Power Modifications to T.V.

[Killo1]

I have my 2003 Suburban Z71 with a 5.3l for my '05 22ft Safari. It tows ok but a few more ft/lbs wouldn't hurt. I would rather have a diesel vehicle but with my new Airstream payment I won't be getting a new truck for a while.

Any upgrades to increase power that anyone here has tried or heard good things about?

Thanks

[Van]

A co-worker of mine installed a different air intake on his V10 F350 and said he noticed a significant increase. I have been considering it for my F150. Around $300. Another thing to consider is getting your "chip" reprogramed. The units that do so run about $450 i think.

[Pahaska]

I replaced the Mass Air sensor in mine and it seemed to help with a bit more power and smoothness under load. I wa towing a 2003 22' International which is about the same weight as your Safari.

I removed the sensor before I traded that truck on my present diesel. I have the sensor, complete with instructions and original packaging if you would be interested, Inertia kept me from doing anything with it up till now. PM me if you might be interested.

[ZoominC6]

Alan,

I'm familiar with Hypertech products. On my previous diesel I installed one size larger tires and needed to reprogram the speedometer so I purchased one of the Hypertech units. It allowed me to increase my horsepower in increments up to 100hp. While I never towed with the increased HP, I was impressed with the capabilities of the unit. It's basically a plug and play computer that plugs right into a port under the dash to the left of your steering column. Look for it and you'll find it right there in plain sight. You can easily bring your vehicle back to factory settings at any time; however, you cannot loan it out to your buddies without taking it back to those settings. I imagine this is as much for copyright protection as much as anything. For more information you may wish to go directly to the source at;

www.hypertech.com

Study their recommendations for towing with the increased HP setup before you purchase and good luck with your choice. The purchase price is rather steep at somewhere around $400 if I recall correctly.

[scottanlily]

you can also get a JET PERFORMANCE module which plugs into the PCM ,power train control module ,or computer located on the drivers side engine compartment under a plastic cover down low towards the front close to the radiator.The JET module plugs in between the PCM and the harness plug .They work good,but not a huge improvement as limitations in the programming of the PCM limit what they can do .Usually ,that modification with the airfilter / fresh air conversion and a cat back low restriction exhaust
combined definatley can help.Headers will add noise and the stock exhaust manifolds flow pretty good already,you want the torque down low for grunt.
Be careful not to over oil a k&n or other brand of cotton gause filter as it will foul the mass air flow sensor sensor wire .This is a fact and it does happen,alot of K&N filters new ,are heavily oiled ,too much as the filter media
should only be pink ,not red ,when oiled properly.The 5.3 is a good engine but you can get only so much out of it ,its only a 327 cid engine.

Scott

[JimGolden]

Kilo,

Look at a bolt on centrifical supercharger. I'm sure that Paxton and Vortech make kits for the new style small block Chevy's. You would want to run a mild boost, like 5-8psi, but that would probably give you 100hp and 100ft-lbs of torque. Superchargers are very good for boosting torque, which is what you'll need for your application. Probably cost you about $3K for a kit.

I had a Thunderbird Super Coupe which had a factory supercharger. It would run about 12psi boost. On a 3.8L V-6, it added about 80hp and 120 ft-lbs of torque. The blown V6 had more power than the 5.0 V8's of the day. It was a quick car.

Anyway, superchargers work well. Easy to hook up and no heat problems. At least not to the degree you'd have with turbochargers.

In case you're not familiar with them, they are both pumps. A gasoline engine is really nothing more than a pump. The more air you can get through it, the more fuel you can get through it, and hence the more power you will make. All a supercharger or turbocharger does is pump more air into the engine. You inject more fuel in to maintain the proper fuel to air ratio. The only difference between the two is that the supercharger is driven by a belt off the crankshaft, whereas the turbocharger has a turbine wheel located in the exhaust stream that is hooked to a short shaft which turns the pump.

[Killo1]

Originally Posted by JimGolden

Kilo,

Look at a bolt on centrifical supercharger. I'm sure that Paxton and Vortech make kits for the new style small block Chevy's. You would want to run a mild boost, like 5-8psi, but that would probably give you 100hp and 100ft-lbs of torque. Superchargers are very good for boosting torque, which is what you'll need for your application. Probably cost you about $3K for a kit.

I had a Thunderbird Super Coupe which had a factory supercharger. It would run about 12psi boost. On a 3.8L V-6, it added about 80hp and 120 ft-lbs of torque. The blown V6 had more power than the 5.0 V8's of the day. It was a quick car.

Anyway, superchargers work well. Easy to hook up and no heat problems. At least not to the degree you'd have with turbochargers.

In case you're not familiar with them, they are both pumps. A gasoline engine is really nothing more than a pump. The more air you can get through it, the more fuel you can get through it, and hence the more power you will make. All a supercharger or turbocharger does is pump more air into the engine. You inject more fuel in to maintain the proper fuel to air ratio. The only difference between the two is that the supercharger is driven by a belt off the crankshaft, whereas the turbocharger has a turbine wheel located in the exhaust stream that is hooked to a short shaft which turns the pump.

Are superchargers rough on the motor? In other words, will the life expectancy of the motor be lessened?

[lewster]

Originally Posted by Killo1

I have my 2003 Suburban Z71 with a 5.3l for my '05 22ft Safari. It tows ok but a few more ft/lbs wouldn't hurt. I would rather have a diesel vehicle but with my new Airstream payment I won't be getting a new truck for a while.

Any upgrades to increase power that anyone here has tried or heard good things about?

Thanks

BANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lewster]

OK,

Having said my one word, I would check out what Gayle Banks Performance has for your motor. They specialize in totally engineered performance enhancement systems. Worth a look!

[uwe]

Originally Posted by Killo1

Are superchargers rough on the motor? In other words, will the life expectancy of the motor be lessened?

Yes, definitely. Most anything that alters the original design of an engine will have repercussions. A mild boost will not ruin your engine immediately, but will put more stress on pistons and rods, also it will raise combustion temp., certainly resulting in a need to run premium fuel.
It's usually a can of worms, where you will need to add an intercooler to bring the air temp down,and then a larger radiator because the intercooler makes heat... you get the idea.
Last but not least, your transmission will not like the extra torque.

[scottanlily]

I agree that the supercharger will put the screws to it ! I agree also that the internal stress will be a detriment to engine life no doubt about it .It is only a 327 cid ,not very big .Cubes are really what is needed ,but in time .Gayle Banks kits are great but usually for diesel and 454 motorhomes ,so not sure there.The power chips and subtle modifications are really all you can do and keep it reliable . The rear ends on those trucks are not very strong if yours is a half ton ,so be careful ,I have replaced a few due to the differential carrier self destructing .Remember that it is ok to go slower up the grades even when the f250 powerstrokes blow by .My travelall is built to tow ,has a 392 cid engine and its no rocket up the passes with my 60 trdwnd either ,but I would not trade it for any new truck ,but Im partial to vintage trailers ,tow vehicals ,antiques etc.

Good trailering

Scott

[markjoandall]

I had almost the same questions and concerns you do about the 5.3. I went a different route and am very pleased with the results. I changed out the rear end to a 4:10. The increase in power and pulling is amazing. I have towed my trailer across the country twice now and am very pleased with the results. The sweet spot is a 62 mph in OD. The tranny doesn't do alot of seeking and in climbing situations, I peg the tack at 2800 rpm and the temp guage never moves. This is even when the outside temp is over 110 and the air conditioning is on.

Mark

[Killo1]

Originally Posted by markjoandall

I had almost the same questions and concerns you do about the 5.3. I went a different route and am very pleased with the results. I changed out the rear end to a 4:10. The increase in power and pulling is amazing. I have towed my trailer across the country twice now and am very pleased with the results. The sweet spot is a 62 mph in OD. The tranny doesn't do alot of seeking and in climbing situations, I peg the tack at 2800 rpm and the temp guage never moves. This is even when the outside temp is over 110 and the air conditioning is on.

Mark

What did that cost you? How did it effect gas mileage while towing?

Thanks

[markjoandall]

Originally Posted by Killo1

What did that cost you? How did it effect gas mileage while towing?

Thanks

I bought the ring and pinion from Randy's ring and pinion off the internet. I don't remember exactly the cost, you can call them for the price. I got the complete kit with bearings and seals. I also had to purchase a device that changes the computer chip to recognize the 4:10 gears for the transmission shift points and the speedometer. The cost to install the new ring and pinion was about $350 at my local auto repair shop. You need to find someone that is knowledgeable in the rear end.

I have about 60,000 mile on the new ring and pinion and all works fine. I have over 130,000 on the tv and it's still running strong. I have over 30,000 towing the trailer.

At 62mph I get a solid 11.5 mpg. If it's really flat I get 12.

Good luck

Mark

[scottanlily]

I totally agree about the 4:10 gear .My travelall has those gears from the factory .I did forget to mention that as I noted about the diff breakage that changing to the 4:10 ratio will in fact help more than anything else .The gearing will do the work and the engine will be under less strain .Remember that if your suburban is 4 wheel drive ,you will have to change the front differential gears also . They have to be the same.

Scott