swap and carb vs. efi questions

T5MalibuWagon

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Sep 27, 2004
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Let me start by asking whats your take on carb vs. efi for a ls swap?

I have been playing with the idea of at getting a ls1 to put in my rambler, and have seen that 5.3s are a dime a dozen so thats probably what I would end up with.
EFI scares me as I know nothing about it so a carb seems to be the logical answer but I keep thinking that if I am going to do that why not put in a trusty old sbc.
What kind of mpg are you carbed ls1 guys getting? Ive heard that the ls1's are more efficient, is this true? Whats advantages does a ls1 have over a sbc?

I am looking for 400hp or so and I know that I can get that out of a sbc but I want it to be fairly light as the car already handles like a tank with the straight 6. What would be needed to get that kind of HP out of a 5.3? Does anyone know what a all aluminum ls1 weighs, or what the difference is between one and a aluminum headed sbc?

Also I dont ever see myself installing a auto in anything I drive so whats out there for manual trannys? I know that some came with a t56 but dont know which ones. Did a 5.3 ever come with a manual?

I looked at some ls1 forums but they seemed like the ricers of the v-8 world, I saw a lot of "modded" and "it needs a cam" talk so any help will be appreciated, thanks T5
 

Horsepwraddict

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Mar 3, 2007
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T5MalibuWagon said:
Let me start by asking whats your take on carb vs. efi for a ls swap?

I have been playing with the idea of at getting a ls1 to put in my rambler, and have seen that 5.3s are a dime a dozen so thats probably what I would end up with.
EFI scares me as I know nothing about it so a carb seems to be the logical answer but I keep thinking that if I am going to do that why not put in a trusty old sbc.
What kind of mpg are you carbed ls1 guys getting? Ive heard that the ls1's are more efficient, is this true? Whats advantages does a ls1 have over a sbc?

I am looking for 400hp or so and I know that I can get that out of a sbc but I want it to be fairly light as the car already handles like a tank with the straight 6. What would be needed to get that kind of HP out of a 5.3? Does anyone know what a all aluminum ls1 weighs, or what the difference is between one and a aluminum headed sbc?

Also I dont ever see myself installing a auto in anything I drive so whats out there for manual trannys? I know that some came with a t56 but dont know which ones. Did a 5.3 ever come with a manual?

I looked at some ls1 forums but they seemed like the ricers of the v-8 world, I saw a lot of "modded" and "it needs a cam" talk so any help will be appreciated, thanks T5

When everyone said 'you need a cam' they weren't lying. These motors LOVE cams. With an ls1, you could hit 400 hp at the crank with just a carbed intake and the right cam.

For a 5.3, i should be right at about 360fwhp with just the performer rpm and TR220, Do some head work and you will be at your 400hp goal. The 5.3 heads flow the same as the ls1 heads (putting ported 5.3 heads on ls1's is a very popular swap) and have smaller chambers so they up the compression very easily. These heads flow around 290cfm from the factory, they are extremely clean burning and efficient motors, it is amazing how responsive they are to simple mods.

As far as mileage goes, even with a carb it will be way better than an old SBC. Here is an example.

2nd Gen S10
6.0
hotcam
Performer RPM intake
750 speed demon
th350 w/3kstall

that truck got 18mpg on a 100 mile trip to the track and ran 11.20 on spray. With an ls1 or 5.3 the mileage would be even better.

Now. Dont let FI scare you. If you go with a standalone system, it honestly isn't any harder than a carb setup. Get a PCM, drop the motor in, get a standalone harness from someone like Current Performance, plug in the sensors and hook up a power and ground wire and your DONE.....and you will get even better mileage and amazing driveability.
 

T5MalibuWagon

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Sep 27, 2004
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Thanks for the reply, what's a tr220?

I went out to Lubbock last weekend and stopped by Scoggin Dickey. The show room is nothing special but one of the guys took me on a tour of the stock room, It was one of the coolest things Ive gotten to see in a long time. There were ls7 scattered about, lsx blocks here and there, I got to pick up a new 6.2L aluminum block, shelves of heads, cranks, headers, valves, and arp bolts. Oh ya there were lots of sbc's and several bbc but I think I got the lsx bug bad when I was out there.

I would think that if I can get my car to hook than 400hp should put me deep in the 11's and thats what I really want. I know that I will need to put a bigger cam to get my goal I just think its funny when people talk like a motor doesnt have a cam. What size cam do you suggest?

Man 18mpg with a 364ci engine running 11's without a overdrive,wow! What rear gears are you running?

Another thing that I have been wondering is what do you do for accessorys, the rambler only has an alternator, is there a way to ditch all the other stuff?
 

Horsepwraddict

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Mar 3, 2007
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T5MalibuWagon said:
Thanks for the reply, what's a tr220?

I went out to Lubbock last weekend and stopped by Scoggin Dickey. The show room is nothing special but one of the guys took me on a tour of the stock room, It was one of the coolest things Ive gotten to see in a long time. There were ls7 scattered about, lsx blocks here and there, I got to pick up a new 6.2L aluminum block, shelves of heads, cranks, headers, valves, and arp bolts. Oh ya there were lots of sbc's and several bbc but I think I got the lsx bug bad when I was out there.

I would think that if I can get my car to hook than 400hp should put me deep in the 11's and thats what I really want. I know that I will need to put a bigger cam to get my goal I just think its funny when people talk like a motor doesnt have a cam. What size cam do you suggest?

Man 18mpg with a 364ci engine running 11's without a overdrive,wow! What rear gears are you running?

Another thing that I have been wondering is what do you do for accessorys, the rambler only has an alternator, is there a way to ditch all the other stuff?

a TR220 is the cam i have in my 5.3 now. Its relatively small.
Specs:
220* duration
.551" lift
114 LSA
should idle like stock

when you start getting up into the 224 cams they really start to lope, depending on what LSA you grind it on though. I highly suggest going over to ls1tech.com and reading up. Things like cams are drastically different from old SBC cams. Maybe even call up a company like thunder racing, texas speed or another lsx cam manufacturer and ask them to give you the low down.


The 6.0 truck had 3.73's.
 

T5MalibuWagon

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Sep 27, 2004
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Ok I was thinking that it was probably the cam but didnt know.
I have heard that these motors are a little different in the way of cams so I will have to take your advice and go see if I can understand what their talking about over on ls1tech.
I dont think I even come close to knowing enough to call some one that makes a living with these thing, I would sound like a fart can import kid talking about a sbc. :lol:

3.73, 11's in the 1/4, and 18mpg in a truck, Im impressed.

So hows the truck coming, got the 5.3 runnin yet? I looked for your post in the lsx forum but didnt see it, might have to search. With your cam, intake, and carb set up what do expect to get for HP?
 

T5MalibuWagon

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another question, do 5.3's have aluminum blocks?
 

Horsepwraddict

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T5MalibuWagon said:
another question, do 5.3's have aluminum blocks?

no. The 4.8 and 5.3 share the same block
 

Horsepwraddict

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T5MalibuWagon said:
Ok I was thinking that it was probably the cam but didnt know.
I have heard that these motors are a little different in the way of cams so I will have to take your advice and go see if I can understand what their talking about over on ls1tech.
I dont think I even come close to knowing enough to call some one that makes a living with these thing, I would sound like a fart can import kid talking about a sbc. :lol:

3.73, 11's in the 1/4, and 18mpg in a truck, Im impressed.

So hows the truck coming, got the 5.3 runnin yet? I looked for your post in the lsx forum but didnt see it, might have to search. With your cam, intake, and carb set up what do expect to get for HP?

my swap thread is in the gallery. It isn't running yet, i started doing wiring 'removal' yesterday and i was stupid and cut a few wrong wires, so i gotta fix that, not a big deal. I mocked up the motor the other day to check for clearances on everything and i was very happy with how it fit, better than the SBC in my opinion. I dont have headers for it either yet, might try to make my own but i will probably give in and just buy swap headers.

Here is my thread.
http://www.maliburacing.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=59225
 

Stangboy

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Jan 27, 2004
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Horsepwraddict said:
T5MalibuWagon said:
another question, do 5.3's have aluminum blocks?

no. The 4.8 and 5.3 share the same block

They can if they are out of a trailblazer I believe....
 

T5MalibuWagon

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Stangboy said:
Horsepwraddict said:
T5MalibuWagon said:
another question, do 5.3's have aluminum blocks?

no. The 4.8 and 5.3 share the same block

They can if they are out of a trailblazer I believe....

If 5.3's are iron blocks I will just try to find a 6.0, I dont want the weight of the iron block but if I have to have it I might as well get some cubes with it. The 5.7's are all aluminum right?
 

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