VetteJohn

For years I've pulled an open trailer with a variety of different Vettes on it. My tow vehicle was a '96 Chevy pick-up with a 350 and It would really haul the mail! Last year I traded up to an '05 with the 5.3L and just a couple of months ago got an enclosed 22' trailer.

The bottom line is the 5.3L just doesn't get it done like the 350 did. I've looked at superchargers but don't really need 100+ hp and don't want to spend $5 or $6K. Has anyone pumped up their 5.3L with more conventionly methods? Headers? Cam? Rockers? I feel if I had an additional 50 horses I'd be OK. Any ideas?

John Shiels

that's a big tow for a 5.3 how about gears?

undertaker

I'm gonna agree with that, big part of it on the highway is the damn aerodynamics.......my tahoe with a 502, 4L80E and 4.10 gears isn't a happy camper with my 24 ft enclosed (3500 empty probably 8000 by the time I add up all the crap that ends up in the trailer) I can only imagine how that 5.3 is....gears might help you a bit...

96LT1

The 5.3 with towing package came standard with 3.73s for most years. I'm not sure anything deeper (but still drivable on the highway) is going to do any better.

I'm fighting the same delima ('02 1500 w 5.3) and I pull a couple of hills on a regular basis that are bad enough with a 24' open trailer. I want to get an enclosed trailer but need to resolve the torque (lack of) problem first.

I've been thinking cam and headers but haven't found one with a grind that I like yet.

XPC5R

Find a take out 6.0L to drop in there. The 5.3 electronics will run it with a revised tune, should be a nice torque and power bump. A crate 6.0 LS2 (400hp/400ft/lbs) is no more than the supercharger setups, I bet a crate 6.0 truck motor is not much different in price.

For bolt ons, do the headers, exhaust, and intake (easy to remove later) and see how you like it. Then it's an easy unbolt when you trade for more power later.

wtknght1

Or better yet...rather than fooling with all that bolt on crap that may or may not work and subject you to reliability/warranty issues, trade the thing in on a new diesel that will pull anything you have. The money you spend on the bolt-on stuff could be put into a new vehicle with some serious towing power that you know can haul anything you throw at it!

John Shiels

even a used diesel is great

VetteJohn

To be honest the diesel has been on my short list too. Problem is my new truck is only 16 months old so trading it in I'd take a big hit.

Thanks for all the responses, there are a bunch of good ideas that I'll look at.

VetteJohn

wtknght1

Or you could look at it as though since it's only 16 months old, it's still basically new and you'd get a better deal!

John Shiels

you can always run the numbers on new it doesn't cost a dime. The big three are all looking to sell at the moment. Don't know how much bolt on will actually help in towing situation.

Wicked Weasel

diesel - now that is an idea

c4cruiser

My 99 1500 Silverado with the Z71 came with 4.10's as part of the tow package. The 4.10 gears allow up to 7800 lbs towing weight. You don't so much get extra power but the gears raise the towing capacity over the 3.73

The Tow/Haul button on the shifter helps with heavier loads as it raises the shift points and makes the shifts a bit firmer.

I would think that a good exhaust (headers and free-flowing cat back system) along with a good air intake would help. A custom tune should help too. Cost will be in the $1500-2000 range but it should provide some added HP and most importantly, torque.

Bill Dearborn

I think the problem is the 5.3 doesn't have the same torque curve the 350 had. When I traded my 99 Tahoe in for my 2003 I definitely felt a difference pulling away from a dead stop. Even though the 5.3 had 40 more horsepower than the 350. On the road the 5.3 seems to tow my 16 ft open trailer quite well. With the car on the trailer and a full tire rack my rig goes 5500 lbs. I get up all the steep hills that seem to be in every direction I go and it performs like the 99 once the engine is reved up a little.

The exhaust and air intake will help the engine in the higher rev range but may not help much with the initial pull from a stop. Not sure they will help enough with a closed trailer since I am not sure my 99 Tahoe could have pulled that much weight and aerodynamic drag around. If you want to tow at a lower speed it may work but my experience is if the truck knows the trailer is back there you don't have enough power. I towed my rig with a 91 Olds Bravada with a 4.3 160 horse engine for 6 years. I whipped the hell out of the engine pulling up all those hills I mentioned. Every time it climbed one of the especially steep and long hills it was ***** to the wall in low gear at 25 mph by the time I got to the top. Both the 99 and 03 climbed the same hill in cruise control and crested it at the 65 mph speed limit.

Your best bet may be to go with the diesel it is designed for just what you are doing while gas engine trucks really are not capable of matching the performance.

Bill

Allthrottleandsomebottle

Short of a diesel for the TQ needed to move that weight...........
Is it an Auto??? Mine is
I have a 99' and only a 4.8 at that
It also has the 3.73 & tow package/coolers.
I have put on good set of LT headers (Pacesetter), a good tune, CAI.
It puts out 230 rwhp/250 rwtq
A cam/head package for TQ would be sweet.......and on the list
I only have a few mild hills and a max tow weight of ~5500
May also want to search here for other ideas:
http://www.performancetrucks.net/for...splay.php?f=21

Procrastination Racing

If you want to haul something, you need a TRUCK to haul it. Someone said they have been cruising up the hills and staying at speed. This one will do that and more.

Last summer I was hauling my '68 home and headed south through Mount Eagle, TN. I was running 65 at the bottom in the rain and running 70 at the top.

If you have been to Mount Eagle, you know what that is like.

http://www.geocities.com/twomnj/gmc.htm

Just a clue as to what it will haul. We could set your truck on the bed of mine and take off down the road at 70 mph. Want to try that with setting mine in yours?