Quote:
Originally Posted by porsche4life
I think it is very similar to the older Vortec V8s.... Dad had on still going strong in a suburban with 200k on the clock...
A V8 is one thing that chevy does very well... The rest of it may be junk but the V8 is good...
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Not even close to the Vortec.... different motor completely. The 5.3 is based on the 'LS' architecture that started with the 1997 Corvette and continues today.
The 5.3 is a great motor and there were running changes over the years that addressed things like piston slap. By 2005 they were fairly mature, having come out in the Silverado in 1999 and the Sub/Tahoe in 2001. By 2007 both the Silverado and Sub/Tahoe had new bodies but same motor with small changes (like Displacement on Demand). I assume you're looking at 05/06 and maybe an 07 'Classic' pickup.
The LS motors are very DIY friendly and rebuilding one isn't much different than it was a few decades ago except there is no distributor shaft to help prime the oil pump, and most bolts are stretch-to-torque and one-time-use.
They go forever if they're maintained.
If you do rebuild it, you can upgrade to nearly any displacement and stay 'small-block' from 4.8L to 7.0L with factory parts or up to 8.0L with aftermarket.