Minor Upgrades Create Crazy Power on a Junkyard 5.3L Vortec - Engine Power S7, E10

We’re starting with a high-mileage 5.3L Vortec that we got on the cheap. Our goal: make as much horsepower as we can, spending the least money possible.

00:00 - Intro
02:44 - Engine Teardown
06:27 - Engine Balancing Tech
08:50 - Block Cleanup & Rebuild
17:14 - Dyno Pulls

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PARTS USED IN THIS EPISODE:

Duralast: Duralast Engine Sensors

Forney Industries: Forney Industries Abrasives

Holley: Holley Dual Plane Intake - LS

Permatex: Permatex Blue Threadlocker

Matco Tools: MATCO Tools are the Official Tool Supplier to PowerNation

The Industrial Depot: Tools, Hardware, Shop Supplies

[KayDoubleyouPea]

"All of the factory harnessclips are easy to remove" right as they show footage of his bloody knuckles 😂

[frostbite]

pshh, this is fake. not 1 exhaust manifold bolt broke during disassembly.

[TheArcticWonder]

The most unrealistic part of this is none of those header bolts breaking when you took them off with an impact lol

[EquilibriumAlchemist]

Do it again with a torque wrench, a toolbox, and some sandpaper.

[drummerk]

"Get big power gains on a low cost junkyard ls. All you need are these highly specialized machines that all cost 3 to 10 grand a piece and replace everything that makes getting a junkyard ls appealing"

[PartoftheMadness]

Digging the colour choice, boys. I spent 3 solid years working on nothing but Detroits. Brings back a few memories and a few cuss words.

[demboyz]

“The clips are easy to remove” notice his knuckles are busted and bleeding😂

[nothingaboutme.]

never open up a junkyard LS. You let out the magic.

[Brock_Landers]

I've built many junkyard found engines by hand using nothing but a well calibrated torque wrench, good quality bearings and piston rings, new pumps/gaskets, some Plastigage, and some common sense. You don't necessarily need all of these machine shop tools to rebuild a stock engine, you just need to know what you're doing. For instance, I built a B18B1 (1.8L DOHC non-VTEC Honda engine) and after break-in it put down 409 whp on an eBay GT3582R turbo.

[randomtodd]

Plus ignition system, plus carburetor, plus headers, plus cylinder head machining, plus fluids, plus gaskets, plus sensors, etc, etc,

[sock]

An old machinist told me when you're wanting to get a flat surface with sandpaper like he was doing with the oil pump gear you want to do a figure eight and it makes pressure even on all the sides so it comes out flatter

[mrkeopele]

i had 2001 suburban 4x4 with 236, 000 miles that ran great. when i changed the plugs there were no electrodes left on them and i only had a slight flutter on cold start up, so i can attest to those strong coil packs! great engines for sure. unfortunately someone wanted my truck so it was stolen but, at least they got a smooth running truck!

[tommynunez]

I have a LM4 version of this engine. ( All alumium) in my Envoy XL. The oil pump was going bad so I replaced it with a Melling unit. So far hitting 360, 000 miles and still running.

[Hoggdoc]

Well in your cost rundown you forgot a few things that affected the outcome.

# 1 Carb, # 2 headers, #3 Plug Wires, #4 Electric Water Pump, # 5 All the new sensors, # 6 Cost of Hot Tanking engine block twice, #7 MSD Ign. module.

I see them doing this on all their builds.

[teedubya]

I know my Chevy motors. I’ve owned a 4.8, two 5.3s and a 6.0. Based on that plastic stock cover over the intake (it’s square and the 5.3 is more rounded ) and the fact that it has flat-top pistons, that is a 4.8, NOT a 5.3. The 5.3 did not have flat top pistons. They look absolutely identical on the outside and so does the 6.0. The junkyard could’ve easily made a mistake and told you it was a 5.3. That being said, that makes this video even more impressive to get that power out of a 4.8L 👏👏

[ericczajka]

"This is a low-buck, budget build" ***cuts to scenes using $100k of specialized engine rebuilding tools and machinery***

[EL-tfek]

They left out at least 50% of the cost. I’m pulling my 250k mileage 5.3 from my Silverado to put into my 67’ Biscayne. I’ll probably upgrade it to a 5.4 327 (as long as it’s not dead lol) but finding a budget build is hard. They’re all like this video. I’d like to see them do a true budget build without crazy tools. Just power wash it and change some fluids.

[jakm]

They forgot to say that you have to have 15 pens in your shirt pocket in order to do this build correctly

[northerngrit]

If by "ring squaring tool" you meant "old bare piston" then yes I use one of those

[MrPoorcharlie]

These guys remind me of the guy selling cookware in the back of Walmart.