Building a fresh 5.3 for my Suburban

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NYEngineer

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Dec 12, 2006
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In some other 5.3 threads I asked Clinebarger some questions about building a non DOD 5.3. My work schedule has been insane for the last two years but now I’m getting ready to do the build.
A few months ago my son and I found a 5.3 short block available for sale locally so we grabbed it. I disassembled it this morning and was amazed at what good shape everything was in. I was originally going to put a scat crank in it to make it a 363” engine but since learned that the small bore 5.3 with extra stroke has shrouding issues and it doesn’t really work so well. Makes sense.
Anyway, the stock crank is good and the bores have NO visible wear. I’m thinking of just ball honing this thing and putting new rings on the pistons. Anyone done this or this a fool’s errand?
I want to teach my son to build an engine so I want it to run for easily another 100,000 miles.
Anyone know how much you can bore these things? If anything I think .010 over would clean and square it up nice. Again, if I were doing a roadkill type project I would think nothing of ball honing it. It’s really that nice.
 
check for taper,

Yes I've simply honed a block and gone from there with new slugs and rings.
( I even knurled pistons as a kid when I had no money. )

If you punch it out a bit you shouldn't have the shrouding, or will minimize it, and can put a bigger arm in it.

You'll need to rebalance everything if you go that route
 
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Hmmmm. It would be a lot more fun to stroke it.

My favorite machinist just died. Gotta find a new one. I would certainly always balance it.
 
NYEngineer said:
Not yet. Had to go to work. Probably Saturday.
Click to expand...
Poor mans dial gauge is take new ring and use the piston to push it down near the bottom of travel so its square in the bore , and measure the ring end gap with a feeler gauge. Do the same midway up and near the top. Not perfect but you can see if the new rings will have too much gap and if there is much taper from the top to the bottom of the bore.
 
Iron Block LS engines don't normally have Bore Taper, But I'm not a huge fan of Ball Hones. Have a machine shop hone the cylinders to de-glaze them.

Install new Cam Bearings, Or have them installed if you don't have the tooling.

Why not do a 6.0L build?
 
I have a bore gauge and a cam bearing tool. I picked up an aluminum 5.3 because it was cheap and in good shape and five minutes from my house. I should have held out for a 6.0.
 
Is it a "High Output"? It'll have flat top pistons if it is.....

Be careful replacing Cam Bearings on Aluminum LSx engines! The factory ones are locked in their bores at the Oil Feed Holes. GM has some kinda piece of equipment that presses down right around the oil feed hole belling the bearing into the block oil feed passage.
If you try to knock them out squarely....You will put a good gouge in the cam bearing bores causing 5 albeit small internal oil leaks.

I use a small steel bearing/race driver right on the TOP edge of the bearing (180 degrees from the oil hole) & flip the bearing out of it's bore.

I highly recommend the coated Dura-Bond bearings for replacements using Loctite Retaining Compound on the OD.
 
clinebarger said:
Is it a "High Output"? It'll have flat top pistons if it is.....

Be careful replacing Cam Bearings on Aluminum LSx engines! The factory ones are locked in their bores at the Oil Feed Holes. GM has some kinda piece of equipment that presses down right around the oil feed hole belling the bearing into the block oil feed passage.
If you try to knock them out squarely....You will put a good gouge in the cam bearing bores causing 5 albeit small internal oil leaks.

I use a small steel bearing/race driver right on the TOP edge of the bearing (180 degrees from the oil hole) & flip the bearing out of it's bore.

I highly recommend the coated Dura-Bond bearings for replacements using Loctite Retaining Compound on the OD.
Click to expand...
Do you have any experience with this cam bearing install tool? I saw a video of it being used and it seems like a lot better way to install cam bearings.
 
bdcardinal said:
Do you have any experience with this cam bearing install tool? I saw a video of it being used and it seems like a lot better way to install cam bearings.
Click to expand...

I do not, My cam bearing tool is 30+ years old. I had to machine a driver from round stock for LSx engines to work with the existing mandrel. I do maybe 5-8 cam bearing installs a year (All being LSx engines).

Once you learn how to knock them in square, The old school tooling works very well. What's the cost on the tool in the link?
 
That cam bearing tool looks like a bigger fancier version of my Park Tool headset bearing press.

This is not an LSX block I bought. I‘ll be careful knocking out the cam bearings.
I’ll try and post a pic of the pistons. I’m at work for a triple and I just got here. I’ll probably remember to take the picture on Tuesday.
Thanks for the tip on the bearings, Cline.
 
clinebarger said:
I do not, My cam bearing tool is 30+ years old. I had to machine a driver from round stock for LSx engines to work with the existing mandrel. I do maybe 5-8 cam bearing installs a year (All being LSx engines).

Once you learn how to knock them in square, The old school tooling works very well. What's the cost on the tool in the link?
Click to expand...
They do the price sheet thing, and of course when I clicked on it their page said to contact for details 😐. If it isn't too expensive I would buy it just because I am that stupid about buying tools.
 
Comp Cams has one like it without all the adapters for about 400 dollars.

I Could also see myself buying that just because.
 
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