Dans Buggy build
- Thread starter notajeep
- Start date
Jinx
when in doubt, upgrade!
- Location
- So Jordan, Utah
Dan,
I have a lot of '96 4.3 vortec left overs kicking around, I think it is same/similar to the '99 let me know if I can help you out on anything, (PS pump, heads, intakes, etc...) Let me know if want you need and i will check the shelves.
I have a lot of '96 4.3 vortec left overs kicking around, I think it is same/similar to the '99 let me know if I can help you out on anything, (PS pump, heads, intakes, etc...) Let me know if want you need and i will check the shelves.
Tacoma
Et incurventur ante non
- Location
- far enough away
for free I'd pull the cam and see how it looks, proceed from there.
You will have all the power you'll want with that thing. I was giddy with joy beating up the 5.3's in the company work trucks-- they were peppy.
You will have all the power you'll want with that thing. I was giddy with joy beating up the 5.3's in the company work trucks-- they were peppy.
I'll have that 5.3 home and the cam pulled in the next day or two. But looking for parts online so far has not been promising. At the moment I am leaning on the 4.3 rebuild, bore it .030 shave the heads for a little more compression, a good port and polish job, and see if I can't get about 250hp out of it. At least for now, that still looks like the cheaper way to go. No question that the 5.3 would be awesome, but I might save that for my new upcoming 4 seat buggy project.
Jinx,
Mine is an 89 TBI. I think I have all the parts I need.... at least for now. But thanks buddy. Your the man! When I go pro, I want you to be my spotter.
Jinx
when in doubt, upgrade!
- Location
- So Jordan, Utah
We had the heads gone through and did a set of flat top pistons in the '96 4.3 and they said we were around 240-250 with 101 octane... a huge difference over stock.
Jinx
when in doubt, upgrade!
- Location
- So Jordan, Utah
Sorry I thought the 99 vortec was a 4.3, instead of the 5.3. Should have looked closer....
Sorry I thought the 99 vortec was a 4.3, instead of the 5.3. Should have looked closer....
Easy mistake, you're only off by 1 when it comes down to it.
Ok, SO...... For now, the 4.3 rebuild will be the way to go given the time and money constraints.
Last saturday I got the motor pulled out and stripped down to long block form.
When I pulled the oil pan, I noticed that the rods were already stamped. Hmmmmm. Not the first rebuild of this motor maybe?
Took it to the machine shop yesterday. Looks like the knock I was getting was a rod bearing. The crank is ok though, and with a small grind will be good as new.
They also comfirmed that this is a 2nd rebuild from the .040 pistons that were already in there. After the block is cleaned up, they will check for any serious wear and if it needs it, we can go to .060.
I looked into a stroker crank, but apperantly there is not much out there for this motor, You can do an offset grind to get a longer stroke, but this seems to weaken the crank too much.
They will also take about .020 off the head to bump the compression up a little, then return it to me in short block form. Then I'll paint it, put it all back together and back in the buggy this weekend.
Anyone wanna buy a 5.3?? :greg:
Last saturday I got the motor pulled out and stripped down to long block form.
When I pulled the oil pan, I noticed that the rods were already stamped. Hmmmmm. Not the first rebuild of this motor maybe?
Took it to the machine shop yesterday. Looks like the knock I was getting was a rod bearing. The crank is ok though, and with a small grind will be good as new.
They also comfirmed that this is a 2nd rebuild from the .040 pistons that were already in there. After the block is cleaned up, they will check for any serious wear and if it needs it, we can go to .060.
I looked into a stroker crank, but apperantly there is not much out there for this motor, You can do an offset grind to get a longer stroke, but this seems to weaken the crank too much.
They will also take about .020 off the head to bump the compression up a little, then return it to me in short block form. Then I'll paint it, put it all back together and back in the buggy this weekend.
Anyone wanna buy a 5.3?? :greg:
chadschoon
Well-Known Member
- Location
- lehi
How much
Tacoma
Et incurventur ante non
- Location
- far enough away
Make sure you triple-check your valve and rocker arm function, make sure you're not hitting the pistons... and hog out the bolt holes in the intake a bit.
waynehartwig
www.jeeperman.com
- Location
- Mead, WA
Huh, I wasn't too far off when I said that it sounded like a spun bearing. Is it a bad thing that I know what they sound like after having several spin on those POS's Olds 455's?
If you want to wake that motor up quite a bit, do some headwork - 3 or 4 angle grind will really help. Maybe some roller rockers as well.
Put about $700 into that motor and you'll have a good motor and not need to hurry on the 5.3. Maybe even have a good motor to sell when you pull it.
If you want to wake that motor up quite a bit, do some headwork - 3 or 4 angle grind will really help. Maybe some roller rockers as well.
Put about $700 into that motor and you'll have a good motor and not need to hurry on the 5.3. Maybe even have a good motor to sell when you pull it.
This is exactly what I am having done. Having most everything interchange with a standard 350 makes getting alot of the parts fairly cheep.
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
Good choice staying with the 4.3
Dan didn't you have a set of Vortech heads from another donor engine? Wouldn't be a bad idea to have them gone through and swapped on. Fwiw Edelbrock (and possibly GMPP) offers an adapter intake to go from those heads to the TBI.
Dan didn't you have a set of Vortech heads from another donor engine? Wouldn't be a bad idea to have them gone through and swapped on. Fwiw Edelbrock (and possibly GMPP) offers an adapter intake to go from those heads to the TBI.
waynehartwig
www.jeeperman.com
- Location
- Mead, WA
Ditto... And you won't have any tube work to fit the larger 5.3 in there, either. Even with the problems right now, that buggy does well with the 4.3, so no need for more power unless you want it
Ditto... And you won't have any tube work to fit the larger 5.3 in there, either. Even with the problems right now, that buggy does well with the 4.3, so no need for more power unless you want it
Well...... Who doesn't want more power?! :greg:
But power costs $$$ :-\
But In all reality there have only been a handfull of times that I really wanted and or needed more power. This rebuild should give that to me. But even more important I think is knowing how to manage the power you do have, and best use it and put it to the ground.