Hey guys, can anyone tell me what would have to be done to upgrade from a 5.3L to a 6.0L vortec in a 99 Silverado Z-71 X-Cab? I would like to get a little more power for towing my 5th wheel camper. The suspension is fine, but it does struggle a little pulling the hills. Any input/opinion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Josh
You will need all of the electronics that goes along with the larger engine that means replacing all of the wiring harnesses, can be done, but is a nightmare. Even modifying an engine with OBD II can be a nightmare as the PCM will have to be reprogrammed. Guys do it, but have lots of specialized equipment. Would think more in terms of getting the best price for both selling and buying the vehicle of your choice. With a bit of luck, may actually make a profit on the deal.
That is what I suspected, but wanted to hear it from someone who would know more about it. Thanks for the quick reply, and when the time comes I will check into the options again. Thanks again,
Josh
It's a problem, if you can believe the advertisements of K&L air filters and the superchip people, that may to the trick, but the chips force you to use 93 octane gas as they jack up the spark advance. I wonder how true this is as you have an anti-knock sensor that determines the spark advance and perhaps just by putting in high octane gas would do the same thing.
Can't really put on smaller diameter tires as the load rating drops with it, but that will effectively jack up your numeric gear ratio. If you have an AT, the five speed will give you a better spread of gear ratios, but still would have to change over the PCM. You are reallly not need of more HP, but more low speed torque. Can also check if different rear end ratios are available.
The 5.3 or 6.0L engines are only 323 and 366 CID engines, kind of pint sized for pulling a large load. A 454 or 502 CID older engine would hack it much better, or even the Indmar 8100 Vortec 8.1L (496 CID) cranking out 424 HP is what you need. Maybe you should be looking at a much older truck.
From a legal standpoint, you cannot change the engine in any emission controlled vehicle [86-up].
96-up vehicles have even more stringent regs as far as changing the engines.
The engine in the vehicle must match the VIN.
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BAT Auto Technical
All that said, it sounds like when the time comes I should be looking at a 3/4 ton Diesel. I am not towing an unreal amount of weight, the camper we have now is a 28ft Cameo that weighs about 12000lbs empty. I also sometimes(but not often and not far) tow a trailer behind it for my Motorcycle and a few Quads. The truck I have now handles the medium sized hills ok, but really struggles on the large ones. I am probably on the edge of what I can do with this truck anyway.
Josh
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