New engine planned

[eagleuh1]

Well, I've decided the 327 won't cut it for power and mileage. I tow a 5000 lb travel trailer for work, so I need something a little bigger than my Blazer, although its worked great for 2 years so far. I plan on turning this into my only vehicle, so am going to remove the 2005 5.3 and 4l60e from my 96 Blazer and put into my 68 C20. I'll be starting tomorrow after I clean up my garage. Plan on pulling 5.3 and tranny, cleaning and painting block and intake, cleaning up wiring harness like Killer1 had done, and painting tranny first while I wait for mounts and headers. What mounts for tranny and engine have been used by members. Plan on using Doug Thorley ceramic y'd headers. Everything on truck will be kept pretty stock looking otherwise. Don't know what I will be doing with 327 and T400. Probably hold onto for a while just in case??? Also, anyone found better gearing for gas mileage sake for a DANA 60 rear? Pics also.
Donor, second time over.


Gonna start feeling like a foster kid, moved from home to home.

She served me well for the past 2 years and 20k miles.

The recipient, my 68 C20

Wish I hadn't spent the money on the 327 rebuild, but oh well!

My wife gave me her 2005 Sport track after I bought her a new Honda Accord, so I can now start tearing apart my vehicles. Wish me luck. Jim

[Shon]

good luck and I will be in touch about the headers! and let me know if you need anything else!

[dan42]

Keep us posted on how things are coming - it looks like a cool project.

[Beuford]

Nice Project! I tow a toyhauler that weighs between 5000 and 5500lbs. I have a Dana 60 that I put a Richmond LocRite in with 410 gears. I put a 5spd in but with the over drive (which you'll have) I'm turning about 1700Rpm at 55 mph and around 2200Rpm at 68 Mph. I got 16 mpg on the freeway going to Cincinati with the cruise set at 68 mph and not towing anything. I love the 410's for towing. Takes alot of strain off the rest of the drivetrain.

[71tahoe]

But a 5.3 is smaller than a 327...

I have a 5.3 in my suburban and it's a nice motor. You should get better mileage with the OD.

[unclewatts]

Originally Posted by 71tahoe

But a 5.3 is smaller than a 327...

I have a 5.3 in my suburban and it's a nice motor. You should get better mileage with the OD.

Yea but the 327 isn't fuel injected and has Vortec heads.

[eagleuh1]

My 327 don't have vortec heads. Its all stock 68 with HEI distributor. The 5.3 is all stock except the intake tube and some tuning and the exhaust. With the 3.42's in the Blazer I towed my travel trailer at 70 mph with it in OD and averaged 12 to 13 mpg. Do they make a lower ratio like 3.73 or so for the DANA 60?

[LOW DOUGH]

subscribed

[capev86]

the 5.3 has the same crank as the bigger ls motors like the 5.7 and 6.0, but with smaller (less hungry) pistons. its equivalent to a 305 bored out a little. with fuel injection and overdrive you should get decent gas mileage if you have the 4.10 rear and not the 4.56 like my 72 burb (too much even around town with a 307). i have a third member to regear my ho52 to a 4.10 and some day i want to add the factory od unit to the saginaw 3 on the tree (there was a nice core on ebay with a very high sticker price).


i'd love to see someone build a stroker out of the 5.3 using the crank from the corvette ls7 z06 motor. it would probably be about as powerful as the 6.0 but with better gas mileage.

[rsavage]

I think a 327 IS 5.3 litres too, but the newer engines make great power. Your built 327 with a newer AOD transmission might have been a less expensive route, but the truck will be cool with the LS in it.

[Shon]

When you can buy a complete 5.3 for $500-$700, that includes intake to oil pan, all accessories and PCM and then the A4 is $400-$600. I found it hard to build up my 350 to have the same TQ/HP AND get an OD trans for what I have in my 6.0/4l80 set up.

[71tahoe]

Originally Posted by rsavage

i think a 327 is 5.3 litres too, but the newer engines make great power. Your built 327 with a newer aod transmission might have been a less expensive route, but the truck will be cool with the ls in it.

5.4

[GCncsuHD]

5.3 and overdrive 4l60e will probably help significantly in the towing and fuel mileage departments. What rearend gears do you have currently? Since you will now have OD it could probably stand to have a lower gear such as 3.73 or 4.10 which would help out a good bit for in town mileage and towing. Also while you've got it out I recommend tossing in a shift kit and vette servo in that 4l60e since you will be towing alot and it is going into a heavier truck.
And yes they make MUCH lower ratios for the D60 as it is a very common axle in the 4x4 offroad world, you can get ratios from anywhere from 3.54:1 all the way to 7.17:1

[airdale94]

Nice project! But if your going to tow I would stick with the 327/TH400. Your C20 is going to be better equiped to tow 5,000 lbs. than your Blazer. It is a 3/4 ton truck after all. Your Blazer is not even equal to 1/2 ton. They're built on S10 frames. You should be able to get 12-13 mpg with the C20 as is. I would save the 5.3L/4L60E for another project. Also your 68 should have the Eaton rear end in it.

[eagleuh1]

Sorry, minds made up already. The 5.3 gets 12 to 14 towing in my Blazer. The 327 gets 10 mpg if I'm easy on it in the C20, with no trailer attached. I'd be looking at 8 at the most towing with it. My truck has a Dana 60 with I believe 4.10:1 gears. I think thats what the build sheet says. The Blazer tows nice, but with it lowered it bottoms on big cracks and such, slamming the bump stops, cracking my teeth lol. Plus, I have HP tuners and its fun to troubleshoot and tune with. Plus I hate RTV AND oil leaks. 5.3 uses all o-rings on everything. And when its time for another project, its going to be a 6.0 and 4l80e.

[eagleuh1]

Beuford, what truck and engine is that you have with 5 speed and D60? Thanks for the boost. Jim

[eagleuh1]

Well, finally cleaned up my garage enough to work in it. Pulled the 5.3 out of Blazer and got it cleaned up and painted,as well as the 4l60e. Plan on pulling more stuff out of garage so I can fit the big 68 C20 in and be able to close the door. As it is, i'd have to back truck out from under engine when I go to pull it.
The donor being gutted, my 96 S10 Blazer. Put 20K miles on with 5.3.

Cleaned and painted awaiting the 68 to be gutted. Soon to happen.

[LOW DOUGH]

motor looks good