Chevy LS motors - questions

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montesa

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I’m a Toyota guy for the most part but I also want something fast eventually and it looks like LS motors are the answer. Info and support everywhere. People all over making big power for little. Am I misled by YouTube on this? Is there a catch? A stock 5.3L from a Chevy pickup with a turbo making 600hp reliably?
 

doctorjj

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I’m a Toyota guy for the most part but I also want something fast eventually and it looks like LS motors are the answer. Info and support everywhere. People all over making big power for little. Am I misled by YouTube on this? Is there a catch? A stock 5.3L from a Chevy pickup with a turbo making 600hp reliably?
No real catch. Just a cam will really wake those motors up.
 

Snattlerake

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Plus a program change in the computer. People forget the LS series has to have a computer to run it and sensors to provide input. They are really detuned from the factory.
 

DaveinOKC

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With Holley Terminator EFI Control Kits for about $1k if you go without transmission control and drive by wire they are getting even easier to swap. Looking at Holley Terminator Max for my LSA swap for Drive by Wire and control of a 4L80E in case I get tired of rowing the gears.

My brother built his own turbo kit for his LS swapped Fox Body, it runs really strong with a mild tune.
 

swampratt

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Moboost has a lot of knowledge on tuning these things.
Has a speed shop. Abel racing in MWC.

I like carburetors myself. Even that path they make excellent power and I think they look cleaner.
Here is one of Moboost cars .. it is a stock 4.8 the heads have never been off so that means stock heads and stock lifters stock pistons and rods etc.
LS6 cam was used and a turbo and Holley EFI .. he built all the plumbing and tuned it.
At one time on the dyno after removing a turbo and sticking another one on that little 4.8 got to 29 PSI of boost and Andrei let out 1000 rpm early and it made I think 924 HP to the wheels.

Yea stock 4.8 with cam and a lot of boost and well thought out injection system..OH on E85 to keep things cool.

He keeps trying to get me to go LS but i still have plenty of old school chevy engines to explode first.
Here is the 4.8 in action.





The nova's first dyno pass at a tiny 10 PSI.


Yea boost and get it on.
 

montesa

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That’s awesome. Thanks. I think I’ve met that guy once too.

I have a 1990 F150 regular cab. Would like to put a nice 5.3l in it. Really only interested in about 375hp.
 

NightShade

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That’s awesome. Thanks. I think I’ve met that guy once too.

I have a 1990 F150 regular cab. Would like to put a nice 5.3l in it. Really only interested in about 375hp.

Probably end up cheaper and similar performance to pick up a 351 Ford and have less work to do to make things work.

is a build done not too long ago that I happened to watch recently.

It does all depend on your intended purpose and how much money you want to throw at something as well. Sure you can do engine and trans swaps and have everything work but fabricating new mounts for it all is a pain. Most of the time using a engine and trans from a similar company (Ford engine and trans in a ford body, Chevy engine and trans in a Chevy body) you will find that mounts will bolt up as long as a similar engine was used. Same for the trans. Plus it's a lot easier to just bolt the accessories on and not need to make new brackets or splice lines, etc since you can buy the brackets from a junker and usually just bolt them on. It may not sound like a ton but lets be honest, throwing time and money at a project will eventually kill the project. The easier it is to get done the more likely it is to happen which means sticking with stuff where you don't have to try and fab a ton of parts up yourself or throw money at it to have things done.
 

montesa

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Good points on the 351. I hadn’t considered something like that.

I can justify the cost of putting a low mileage 5.3L in the f150 because I’ll use it as a work truck and put a few hundred thousand miles on it. I assumed the stock motor would be more reliable.
 

montesa

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Why a 5.3 over a coyote?

Cost. There’s so many of those Chevy trucks out there. I could get a wrecked one and pull everything needed. Strip the f150 and move it all over.

Why not just buy a Chevy truck? I just like the old f150 feel. Regular cab, bench seat, manual windows, super simple. Nostalgia thing probably. There’s tons of room in the engine bay. Could probably find ways to get it down to 3300lbs.

This guy put together his price list.

https://blog.1aauto.com/ls-swap-cost/


What do you think about guys putting these motors in mustangs?
 

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