LS question to the experts

[Truck]

Ok, this is not for a jeep but I wanted to catch the eye of the LS experts. My son bought a 51 Chevy 5 window for my wife ( she has always wanted a truck from this era). It is 2wd but has steering and everything set up for 4wd, just needs an axle and transfer. The original engine is not all there or I would restore it and I want this to start and drive easy with a modern drive train. Purpose once complete is really just a grocery getter and cruiser with 4wd if needed in winter. So I decided to look for a early 2000s era truck as a donor for LS, tranny and xfer drive train. 5.3 was first thought as it is most common. However, I also would prefer manual transfer case vs. push button. I was hoping to get this all in one package so don't have to mix and match. Also want' cheap because I'm cheap!! Finding within a day's drive is proving harder than I thought.

I found a donor 2005 chevy 4x4 work truck that needs transmission work with 160k on the clock. Was supposed to be 5.3L but turns out it is 4.8L. And it is cheap ($600-$800).

So here is my question: Will the 4.8L work just as well for my purposes? I know it has less torque and HP. Not looking for a race truck but 51 is heavy. And MAY tow another vehicle if we decide to do a local car show or something.

I know you can build almost any engine to what you want, but really just looking to do a stock swap. Making everything work in the older truck is going to be enough work and what ever it takes to get tranny back running.

Truck

 

[sdsupilot]

The baseline numbers between a 4.8 and 5.3 aren't THAT much different. Most go for the 5.3 as it does have more.... and you are already going to do the same amount of work to install. If you want a manual shift Tcase look for an NP241C. They can be had in either drivers or pass output configurations. Drivers side are cheap and easy to find, not so much with passenger output.

 

[Kane]

My 2005 4.8l is 285hp and about 325ft/lb of torque. It does pretty good in my Jeep and is just a cam swap away from an extra 50hp if I ever want it. I do not regret going for the 4.8l motor. I got a killer deal on it with just 75,000 miles on the motor so it will last me forever. If you do tow it might be a bit week for you but how often do you plant to tow with it is really up to you.

 

[Truck]

@ sdsupilot: Was planning on using xfer case that came with it and getting a ford d44 to match drop.
@Kane: wouldn't tow often. Scenario above (taking truck and something else to car show might be it). I have 3500 dually Duramax for normal tow jobs.

I probably should have mentioned that this will be at our Colorado place at 8800ft and town is at 4700ft so it will be in some elevation changes.

 

[Randyzzz]

4.8 is a good engine- a little less HO and TQ than a 5.3 but not much. Seems to get better fuel economy too. They feel great in full sized Silverados from that era, so I’m imagining they would feel similar in your swap. The only time you might wish for more is when towing, but how often is that. And the difference isn’t that substantial. A stock 5.3 only has 10-15 more HP and at most 25 more ft/lbs TQ. For the price, get the 4.8. And if you decide to go nuts, a 4.8 has a shorter stroke and I’ve heard they really respond well to a turbo!

 

[brentox]

A mild cam and TBSS intake peps it up a little more if you feel the need I always go for the 4.8 because they are typically a little cheaper. Current build is an aluminum block L33 5.3, but that was dumb luck.

 

[Ron84cj]

The 4.8 is a great motor. When I was looking for my engine years ago I was totally fine with either the 5.3 or 4.8. Surprisingly the 4.8s near me at the time were more expensive so I went with the 5.3. I have driven many trucks with both when I worked at Chevy and can honestly say I did not notice that much of a difference in power between the two.

I have said this to multiple people. Regardless of what you get don't even consider swapping it in until you replace the front and rear housing gaskets and seals. They dry out from age and crack, then create a very nasty oil leak. Mileage is irrelevant, age is what does it.

Regarding the trans... I have an absolute pure hatred for the 700r4, 4L60, and 4L65 (01 up). I don't care what anyone says, they absolutely suck. I've blown up so many of them. Calling them boat anchors is giving them far too much credit. Get a 4L80. They are way stronger and easy to adapt. There many write ups out there that show you exactly what's needed going from the 4L65 to the 4L80. It's not a hard swap.

Good luck!

 

[TravelnMan]

I had a 4.8 Silverado - did everything that I needed it to do. Towed more than most, less than some. Longest trip was an 8,000 mile cross country/loop. Made it over the rockies and back in the middle of summer. I wouldn't hesitate to swap one if it was in good condition

 

[Kane]

I have said this to multiple people. Regardless of what you get don't even consider swapping it in until you replace the front and rear housing gaskets and seals. They dry out from age and crack, then create a very nasty oil leak. Mileage is irrelevant, age is what does it.

Good luck!

This and also the oil pump O-ring is key. I did all my seals but did not do this and I ended up right back inside the motor changing this O-ring out as well. Once this goes bad the oil pressure suffers badly.