L59 Intake Upgrade ?

[LsHart]

I think this is where to post? So brand new L59 . Tore down and installed Truck Norris stage 3 cam kit with BTR timing and valve train. Looking for an intake upgrade. I have read and watched everything I think on intakes. Mixed reviews. I would like ur opinion. Running stock injectors and intake manifold. Cold air and ofcourse tuned.

 

[LsHart]

2004 chevy tahoe L59 5.3 2WD 3.73 rear gear

 

[Marky Dissod]

A 4.10 rear axle from a Suburban/XL would be a far better bang for the buck.

 

[strutaeng]

Keep your stock intake. No need for anything aftermarket; it already flows great.

TBSS if you want to go with something a bit better but not really necessary.

Why do you "think" you need to upgrade anyways? Have you done a dyno pull and have a HP/TQ curve that shows intake is restrictive, for example? These LS engines ain't some 1950s era SBC technology where you have HAVE to upgrade stuff left and right because factory stuff sucks...

 

[LsHart]

The stock one is ugly and want to go with a bigger throttle body. Not using adapters.

 

[Marky Dissod]

The stock one is
ugly ...

No idea how much 'pretty' is worth as measured by a stopwatch - and why is it that transparent hoods have never caught on?
Let me be clear: I WANT a transparent hood. It'd make all the other underhood stuff a better investment.

... want to go with a bigger throttle body. Not using adapters.

TBSS intake manifold is actually the Gen4 5.3L V8 intake manifold, which may be able to use larger (aftermarket) throttle bodies without adapters ...

 

[LsHart]

No idea how much 'pretty' is worth as measured by a stopwatch - and why is it that transparent hoods have never caught on?
Let me be clear: I WANT a transparent hood. It'd make all the other underhood stuff a better invetment.

TBSS intake manifold is actually the Gen4 5.3L V8 intake manifold, which may be able to make use of larger (aftermarket) throttle bodies without adapters ...

Want to move up to a 90mm, per Ben. Would be a good upgrade. Want to stick with flyby wire too.

 

[LsHart]

A 4.10 rear axle from a Suburban/XL would be a far better bang for the buck.

With gas mileage damn near cut in half.

 

[Marky Dissod]

With gas mileage damn near cut in half.

Highway MpG may take a bit of a hit, especially if you like to cruise over 65MpH (aero drag & resistance go up faster than expected over 65MpH),
but 'damn near cut in half' is an exaggeration. Did your tuner not enable the Australian feature that would preserve some more highway MpG?
If 'damn near cut in half' were close to true, mathematically, GM would've passed on a gas guzzler tax to the buyer.

You may already know that the tow weight ratings improve as the axle gearing goes up; that's cause more gear puts more power to the ground.
You may also know that the 6L80 8L90 & 10L80 all share FAR more assertive initial gearing.
GM added all those extra gears expressly to improve metro/urban & towing MpG.

That cam makes LESS power than stock under 2400RpM, so you may find yourself downshifting to 3rd (or maybe even 2nd?) more often than before.
Even if 4.10 were to penalize your highway MpG, the tradeoff would be that your 4L60E lasts longer before its next rebuild.

For $410 I'd rather swap out my 3.73 for a 4.10. Lucky you, you only have ONE axle to regear. Sadly I need to find front AND rear 4.10 ...

 

[Joseph Garcia]

"With gas mileage damn near cut in half." is a BIG stretch.

I went from 3.42 to 4.10 gears, and I lost only 1 mpg at 70-80 mph cruising. I lost 2 mpg in the city traffic.

 

[Marky Dissod]

"With gas mileage damn near cut in half." is a BIG stretch.
I went from 3.42 to 4.10 gears, and I lost only 1 mpg at 70-80 mph cruising. I lost 2 mpg in the city traffic.

With or without a supercharger?

 

[Joseph Garcia]

With or without a supercharger?

That's WITH the supercharger.

Previously, before the 4.10 gear change, with just the supercharger addition impact, I lost 1 mpg on the highway and 2-3 mpg in the city.

 

[LsHart]

Highway MpG may take a bit of a hit, especially if you like to cruise over 65MpH (aero drag & resistance go up faster than expected over 65MpH),
but 'damn near cut in half' is an exaggeration. Did your tuner not enable the Australian feature that would preserve some more highway MpG?
If 'damn near cut in half' were close to true, mathematically, GM would've passed on a gas guzzler tax to the buyer.

You may already know that the tow weight ratings improve as the axle gearing goes up; that's cause more gear puts more power to the ground.
You may also know that the 6L80 8L90 & 10L80 all share FAR more assertive initial gearing.
GM added all those extra gears expressly to improve metro/urban & towing MpG.

That cam makes LESS power than stock under 2400RpM, so you may find yourself downshifting to 3rd (or maybe even 2nd?) more often than before.
Even if 4.10 were to penalize your highway MpG, the tradeoff would be that your 4L60E lasts longer before its next rebuild.

For $410 I'd rather swap out my 3.73 for a 4.10. Lucky you, you only have ONE axle to regear. Sadly I need to find front AND rear 4.10 ...

Being taken out of context. Not literally! This is a daily driver. And yes my tuner knows exactly what he is doing. I like my 3.73. Good highway, being to and from work is nothing but highway.

 

[LsHart]

Highway MpG may take a bit of a hit, especially if you like to cruise over 65MpH (aero drag & resistance go up faster than expected over 65MpH),
but 'damn near cut in half' is an exaggeration. Did your tuner not enable the Australian feature that would preserve some more highway MpG?
If 'damn near cut in half' were close to true, mathematically, GM would've passed on a gas guzzler tax to the buyer.

You may already know that the tow weight ratings improve as the axle gearing goes up; that's cause more gear puts more power to the ground.
You may also know that the 6L80 8L90 & 10L80 all share FAR more assertive initial gearing.
GM added all those extra gears expressly to improve metro/urban & towing MpG.

That cam makes LESS power than stock under 2400RpM, so you may find yourself downshifting to 3rd (or maybe even 2nd?) more often than before.
Even if 4.10 were to penalize your highway MpG, the tradeoff would be that your 4L60E lasts longer before its next rebuild.

For $410 I'd rather swap out my 3.73 for a 4.10. Lucky you, you only have ONE axle to regear. Sadly I need to find front AND rear 4.10 ...

And more or less was just getting someone else's opinion. Figured this was a site for ones alike to give opinions and help each other. But could be wrong. Not sure. I am well aware of what I have and was just asking "the group" there opinion.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... just asking "the group" their opinion.

A slight majority of this 'group' would agree with 3.73, or whatever GM OE was for their original vehicle, which might include 3.42, or very rarely 3.23; most of those are not really 'modders', or are 'light modders'.
Most of those think 4.10 is excessively excessive 'cause very few GMT800 suvs ever came with 4.10, and most of those were Suburbans 2500, which are rare here.
(I think / it's true that) 4.10 for most GMT800s would trade a slight highway MpG penalty for significantly longer 4L60E durability.

I'm a former mid-90s LT1 enthusiast since '02 who believes that the only axle gears any LT1 car should ever have come with (B- D- F- & Y- cars), are 3.23 & 3.42.
For GMT800, 3.73 or 4.10, anything less wears the 4L60E down quicker between rebuilds.

 

[LsHart]

I agree, my 4l60E is on its 2nd engine. The second engine is built. And I plan on going 4L80E but for now she will have to do. First engine died around 280,000. That being said, just poking around for opinions and those opinions may lead to other mods.

 

[Doubeleive]

3.73 is snappy enough, I can only speak for myself though with 4.10 it would be a burnout at every light for me I don't go easy on the pedal
you could port the intake and probably get a little sumthin out of it, put some better heads on it, put 3.5" pipe on it.
baby steps....

 

[catalinajack]

A slight majority of this 'group' would agree with 3.73, or whatever GM OE was for their original vehicle, which might include 3.42, or very rarely 3.23; most of those are not really 'modders', or are 'light modders'.
Most of those think 4.10 is excessively excessive 'cause very few GMT800 suvs ever came with 4.10, and most of those were Suburbans 2500, which are rare here.
(I think / it's true that) 4.10 for most GMT800s would trade a slight highway MpG penalty for significantly longer 4L60E durability.

I'm a former mid-90s LT1 enthusiast since '02 who believes that the only axle gears any LT1 car should ever have come with (B- D- F- & Y- cars), are 3.23 & 3.42.
For GMT800, 3.73 or 4.10, anything less wears the 4L60E down quicker between rebuilds.

Interesting that few came with 4.10s. I just bought a 2006 Yukon SLT that came with 4.10s and a G80 locker. Had 175,000 miles but lots of new parts including upper control arms with ball joint, pitman and idler arms, new front brakes and brake lines, plugs and wires. Absolutely pristine leather interior. It needed an instrument cluster and O2 sensors. All in it was $7,500.

 

[Marky Dissod]

just bought a 2006 Yukon SLT that came with 4.10 ...

Short or long wheelbase? Either way, you're a lucky bastaducci. Better gearing is one of the best performance mods in terms of bang-for-da-buck -
although it's not cheap in terms of aftermarket unless you're buying an entire used axle.
Not all, but most of the 4.10 GMT800 suvs were long wheelbase, and obviously most of those were 2500s.

 

[555hp]

I think this is where to post? So brand new L59 . Tore down and installed Truck Norris stage 3 cam kit with BTR timing and valve train. Looking for an intake upgrade. I have read and watched everything I think on intakes. Mixed reviews. I would like ur opinion. Running stock injectors and intake manifold. Cold air and ofcourse tuned.

As a fellow L59 with CA and shortly headers, I'm interested in your thoughts about your cam upgrade. Been looking at that, but most of my driving is sub 3000 rpm which none of the csm upgrades seem to help. I researched ibtakes and the TBSS is the only cost effective upgrade and even then, only benefits at 5000 rpm. Agree that the stock intake is fugly.