A Real World Junkyard 5.3 LS Truck Turbo Build

[MCPerformance]

We all see the articles in the top muscle car and hot rod magazines where they take a junk yard engine, slap a turbo on it, and make a crazy amount of horsepower. Well we decided to put those stories to the test.

http://www.musclecarperformance.com/media/wysiwyg/04.jpg

With a limited budget and with parts available from our store, we are going to take a junk yard 5.3L GM LS truck motor and boost it! Not everyone has a dyno to modify their motor throughout the build like they seem to have at the shops that do these tests so… Let’s do it the way the back yard mechanic would. Get a motor, do what needs to get done, install it, and off we go to the chassis dyno. We will see if all these articles on junk yard LS builds are true!

There is a more detailed write up of this ongoing project here on our blog: 5.3 LS Truck Turbo Build - Muscle Car Performance (http://www.musclecarperformance.com/blog/ls-truck-turbo-build/)

Has anyone else attempted something like this yet?

[LS7 Z/28]

Have you guys always been in West Concord? This is the first I've heard of your company, good luck with the project.

[fleetus macmullitz]

Welcome. :thumbsup:

Cool project, look forward to seeing it come together.

[geberhard]

Cool project, interested in finding out what you guys are planning for exhaust, heads, cam, turbo, etc. As far as exhaust, what are the plans, truck intake flipped?

Gui

[MCPerformance]

Have you guys always been in West Concord? This is the first I've heard of your company, good luck with the project.

We started selling Hot Rod parts back in 2001 and have branched out to Late Model and Muscle Cars. We built a new building in 2009 in West Concord. Thanks for the support! I will have another update for the build next monday!

[MCPerformance]

Cool project, interested in finding out what you guys are planning for exhaust, heads, cam, turbo, etc. As far as exhaust, what are the plans, truck intake flipped?

Gui

We are going to be using Truck Manifold flipped around with v-band clamps. I will be doing a writeup on that for this thread. Stock Head w new springs, stock cam, turbo i will cover in another thread but its a Precision 7475. we are going to use a professional products intake and throttle body because we got them really cheap and the customer demanded an aluminum intake. Thanks for all the interest!

[no go nova]

Cool project, but I would recommend changing the cam to atleast a LS-6 cam.

[MattO]

I have a friend who has already done this and is currently building what can only be described as the ultimate super sleeper; http://www.355nation.net/forum/projects-build/62008-turbo-swapped-05-colorado.html

https://www.youtube.com/user/05quick4door

The guy is a mad scientist. I'm thoroughly convinced that he is a hollow volcano, furry cat, and large arm chair away from going full Bond villain.

[67goatman455]

just make sure you put upgraded rod bolts in! thats really the only weak point with the bottom end

[barrrf]

LS6 cam :bang:

Stock cam is fine for boosted applications. There are better cams of course. but for ballin on a budget stock cam is fine. PLus if you want more HP, why just give it 1..........more.......psi?

[MCPerformance]

Many people are helping put their .02 and that is what this is all about! I will be replacing the rod bolts, i will have pics and a little how to to add to the blog about my adventures in getting the short block ready. After talking to many people the stock cam is going to stay, bang for buck! if this project boneyard engine lets go we will be building an engine to drool on.

[gearheads78]

Very interested in this. I have a 78 Suburban, drop kit, big in little ralleys and a 5.3 all patiently waiting to all join each other sometime later this year. A little boost would be iceing on the cake.

[MCPerformance]

If everything goes well this weekend i will be putting the new rod bolts, setting the ring gap on the old rings and giving the block a fresh coat of paint. I picked up the heads from the machine shop yesterday. They went throught them and they were good! even the valve guides were good. so they did a valve job put new seals on and the new updated springs and retainers for them.

[barrrf]

Good call on the ring gap. I would've never known to do this if it weren't for Project Big Bang Theory.

[Evan Iroc-Z]

Looking forward to see how you do the manifolds. I am currently build a junkyard turbo motor, 3800 series II vs. 5.3, but I will have cast iron manifolds to modify, with v-bands, as well. I have done plenty of research on how to do it but more is always helpful.

Good luck with the build.

[Chad-1stGen]

Even though it may have been done before this should be fun to watch/follow along!

[Thenovaguy]

Subscribed!

[mitch_04]

I always thought it would be cool to just take a regular junkyard engine, boost it until it something breaks. Then, grab another one, upgrade what broke and see what breaks next. Continue until you absolutely hit the limitations of the stock heads/intake, then upgrade those as well. You'd probably burn through a few engines, but it'd be cool.

They actually did that on an Ecotec in one of my turbocharging books. It was pretty interesting what they all did to keep it together. They eventually pulled over 1000 HP, no small feat on a 4 cylinder.

[jeff71]

Are you gonna do a cost breakdown as you go?

[astross89]

cam or not. better valve springs are a must.

[MCPerformance]

cam or not. better valve springs are a must.

I got the heads back from the machine shop the other day. No cracks & good guides so just a valve job and i had them install GMP Upgrade Valve Springs and Retainers. I believe people call them the GM Blue Springs because of their color $70.95 for the Set and the new Retainers $3.95 each or $63.20 for a set. According to GM and Some Local LST guys they work great and are priced right