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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 60
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5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Has anyone swapped a 5.7 liter caddy engine into their 67-72? I have searched the forums but can't seem to find anything. I have the option of going with the 5.7liter with trans and all other parts for around 2k or a 5.3 liter with all related parts for the same amount. What would you guys do?
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Its all Ball Bearings these days. 70 chevy C10 In pieces. Any body got some rubber bands I can borrow to put it all back together. |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ark City, Kansas
Posts: 3,339
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
What year is the Cad engine, what model of Cad???
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Bremerton, WA
Posts: 171
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Cadillac never made their own 5.7 liter motor, but they did put Chevy 5.7 and Olds 5.7 motors in some Cadillac cars starting in the 80s.
I would think you would be happier with a 5.3 LS motor than the 40+ year old 5.7 (350) that made only 180 - 200 hp when it was new. $2k seems high for a 5.7 unless its a fresh rebuild. The only 5.7 that's worth having would be the Vortec headed 5.7 that came in the Escalade from about 96 - 2000 with about 260 hp and good torque output but that would have a four wheel drive transmission.
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1969 Custom Camper C20; Factree Air, 350/TH400/Dana 70U with C30 wheel cylinders, Disk brakes, H4 conversion, headlight relay mod, 3G 135 amp alternator. 7500 GVW |
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#4 | |
All about them Ks
![]() Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Land of Entrapment
Posts: 6,396
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Quote:
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Tyler '57 3100 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=813888 '72 K20 Cheyenne: 5 lift, 35s, front dana 60 blah blah blah http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=662879 69 K10 SWB: 4 lift 33s in a million pieces http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=805206 '98 Silverado LT K2500HD ECLB Vortec 454/4l80E: 6" lift 315/75/16's |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Carlos MN
Posts: 2,053
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
I would do the LS in heart beat.
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Eastern Oregon
Posts: 2,343
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Why not a 500 ci Caddy ? Been done often so not a problem installing it, big time torque.
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71 C-20 07 Magnum RT AWD |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: PNW
Posts: 553
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Neither. Spend that 2K on building an old school big block.
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#8 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Winona Lake, IN
Posts: 6,300
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
this
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70 C/10 SWB 402/TH400/3.73 "The Needy Beast" 200,000 Mile Club Disc Brake Club Owner installed options: Front Sway Bar Power Steering Power Brakes Cigar Lighter Courtesy Lights Deluxe Side Markers Wiper Delay Power windows Power Locks Sniper EFI 2015 Silverado 1500 LS 4.3/6L80/3.23 lowered 2" front & rear |
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#9 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Simi, CA
Posts: 495
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
I have a 5.7 L31 similar to that caddy that I scored for $650 without a transmission. It looks more period correct but a 5.3 could easily make the same power while getting better MPG. That said you would need engine mounts & harness work to get the 5.3 installed. If the 5.3 & transmission has low mileage $2k is fair. Crate engine prices have gone way up and rebuilding a big block is going to cost way more than $2k. I would go with the 5.3
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Made in America by Americans |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 60
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
This is a 5.7 LT1 out of 1995 fleetwood with 134k, its the entire car, so I would have the trans, ECU and wiring harness and all the other bits I might need. Then I can part or scrap the remainder of the car. What do you guys think?
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Its all Ball Bearings these days. 70 chevy C10 In pieces. Any body got some rubber bands I can borrow to put it all back together. |
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#11 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Colfax-California
Posts: 8,554
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
I'd pass on just the ignition system on that thing alone
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#12 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Montana
Posts: 49
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
5.3 all day long for the long distance reliability and mileage
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2002 Duramax I love 1971 k10 4x4 longbed 350/350/205 all original |
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#13 | |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Colfax-California
Posts: 8,554
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Quote:
fastest pic I could find: https://www.ebay.com/itm/32466886685...RoCkgIQAvD_BwE |
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#14 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Simi, CA
Posts: 495
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
That LT1 has 260hp and is a reverse coolant flow Gen II with Optispark ignition. It is a reliable engine but optispark has some issues. There are solutions available to solve the optispark issues. The 5.3L makes 270-310hp depending on what it came out of. In stock form the performance specs are fairly close so if you don't plan on modifying your engine either will get you down the road. I would not spend $2k on a Gen II LT1. If you are considering modifying for more HP the 5.3 LS would be my choice. There is a huge market for LS performance products.
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Made in America by Americans |
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#15 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 60
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Thanks guys, I will start looking for a good donor vehicle. I will start looking for 5.3 L from a 2 wheel drive truck, van or car. Is there any years I should stay away from?
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Its all Ball Bearings these days. 70 chevy C10 In pieces. Any body got some rubber bands I can borrow to put it all back together. |
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#16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Marianna Arkansas
Posts: 7,270
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
You wont find a 5.3 in a car well you could cause the mote carlos or impalas had them but they are not the same engine your looking for. One place to look is a NPR Isuzu truck they have 6.0's and 4L80E trans in them I have one sitting at my shop so I know. Also be sure you can trace the motor to the truck it came from unless you know the people you are buying from. There are tons of guys that think they bought 5.3 motors and really got the 4.8 motor instead. Once you separate the motor from the truck, you cant tell without pulling the oil pan and checking rods and stuff. The block even have displacement stamped on them but many years are stamped 4.8/5.3. The motor if still in the truck, the vin number will tell you the truth about the engine size. If you find one in a Suburban it will be 5.3 cause they dont offer the 4.8 in them. Hope this helps a bit. Jim
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Temple City
Posts: 3,600
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
I am a pretty big LT1 guy, and I am swapping a 383 LT1 into my C10 tomorrow. If you like a carb vs fuel injection. The intake manifold is available, but a bit pricey. You can use your standard V8 distributor with a hardened gear swap. With the 4 barrel intake, 1 3/4 headers they are a very strong 325hp engine. Factory exhaust, and intake were big comprises. You can go over 400hp with a cam, but 425 is the limit due to cylinder heads. Go afr, and 500 is pretty easy.
True it is no LS, but it is not a weak engine. I had a LT4 with performance build of unknown specs. It was from a dyno shop who was prototyping parts for Corvettes. It would idle like a baby with a mild lope, and could seriously hang with most things one would actually see on the street. To put one in a C10. The B body accessories are the best supposedly. I only ran alternators on modified brackets. You just need to notch your cross member. How much I will find out in several months when I add AC back to my truck |
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#18 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Orem, Utah
Posts: 7,923
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
As the proud owner of an LT1 Z/28, I can tell you those Optispark solutions aren't cheap. You could get an entire LS engine for what a 24x Optispark conversion costs.
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I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. - Thomas Jefferson |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Whitehorse yukon
Posts: 1,218
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Re: 5.7 liter Caddy engine swap or 5.3 Chevy engine?
Gen 2 Ltd distributors suck
Hit a puddle hard they fail Plan on replacing it atleast every 2 years It will be obd1.5 which is obd1 wiring with obd2 port scan tools usually won't read it with out rewiring it I had a 94 z28 loved it until I learned the issues with the poor dizzy design For anything more then free I would give it a hard pass Look for its son gen 1 vortec l31 or better yet find a 4.8 5 3 or 6 liter I got a good l31 free in a van and a good 5.3 in a truck there out there |
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5.3 ls, 5.7 liter |
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