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.



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

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.

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]

Originally Posted by Valve Lash

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]

Originally Posted by 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

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/proje...-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

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?