I am super pumped about these 5.3l videos. Brett Barber is building me a high compression gen 4 for my rear engine dragster. Keep'em coming Richard.

Much love for watch you do Richard . It takes real love for that .

Thanks Richard for another great pump gas episode👍

I’m loving these L83 videos the more and more you put out! I have big plans in the near future for my yukon muhaha. I keep having to tell myself no no the go fast parts can wait so my wife doesn’t secretly make me disappear for dumping more monies into my truck lol thanks for all you do Rich, the community wouldn’t know what to do without ya Sir

L33 gen 3.5 finally has a replacement. L33 is the ultimate prize in the 5.3 world. It’s a 24x with gen 4 rods aluminum block flat top 4.8 floating pistons. And 243/799 heads . I look for 04-07 Z71 more than I look for Escalades or Denali and get lucky every now and then for 250 or less

Very interesting. Especially with the Terminator X being available with VVT support. Can't wait for the 706/862 head tests with stock vs larger valves.

Basically the difference is compression ratio and heads. L83 5.3 heads bolt onto a gen 3/4 LS. Holley makes a LT Hi-ram with multiport injection or carbs. CamMotion is willing to grind a cam for the crossbreed for $750.

I always liked Comp cams . We use to use those Run flat Errison cams back in the 1980`s . We didnt keep them in very long when we were young . We were getting a new cam every time we got tired of the old cam . We kept wanting to run faster.

Great video. Would love to see some gen 4 5.3 stuff

When comparing cylinder head flow numbers between an aftermarket 260cc LS3 rec port head and an aftermarket 312cc LT1 head from the same company, the LS3 seems to flow better. Both are excellent, but the numbers alone suggest the LS is slightly better. Even if equal, the numbers suggest that the additional LT power may come from compression or cam timing. I would like to see a 11 to 1 LS VVT cam test if possible. The numbers would probably be more comparable.

I love the fact, I can refer to one of his videos to get the power I'm looking for outta my LS engine! He's made/making step step play book for whatever HP goals anyone has. THANKS AGAIN!! GOD I LOVE KZfaq 🤣😅😂😭

If you multiport or carb the l83 heads, you can block the direct injection ports with aluminum pipe thread plugs

The problem with the L83 is junkyard motors are hard too come by. And Expensive. Cheapest one i could find this spring was 2500. Brand new from gm was 7500. I can get a jy LM7 for basically free. So if i hurt that LM7 its no big deal. If i hurt the l83 it kinda stings.

Stunning really.... 500+ hp @ 6500 or so from a pump gas 5.3

I agree with other commenters-awesome! I’m actually a bit surprised though, the LM7 really held its own pretty well, considering all the technology advances in the L83. And compression-you mentioned 6-8 hp. I’m thinking one full point is more like 4%, so it could be around 6%. That computes to 30 hp at the top and close to that in the torque curve. And if you compare costs, even with full CNC heads and aftermarket intake manifold, I’m betting the early engine costs less. Then if you get a gen 4 with VVT, you might have the increased torque at the bottom end too. The 11:1 port injection engine might need 93 or E85 for the street where the DI might make it on 87. All really interesting data! Awesome video, thanks Richard!

Awesome. Would love to see what power possibilities and the comparisons of different pump gas octanes yield. We all go for 91/93 but could you make a good bit on 89 or even 87?

But thank you for your hard work man, it's awesome, personally I'm doing(for now) a stroked, slightly overbored L33 with stock heads w/dual valve springs. An ls1 intake(couldn't find an ls6 at the time), 92mm throttle body with adapter, melling 10296 pump, summit pro ls stage 4 camshaft and btr shaft rocker upgrade with new rockers, thicker chromoly pushrods and link bar ls7 lifters. Maybe upgrade intake later along with a turbocharger for 700hp.

I think you could home port a gen 4 to be able to support 500 without changing the heads which would go along way to the price issue. For most people I think the biggest issue for now is who can tune the vvt correctly.

Some Japanese 4 stroke dirt bikes used mechanical advance camshafts. Very much like a points distributor, except backwards. The camshaft would be advanced at idle to mid/high rpm when it would then retard the camshaft timing at the upper rev range to make the hp out top

I think adding a vvt setup to the gen4 will definitely benefit, it'll make power lower in the rpm range I believe

Very interesting how the new tech vvt/ DI really helps these motors, thanks for doing the work and sharing, without you I’m just guesstimating in my daydreams lol. I would like to see how the gen 4 fits in there if you find one laying around.

Another homerun video Richard! Thanks!

Great content and great presentation. Factory engines are designed for endurance, longevity and reliability. That being said, starting out with the L83 would be best. You could build the Gen3 or Gen4 and improve upon them. However if you put the same time and money into the build of a L83, you most likely would be better off. I am looking into an LS swap into my Jeep TJ. I am considering the L83 as a viable power source. I watch the wrecked auto actions on line, wrecked trucks are coming down in price. 1500-2000 will get you a decent donor... "body destroyed" with everything to swap.... stock 4.0 TJ weighs 3300 lbs. the stock 4wd reg cab sierra weighs about 5500 lbs. The L83 stock would be enough to trash my stock axles.. DOD on the highway would be nice. 190hp/240ftlbs to 400/420 would be awesome and you would only pick up 125lbs (difference between stock 4.0 automatic and the L83 6L80)..

It'd be REALLY interesting if someone did make a VVT conversion for a non-VVT engine. Yet another tuning tool. An extra 50 ftlbs would be really nice. None of that expensive DI stuff to deal with either.

The alloy blocks have real relavants for motor sport in the UK. Weight is a important factor, 500 bhp is difficult to get from any N/A motor that's readily available and less than £40,000 ( Judd EV, Cosworth DFV/R). Certainly non of the Fiat groups Ferrari/Masserati units manage it in stock form.

Was reading an article about the l8t block. Engine masters magazine. They said they will take a 4.200 bore N.A. And a 4.125 for boost. The sleeves are also 0.160 longer than l86/lt1/2 blocks and they will take a 4.125 stroke crank. They were running the block to over 2000hp with a 4.070 bore. They are supposed to be one of the toughest factory blocks GM has ever made. If you ever manage to get one I can only imagine what a big bang would be. They aren't everywhere yet but they are in lots of HD pickups and will start showing up in junkyards really soon.

L83 gen v better than all gen 5.3

Why does it seem that no is running a crank case vacuum pump set up on a ls..what would a before and after test look like, especially when the ls has some rind gap added. Love everything you do!

So I agree that the l83 is newer and in many ways superior with its vvt, newer heads, maybe manifold. However I would have liked to see the exact same camshaft in both motors to see how the vvt changes the power curves(provided the heads flow very similarly) and what the raised compression in the l83 might be worth. Also the dollar to hp or value is another thing. Used lm7 are Cheap and ported heads with bigger valves can be had for $1200(flow 317-319 cfm if I remember right, though might be my 799 heads) and a trailblazer ss manifold and cam. So what a little over $3k ish to 4k for 500hp+ vs how much is a gen v motor? Also the direct injection leaves lots of carbon reside on the intakes. Just my $.02

I need you to put the Holley high ram on the L83. I want to see how it performs because I’m wanting to put it on my L83 with a 102mm TB. I’ve done extensive tuning with the stock cam even and with a 4” intake with huge vibrant performance velocity stack and massive filter, I’m still seeing lower than ambient pressure in the manifold at WOT. Although I’m still using the factory ECU with hptuners.

The Gen IV without the DI would need E85 or premium/race gas due to the higher compression which would add up over time if you lived in an area where E85 is scarce.

L83 hands down that torque curve is appealing

Gen III, IV, or V aside....seems like the real hero of this story is VVT. The way I understand it, if the differences between static compression and head flow are nominal, all the gains under peak HP are almost all due to VVT. This is because VVT allows you to 1. Run advanced cam timing for earlier IVO to get air moving into the cylinder at low RPM (even with shorter intake runners) and an earlier IVC for increased cylinder pressure (more bottom end power), and 2. run a smaller cam (more bottom end power) that acts bigger because you can retard the cam timing as you spin it up(more top end power). AKA without VVT you have to sacrifice bottom end to hit a peak 500HP number, but with VVT you can have your 500hp cake and eat it too.

Only on choice when you are picking up the cost, L83. Now as you were saying us poor guys would pick the junkyard 5.3 gen 3 and throw a turbo on it and still have money left over compared to a junkyard L83

I love both.. the ls gaskets are nice not that I haven had them leak but power and torque on the 5 hard to argue with..

That was great.... As always I learned something new....

Like to see LS4 5.3 FWD version. See how the intake goes plus mods. Factory saying 303hp, 323tq. In GXP GP, SS Impala, SS Monte Carlo.

How about stock heads with some more spring with cam and then see what you get! We are talking cam swap cheap! Not throwing a set of 2500+ dollar heads stuff!

I think the gen4 with ported or aftermarket heads, cam and intake with the vvt would be very similar to the gen5. The big difference is compression, flow and timing which would all be covered.

Need to do a video showing most power out of a gen 3 5.3 with stock manifold, stock throttle body,

Also, direct injection allows to run more timing

Please do everything you just said with the gen 4!

🇺🇲 Brother you've literally saved me thousands of dollars from just watching a few videos and know what NOT to do to my 05 5.3 GMC Sierra SLT 4wd. All I want is a few more horses, change shift points and have a good running 179k millage daily driver. THANK YOU! SUBSCRIBED! I'm thinking of trying the Diablo Tuner but not sure yet. If anyone has used one on a truck like mine can you let me know if its worth it? Thanks 🇺🇲

The one that wins will make torque faster even if peaktq is the same.this is why I like a engine that makes torque early with smaller camshaft with boost then waiting for boost and camshaft to kick in

Great video. Looks like the L83 is higher in torque and hp across the power curve with stock heads. Less money and work, more HP. I assume the DOD kit is cheap. Next question is the big bang. Which motor will survive MAX HP. My guess is the L83.

Definitely would go the L83 route. Because that's what I have in my 2018 GMC....

This is a really cool video, be cool to see how a modded l83 stacks up to a modded ly6 and if the the l83/l86 are these parts interchangeable to Ls to make more power

I’d pick the L33.... conspicuously absent from every video you have done. I just wanna see my engine dyno’d dang it

Switch to E85 and watch the L83 pull away another 20-25 hp/tq. Gen 5 engines love E85 even NA.

Would like to see a best bang for the buck 4.8 and 5.3 junkyard engines,that could be built from parts,these engines aren't as prolific as the 6 litre and 6.2 are here,love the 351 cleveland builds are awesome for knowledge,how about an aussie 302 engine,thanks for all the builds

I’m ready to buy a new silverado but there’s no 6.2s here on the lot (Or even before this whole shipping and shortage issue) as much as I’d like to just knuckle under and get the 5.3 just gonna watch this first and make up my mind lol.

When you said people are complaining about paying someone to install the cam. WRONG CHANNEL buddy! Hahahahaha.

im baked watching this man go off on the L83 and in my head i’m wondering if his wife on the otherside of the door is thinking he’s crazy like wtf 😂😂

LM7 for simplicity but technology is better if going for the best

l83 gen v

The truck I have (Gen 5) was dealer advertised as 355 hp 390 torque. It surprised me when you said 2 different shops showed just over 400 hp on the dyno and commented on consistency IE repeatability between shops. Did GM mis-rate these motors, either intentionally / accidental, or am I missing something. Any feedback would be appreciated. BTW, as an "old guy" that grew up with the smallblock chev engine, where "1 pony per cube" was a decent accomplishment, I absolutely love the LS / LT platform GM has now...factory problems with lifters aside of course.

Why didn't you try the ported l83 heads on it to compare as well...

I would prefer gen 3 only cause I put some thought into it vs gen 5 and gen 5 has what valve problems right and it makes 380 horsepower. I put some thought into it and you know hot rod magazine did a 5.3 gen 3 I think it was they put what 84lbs. Injectors and with a stock cam making what 384 horsepower or torque that’s the comparison. injectors vs direct injection and the gen 5 doesn’t have the same cam and you might want to compare valves everything comes into play. Does anyone know the difference between a lt1 350 vs a small block 350. Is there similarities of a lsx block vs gen 5 lt1 block cause I like to think that it’s a ls block re-engineered.

What I want to know, is how much horsepower are stock LS heads good for without paying for a bunch of work on them? I want to hotrod an LS 5.3, but I do not want to go out and buy $3000+ heads and $1500+ intake, etc. I want to use the heads it comes with, either drop on a carb manifold or use the stock intake (whatever makes more power), and the biggest camshaft that it will take!!

Yes Richard that was a silly question

i have a 2002 L59 5.3L Z-code. i would like to hone cylinders to 3.910 and use short skirt forged pistons, port and polish heads, add cam from test of LM7/L83 test, yes LM7. also will replace connecting rods, push rods and springs. will keep current rotating assembly. will add better intake manifold and 102 TB. headers, possibly 89lb injectors and a custom tune. i would also like to change the converter, though i dont know anything about stall speed or transmissions, i understand what they doas a whole, though never worked on trannies. also, should i use AFM/TF/ect... to raise the compression from 9.5 to 11.1. can you offer your thoughts and guidance. thank you.

Need to see that with lc9 comparison

Yes! Let's find out what an lc9 can do vs the gen 3 and gen 5!

You know a guy around here had two l86's he was trying to sell. One had a screwed up lifter bore and he thought the crank got bent on the other from it getting dropped at the dealership. I have the l86 in my truck and was thinking about building one of the damaged ones he had for later days. Still really want to see what the 6.2 will do on the dyno. Are they really that hard to find?

Does someone make a controller to run an LT motor and use all it's features: direct injection, VVT, cylinder deactivation, etc.?? I don't care about cylinder deactivation, but keeping direct (and port) injection on an LT1/LT5 type motor would be killer with the VVT, etc. Thanks for all the great work and reporting!

I'd take the L83. I suspected it would be close to break even, so I did the math and shopping. I used Summit, so it might be cheaper somewhere else but I doubt by a ton Edit: Andy below pointed out that 885 was for just one head. Add the other and the Gen 3 motor is way more expensive. You need a lot to take a $400 Gen3 to close to the same peak power, and you'll never have the same low end torque. I think the only way you could get into the ballpark is going a different, sloppy route: cheap boost and a cam. L83 brian tooley racing stg4 $389.00 msd intake $1,200.00 engine $1,400.00 $2,989.00 Gen 3 5.3 TFS 215 LS heads (couldn't find. Here are assembled 220s) $1770.00 Comp 281LRR 617/624 231/239 113lsa $435.00 COMP Cams 7820-16 - COMP Cams High Energy Pushrods $40.00 FAST 146602B - FAST LSXRT Intake Manifolds $1,021.00 FiTech Fuel Injection 70062 102mm tb $172.00 Gen 3 5.3 $400.00 Edited total: $3838.00

the l33 with VVT be super cool and may be a stroker crank in the mix i do have a l33 120k on it

It looks like the TFS 215 heads don't start to work on the 5.3 until 4500 rpm (low port velocity). It should have been a 706 head to be a fair comparison. Going from 9.5:1 to 11:1 geometric compression ratio gives a 4.13% boost. I think the torque curve would have been close with those changes and a cam with slightly less overlap. The stock gen V heads are magic though.

Do you have any graphs/data on the L33? I have that in my 06 silverado, and I am very curious to see how it performs across the rpm range.

Richard...could you speak to overcoming l83 DI fuel system upgrade issues. Have heard about how tough it is to upgrade injectors and mech fuel pump.

Could you run both on e85 and high compression? That would be very cool 😎

Hey Richard thank you for the videos I definitely appreciate your knowledge... I'm finally able to buy an LS motor of my choice... My question to you is all things being equal.. LS3 or LS7? Do you have a video comparing the two

Id like to see a gen 4 5.3 with ported and shaved 706 heads and tbss intake with stock cam and big cam

Do you have recommendations for a stock 5.3 add on’s in new 2019 and newer trucks. Wanting a little more performance

i do believe the l83 is 11.5 compression . Plus isnt the bigger cam in the l83 using a phaser limiter or block to keep it limited on advance and retarding the timing?

How about just adding a centrifugal supercharger and only adding small amount of boost can the vet still work ???

Gen V LT motors are more expensive to acquire and modify, long live the LS Gen III and IV!

I'd like to see a Gen 3 Truck Intake compared to a Gen 4 Truck Intake compared to the Dorman 615-183 LS Truck Intake on a 4.8, 5.3,6.0.

Love the videos Mr.Richard but have a quick question. I’m doing a 5.3 turbo build and was worrying should I change my camshaft out do to its a Howard rattler 525lift 109 lobe separation. I’m using the ebay gt45/dna style and will I the 109 lobe step kill power due to overlap or will it do fine?

Any way to do charts on wheel dyno intead of going for flywheel hp?

If you keep VVT, does a 3rd party ECM control it, or do you need to delete or defeat VVT if using say a Edel ECM?

i wonder what differences we would see heavily modified (boosted) and on a gas that provides charge cooling?

With close enough ratios in the transmission, they would be the same on the strip. In a truck or on the street, the new one wins.

Do you replace main and rod bearings when you add ring gap on these junk yard builds

Big bang a BMW N54 or N55 engine!!!!

Probably a silly question but would the afm/dod need to be removed to do the cam or performance mods? I know they make delete kits but would it be required to swap a cam or do an intake manifold...curious to know how the mods would effect the v4 aspect

Most forget that the l83 is a DI engine

I have a 5.3 gen 3 I just picked up with under 70k on it. I want to put it in my nova. What heads, cam, intake and tb would you suggest for one fun as could be driver? I'm picking up a ar5 transmission and getting the parts from fabbot to bolt up...

Hey rich. Would you consider the Gen 7 big block a other guys motor?

Would like to see the vvt and high comp on a 5.3 and run the comparison again👍

Right on

What was the compression on the modified LM7? I wonder if higher compression would help the LM7

Future videos 6.2L GEN 4 VS. GEN 5

Do inline engines produce more torque per cc than v or flat engines?

Cue the music!

Are the 2015 5.3 any good

Richard I have read and heard from old gear heads that with regards to compression it’s basically 4% gain from 1 full point of compression. That being said 1.5 points of CP would be about 6% to be gained. But I believe I heard you say would be about 6-8 hp gain going from 9.5-11:1 Is the 4% thing BS? Do you know? Can you do a compression comparison test using same motor? That would be a great video for all of out here in digital world. Not arguing, is a question brotha Thank for great content 👍🇺🇸

I've always thought the true measure of the "power" of an engine is the area under the torque curve...I actually hate talk of hp especially just peak hp, tells so little

Might l83 swap a camaro 🤔

Hello ive been watching ur videos for a while now and have a question. I hopefully plan on getting a 78 chevy 30 4x4 non dually and i plan on putting a 5.3 vortec motor. What would be the best performance parts for the 5.3.