell of a beating this month and is holding up great, I built my own k member,longtubes,torque arm lcas so I'm happy the car hooked and the only thing bad was the motor only one thing to fix versus list of problems

 

spun 6 rod bearings. 5.3 + losing oil pressure = done

 

bummer. stock 5.3 shortblocks are pretty cheap.

 

im looking but everyone thinks theyre gold around here but bores look good maybe if i can find a stock crank and rods i could get it back together

 

5.3's are dirt cheap around here. judging by yours and matt's experience, i would go ahead and buy several. lol

 

well, my experiences were not "the norm". my 5.7 had been molested, and i didn't check the bottom end out when i bought it. it had 7 bent connecting rods. it was a nitrous motor before i got it. the 4.8 was supposedly sick when i got it, so when i put that in and it had spun cam bearings, it didn't totally suprise us. the 6.0 version 1.0 failure was all my fault...didn't spend enough time cleaning during assembly. since i had it gone through, i haven't had another problem.

 

I just keep dropping junk yard dogs in and letting them eat, 400$ is what the 5.3s go for out here, lovely. Some times cheaper, mine with the 243 heads was 400$ with 28k miles on it, so i made out like a bandit.


Sorry to hear anyone having bad luck with them, but SBC and LT1 engines have just as bad of luck if not worse since they are usually higher mileage.