Why do people say the 5.3 Vortec is slow?

[RST Dana]

The other night I was next to some jelly bean shaped SUV at a light to get onto the highway. Light turned green and we began to move, the jelly bean SUV starts to get ahead as he is on the inside of the turn onto the ramp. I give her a little more gas and the transmission startled me when she shifted to 1st gear, lifted the front end up into the air and I mashed the throttle and passed that jelly bean SUV like he was sitting still. The truck was heading north of 80 before I knew it and eased off the gas upon entering the highway with the jelly bean SUV way back there somewhere in the distance.

Still stock with a BlackBear tune.

I have to ask. Who makes said jelly bean suv?

 

[swathdiver]

I have to ask. Who makes said jelly bean suv?

I was thinking of the Ford Edge but think the actual vehicle might have been a Mitsubishi but didn't pay it much mind.

 

[bottomline2000]

The other night I was next to some jelly bean shaped SUV at a light to get onto the highway. Light turned green and we began to move, the jelly bean SUV starts to get ahead as he is on the inside of the turn onto the ramp. I give her a little more gas and the transmission startled me when she shifted to 1st gear, lifted the front end up into the air and I mashed the throttle and passed that jelly bean SUV like he was sitting still. The truck was heading north of 80 before I knew it and eased off the gas upon entering the highway with the jelly bean SUV way back there somewhere in the distance.

Still stock with a BlackBear tune.

Yeah I've given a few new Ford trucks and Dodge trucks the blues with mine, but it's slightly modified with the 5.3s big brother. Nothing like a big rimmed, heavier truck walking out your life lol..once I throw some boost at it it's game over.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[SnowDrifter]

Iunno. I've always felt the 5.3 is a bit of a slug. Fine for around town but it struggles on the freeway moving a 5500lb barn. Coming off a stop can be a bit rough too since first gear is so darn tall

 

[swathdiver]

Coming off a stop can be a bit rough too since first gear is so darn tall

4-Speed?

 

[BarryVanHook]

I have the 5.3 in my 06 Silverado, the wife's 13 Yukon, and our '49 Chevy fleet line. The slowest is the Yukon, but also the heaviest, and with a 3.08 gear, is to be expected. And my 49 will spank the ass of most 6.0's and 6.2's.

 

[SnowDrifter]

4-Speed?

Yeah

 

[swathdiver]

Yeah

It's nice having that 4.03 first gear in the six-speed. The 8 and 10-speeds are even steeper.

 

[BG1988]

I used to have a ‘05 Ram w/ the 5.7 hemi, so I assume it has similar “get up and go.” My point is, that I don’t think the 5.3 is a slouch like everyone says it is.

better then a v6 or I4 like the GMC terrain has...

I used my uncles silverado with v6 pickup it could not even go faster then 65MPH even with peddle to the FLOOR...
now with the v8 4.8 or 5.3 this is a non issue... (I had a silverado with a 4.8l before with 8 foot bed and a full 34 gallon tank(got GOOD mileage averaged 23MPG 100% HYW

(I cheated by drafting behind a 18wheeler)..

CITY MPG was 18) and used my grandpa 5.3l silverado ) that sucker barely got 5-11mpg in the city..

 

[BG1988]

In this instance, the LQ4 makes about 40 more horsepower than the LM7 in the Tahoe which weighs 500-600 pounds less. They are probably geared differently so it's not surprising that they would feel the same.

But if it had a 6.2 with 80+ more horsepower, you'd know it no matter the weight!

still gotta use premium fuel or E85

30% E85 and 70% 87octane will balance things out for MAX MPG and max POWER

this will be the cheapest way to fill it up and still have higher octane with MAX MPG

 

[mikeyss]

still gotta use premium fuel or E85

30% E85 and 70% 87octane will balance things out for MAX MPG and max POWER

this will be the cheapest way to fill it up and still have higher octane with MAX MPG

Are you sure? I'm definitely not being a smart ass here, but I haven't heard of doing this, and it seems interesting. In my L9H I only use premium or E85, I don't mix them. Even when I change from one or the other, I run the tank down to the low fuel warning and the fuel gauge needle is starting to dip below the empty line. The gas station that I get E85 at is 3 miles away from my house so I never worry about running totally out of gas.

 

[Fless]

As long as you have a Flex Fuel vehicle you can mix any combination of E85, E10, or ethanol-free gas.

 

[Ilikemtb999]

I went from a nnbs 6.0 Sierra with 357hp to a nnbs 5.3 Tahoe with 320hp and there’s a noticeable difference in power and acceleration even with the large weight difference. The Tahoe just seems like it falls on its face quickly where as the Sierra would downshift and pull hard.

I ordered some go faster parts for the Tahoe to hopefully get that feeling back.

 

[swathdiver]

still gotta use premium fuel or E85

30% E85 and 70% 87octane will balance things out for MAX MPG and max POWER

this will be the cheapest way to fill it up and still have higher octane with MAX MPG

If that kind of fuel is accessible where you are. I'm seeing E15 at some more stations but only eight in the county offer E85. Burning E85 delivers about 3 mpg less compared with 93 for city and highway. I also calculate GPH and it burns one half gallon more fuel per hour, 2.5 vs 2.0.

 

[OneofFew]

IDK what some of you guys are on about. I have driven all sorts of performance cars, trucks and everything in between in a 20 year career as a professional driver. For its weight, a Tahoe with the 5.3 is pretty darn nimble.

 

[S33k3r]

I went from a nnbs 6.0 Sierra with 357hp to a nnbs 5.3 Tahoe with 320hp and there’s a noticeable difference in power and acceleration even with the large weight difference. The Tahoe just seems like it falls on its face quickly where as the Sierra would downshift and pull hard.

I ordered some go faster parts for the Tahoe to hopefully get that feeling back.

I've always heard the adage that "horsepower sells cars but torque moves them." Might be interesting to look at the power curves of the 5.3 vs. the 6.0. That said, I am way too lazy to Google them at this point.

 

[S33k3r]

IDK what some of you guys are on about. I have driven all sorts of performance cars, trucks and everything in between in a 20 year career as a professional driver. For its weight, a Tahoe with the 5.3 is pretty darn nimble.

Yeah, that's pretty much where I am.

 

[swathdiver]

I've always heard the adage that "horsepower sells cars but torque moves them." Might be interesting to look at the power curves of the 5.3 vs. the 6.0. That said, I am way too lazy to Google them at this point.

Very similar curves, just more from the bigger motor.

 

[BG1988]

Are you sure? I'm definitely not being a smart ass here, but I haven't heard of doing this, and it seems interesting. In my L9H I only use premium or E85, I don't mix them. Even when I change from one or the other, I run the tank down to the low fuel warning and the fuel gauge needle is starting to dip below the empty line. The gas station that I get E85 at is 3 miles away from my house so I never worry about running totally out of gas.

this will keep the octane high 91 while being the cheapest price the $aveing at the pump as well

flex fuel is HIGHER octane hence being burned faster then say 87, flexfuel engines can output more power then the normal ones.


91 octane will be the best balance between gas mileage, power and costs /.. not if you are getting straight 91/93 which cost more.

this is only recommended if you have flexfuel don't do it on non flex fuel..


It's really bad when you keep switching between the two as the computer will keep needing to adjust for the fuels. that can rob fuel mileage

you can mix them E85 just means you can use upto e85 fuel. it can be E30 E50 etc..


to get the 91 octane it's 3 gallons of e85 for every 10 gallons of 87octane pumped

so every fill up it can save about 9-10$ over getting just 91octane



if you want 93 octane
8.75 gallons e85 to 17.25 gallons of 87 octane
about 53% e85 & 47% 87octane

 

[swathdiver]

It's really bad when you keep switching between the two as the computer will keep needing to adjust for the fuels.

FlexFuel vehicles are always checking the alcohol content and changing fuel tables, regardless of what's being burned for fuel.