Which LS for daily use truck?

[krue]

I am building my 70 GMC 1/2 ton for daily driving. 35 mile round trip to work. Occasional duty pulling camper, tractor, other vehicles. I want the old school styling with modern drivetrain. So do I give up the mileage for the torque of the 6.0/4l80e? Give up torque/power for mileage of 4.8? Or will the 5.3 split the difference? What say you?

[Ctimrun]

I've had trucks (newer not classics) with the 5.3 and 6.0 and I would choose the 6 liter over the other two. Like you said the 6 liter has great torque so if you intend on towing that would be a huge benefit. It also can get decent mileage too if geared right and you keep your foot out of it. I've put well over 200k on one 6 liter and I'm up over 150k on another one and they both have been absolutely problem free, great engines!

[OARNGESI]

Go with a 6.2 if you can afford it

[AussieinNC]

I think 5.3 with auto trans is the way to go for a true daily driver with occasional towing...there are trans controllers that have specific towing shift programs built in...

6.0 are great engines, but they bring silly money really and can be gas hogs if you have a heavy foot...

Just be sure your rear end is something reasonable...dont need 4.11 on a daily driver...

Just my two cents worth

[Boog]

I'm a guy who thinks 5.3 is good for all around use. There are a lot of guys who slip on a turbo and tune to make good power to play with so you can have the economy of the stock 5.3 and power of the 6.0 when towing or playing. My stock '06 crew cab Z71 with 5.3 and 4.10 gear averages 15.5 in daily use regularly. That combo would do better in the smaller, lighter 2wd C10.

[leftybass209]

You'll have to find a balance. Smaller motors don't immediately mean more efficient. If the engine struggles to move a porker, you can expect less mpg and reliability. You should price them out and find some swaps with known mpgs. A lot of people like to exaggerate their numbers.

[toolboxchev]

We had a 05 3/4 truck with a 5.3 in it. Did not have a problem pulling 8000 with it.

When that motor is in its power band, it can really get up and move. Above a certain rpm you could feel it drop off.

Now if I was towing long distances and had a mild foot, the bosses 13 chev with the big momo had it handled. It did not really get up and move as much as I thought it would. 4x4 also so maybe the weight had something to do with it.

[LockDoc]

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I sold my 2000 Chevy truck with the 5.8/4l60e because I wasn't happy with the way it pulled my 20' trailer. I'm looking for a 2500 with the 6.0. I voted for the 6.0....

LockDoc

[krue]

So we'll rule out the 4.8l.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

The 5.3 would be my choice for what you describe.
If I planned on towing a lot then the 6.0
If you were not going to tow anything then the 4.8 would be fine.

[vics stuff]

I have had several 5.3 motors in GMC crew cab 4X4 trucks and these motors are of my choice. In fact I have 2ea 5.3 motors with 4L60E transmissions on them waiting for their turn to go in one of my vehicles. Plus as mentioned they are a lot cheaper to buy.
Vic

[special-K]

I don't know a whole lot about LS motors because I feel the original motors work just fine for a daily driver. For a daily driver I would go with a 4.8. I don't think of hot rod or tow vehicle when I think daily driver. To me, the most important things for a daily driver are fuel economy and dependability. They are all dependable and 4.8 gets best mileage. They are plenty powerful enough to move a truck along. They have more power than what came in the truck originally don't they? The 4.8s get superior mpg with what these trucks weigh. You mostly hear people exaggerate better mileage from the bigger engines than the small one. The small one is the one the bigger ones wish they could match or come close to.

[GR8-68]

I voted for the 6.0 because I like spending someone else's money

[FRCvette]

Would be 4.8 for me. I have a 2013 Silverado with 4.8 in it and it does all I want it to. I trailered my C10 home from Knoxville last year and it performed great.

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by toolboxchev

We had a 05 3/4 truck with a 5.3 in it. Did not have a problem pulling 8000 with it.

When that motor is in its power band, it can really get up and move. Above a certain rpm you could feel it drop off.

Now if I was towing long distances and had a mild foot, the bosses 13 chev with the big momo had it handled. It did not really get up and move as much as I thought it would. 4x4 also so maybe the weight had something to do with it.

Not calling you a liar or anything but I'm quite certain the only gas engines the 99-06 3/4 trucks got was the 8.1 or 6.0. The 4.8 and 5.3 were 1/2 ton and SUV only.

[davepl]

If you have the budget and the truck merits it, get a 6.2 like the LS3. Otherwise, they're all good... get a 5.3L, they're cheap like dirt! Even a 4.8 would run very nice and be faster than most anything that came in our trucks.

In other words you can't go wrong, and more is better.

[Grumpy old man]

get what you can afford to feed .

[FleetsidePaul]

I voted 6.0 too. I have one in my Corvette. Mileage is not that bad, at least not enough for me to notice. Before I retired I drove it 50 miles every day to work and back and it never let me down.

[special-K]

True, more is better. And for a daily driver (I think of driving to work 5 days a week) that would be more MPG for me. I'll dump the fuel in my toys using the money I saved commuting in something sensible.