LSx bang for your buck. Whats the best value?

[MalibuSSwagon]

People seem to get caught up in achieving a HP number. You don't need 450hp to achieve what you want. I have a bone stock 5.3L and it does smooth cruising, tows 6k+ easily, and gets decent mileage. This met all of my project goals for my truck.

[softballnrd27]

Just like everyone has stated, the more cubes you start with the easier it will be to meet your HP goals.
If you want to keep the costs down, build your own harness. It's really not that hard it just takes time and patience.
Wasted Income hit the nail on the head, unless you start with a LS7, I think you will be hard pressed to get to the 450hp goal without a cam swap. 6.2/6.0 with a cam swap and stock heads should be doable, it would take some modifications to the heads and a cam swap to get to that goal with a 4.8/5.3.
I swapped to stock 243 heads milled .025" and a small cam and I'm probably around 375-400hp(at the crank) at most. I plan to get a better tune and cam to see what it will do so I will keep you posted.

I might have $3000 in my swap to include the 4l80e I just bought. I haven't done anything to the 4l80e yet so that number will go up as it always does. I got the 5.3 for $400 and the 4l80e for $500, I used stock manifolds and the th350 that was in the truck. The 243s and the cam cost me $500.

[softballnrd27]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Can you really hook up 450HP with a pick up?

Yes you can

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Can you really hook up 450HP with a pick up?

Lol. Yes.

I was able to hook 500 rwhp easily in my C10 LWB.

650 rwhp was also easy to hook in my blazer...800+ is proving to be a little more challenging.

Dead hook on an 18" wheel with a 305 Mickey drag radial....leaving at 6 psi....650 rwhp.

Clunker 11.22 pass 7 - YouTube

[softballnrd27]

Caltracs, good tires, and rearend built to handle the shock of hooking.

[Tilt]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

This is what I'm looking for. If I recall, the standard "guesstimate" of parasitic drive line loss of 20% that puts you at 447 +/- at the crank. Thats pretty close to the 450hp goal.

With that fact, how much did you spend on heads, cam, etc above the stock install?

What I'm after here is this. If its going to cost less to by an LQ9, but I have to bolt on heads, cam, and 3" exhaust to get 450 HP, how close will that come to the average cost of a 6.2?

Found a set of 799 heads for $350
Gasket set $???
Cam, springs, pushrods, and lifters IIRC about $800
Yank Pro Truck 3600 stall $950
So a little north of $2000

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by softballnrd27

Caltracs, good tires, and rearend built to handle the shock of hooking.

Tires make ALL the difference.

My rear suspension geometry is stock, with tubular truck arms, and single adjustable coilovers.

The rear axle is stock too, with the exception of an Auburn limited slip

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by softballnrd27

Caltracs, good tires, and rearend built to handle the shock of hooking.

What gear ratio, and was all of these mods added into the "engine upgrades"

[aknovaman]

My buddy buys gto total cars. Sells fully dressed motor and auto trans for $4600. Typical miles are 60-80k. Then parts out the rest for profit. $4k for an engine that needs acessory drive brackets and alternator, ps pump, trans, harness ecu, etc is not as good of a deal. Shop around and getting a complete package can be affordable.

[softballnrd27]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

What gear ratio, and was all of these mods added into the "engine upgrades"

I was just stating what could be used to hook 450hp in a 73-87 with leaf springs.
Gears will depend on tire size, what trans your using, and rpm range of your engine.

I haven't spent any money on those pieces yet other than the used 4l80e I bought.

Gear and locker/posi swap about $550-600
Cal-Tracs $375
Good converter(4l80e in my case) $500-1100

[Tilt]

Originally Posted by MalibuSSwagon

People seem to get caught up in achieving a HP number. You don't need 450hp to achieve what you want. I have a bone stock 5.3L and it does smooth cruising, tows 6k+ easily, and gets decent mileage. This met all of my project goals for my truck.

This is a VERY true statement. I wish I would have done a basic swap and not worried about the HP. Had I done that, I probably would not have sold the truck. The next one will just be a nice reliable cruiser.

[Jon01]

I'll part a low mileage F-body a year or so if/when I have time.
Under 100k, push for under 80. I sell the pullouts with ease in the $3500 range. But that's complete with harness, ace's, etc etc...

Prices are up but not unreasonable. If you watch you can snag rectangle port pullouts in the $4k range.

OP - Start with a rectangle port motor, 6.2 is better but a 6.0 is fine. 500 crank is attainable but will be a stretch without a cam swap, especially if you start with anything less than a 6.2.
FWIW, my LQ4 with milled 243's, custom cam, FAST, headers, 90mm TB - basically max effort...made 420 through a locked 80e.

[BR3W CITY]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

Lets see, $400 in the left hand for the used engine and $4000 in the right hand for the new engine.

I'm not comparing the price apples to oranges, I'm illustrating the point that if some people are paying $1800 for high mileage motors from junk resellers, your better off buying new. LSX longlock packages at my cost aren't even that much crazier in price once you start looking what guys are paying for high mileage LS3's...then doing h/c/i anyway. Its all relative.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by aknovaman

My buddy buys gto total cars. ....l. Shop around and getting a complete package can be affordable.

I have been looking, but havent yet tracked down a source to buy salvage with out having a license. I'm not opposed to that at all.

Originally Posted by Jon01

....
OP - Start with a rectangle port motor, 6.2 is better but a 6.0 is fine. 500 crank is attainable but will be a stretch without a cam swap, especially if you start with anything less than a 6.2. .

As much as i want a 6.2, they seem to be at a premium in my area. It seems the 6.0 is a better value.

Originally Posted by BR3W CITY

I'm not comparing the price apples to oranges, I'm illustrating the point that if some people are paying $1800 for high mileage motors from junk resellers, your better off buying new. LSX longlock packages at my cost aren't even that much crazier in price once you start looking what guys are paying for high mileage LS3's...then doing h/c/i anyway. Its all relative.

That may be a viable option too. If I factor in an aftermarket mid rise intake and headers it may not be too much more to buy a new long block.

Originally Posted by Tilt

This is a VERY true statement. I wish I would have done a basic swap and not worried about the HP. Had I done that, I probably would not have sold the truck. The next one will just be a nice reliable cruiser.

Thats really what I hope to achieve. I dont plan to build a truck to run at the track, or be a street racing terror. I'm not stuck on achieving any magic HP number either. I used the 450hp as a description rather than a goal.

[BB72CHEVKT]

What hp do you thing you could get with headers and a tune on this one?

You are looking at a 2013 aluminum headed and cast iron block lmg.. 5.3 vortec engine and computer and wiring complete liftout...with the 2wd 6l80e six speed auto trans........
The 5.3 is the lsx truck engine, it has 315 horsepower and 335 ft lbs of torque. This is the ls1, lsx, design engine, also known as the generation 4 small block chevy. It has the cast iron block and aluminum heads and hydraulic roller camshaft. The casting # on the cylinder heads are # 799 they are the same heads as a ls6 corvette..... ...... .the 6l80e transmission is the heavy duty 6 speed automatic transmission...
This was just pulled last week from a wrecked low mileage new body style 2013 chevrolet tahoe 2wd. . This combo .has 35,700 miles on it.. .. The tahoe was impacted, not doing any damage to the drive train. It ran absolutely perfect. And the crankshaft is the 58x reluctor. And does have the dod in it.... It does have vvt....
This is a complete lift out assembly comes with engine,transmission, computer, wiring harness. ( wiring harness not guaranteed to fit your application). Starter, alternator, power steering pump, a c compressor, all brackets and pulleys. This is a drive by wire engine. The electric gas pedal and wire plug cut from the vehicle is included, as well as, mass air flow sensor. No catalytic convertors are included in the auction.... ... We are professional dismantlers. No wires were cut in the removal of this combo. Consult dealer for interchange before bidding this should fit 2010-2013 chevy and gmc trucks, yukons, suburbans, ... We are located in paragould arkansas.... We ship to the lower 48 states....... We charge a $100.00 crating charge and actual shipping charges....... 30 day standard warranty.. Price is $4500.00 plus shipping......

[68GMCCustom]

My brand new never installed '09 LY6 was $2700 IIRC on ebay...but without harness and ecm.
I'd guess a 6.0 LQ4 w/headers and a tune is all the power you'd really need (roughly 400hp/tq?) or just get an LS2. My 6.0 with high lift cam, the LS3 style heads, CAI, and fairly hot tune is roughly a 500hp setup, not really too aggressive and drives easy until you punch it...then all h311 brakes loose.

That said, IMHO thats way too much power for many drivers. especially with less experienced drivers.

[Willie Makeit]

450 HP to the rear tires is whole lot more HP than most folks realize.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by Willie Makeit

450 HP to the rear tires is whole lot more HP than most folks realize.

And in a pick up especially !

[Wasted Income]

I wish i was as easily impressed by 450 hp as you guys. Life would be a lot simpler. Lol

[N2TRUX]

Good input guys. As mentioned previously, the 450hp was just a benchmark. I was just using that as a point for theory, not a mandatory requirement. I also understand the difference between RWHP and at the crank.

I know the old formula that there is no replacement for displacement still applies. I feel that what I have learned here is the 6.0 may not be as glamorous as the 6.2, but its much more economical to purchase.

So a good answer to the original query is buy a 6.0, build your own harness, get a good tune, and enjoy.

[N2TRUX]

Lets look at another angle, stock vs modded cost. Lets say a 6.2 cost 4000.00 and a 6.0 cost 2000.00 (again just theory) If you add headers and a tune ONLY to the 6.2, how much HP would you net? What mods, and how much would you spend to get the 6.0 at to same HP?

[StingRay]

You guys need to come up here. You have 30 cents over us on your dollar and one of the biggest wreckers anywhere around here scraps almost all of the 4.8 and 5.3's. No market. I can get them complete, computer, wiring, everything for 400 Canadian. i should fill up a trailer and had south. LOL.

[MalibuSSwagon]

yea thats a pretty good deal. Just sold a 4.8 to a friend for $300 US, that was the friend price.

[b454rat]

Local yard did the same thing couple years ago. They only by clean low mile wrecks. They threw away dumpers and dumpsters of LS engines. Pissed a lot of people off. Rather than selling them to locals for a couple hundred, lets just throw them away and not get **** for them from the recycler. They charge top dollar for everything they sell no deals for anybody but family

[slotard]

Originally Posted by StingRay

You guys need to come up here. You have 30 cents over us on your dollar and one of the biggest wreckers anywhere around here scraps almost all of the 4.8 and 5.3's. No market. I can get them complete, computer, wiring, everything for 400 Canadian. i should fill up a trailer and had south. LOL.

Yeah, you should... of course, 6.0s go for more, but (around here) 4.8s and 5.3s with everything included go for more than that USD.