Advice on getting more hp/torque out of the engine.

[bshort]

I went with the 6.2, so I don't have to worry about having a slow, weak truck.  

[Jricharc]

I just assumed he meant the old-school 305 and 350 LOL my bad.

[BlancoSilverado]

15 minutes ago, bshort said:

I went with the 6.2, so I don't have to worry about having a slow, weak truck.  

Its funny how the 6.2L can tow only 600lbs than the 5.3L. But if you ever tow anything near those numbers then the 6.2L would probably feel better, with the extra weight of the motor and trans. 

[Donstar]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Floyd said:

So for you guys that have been with GM for awhile what makes you pick the 5.3 over the 5.7 and 5.0? Just curious. Has the 5.3 been that reliable? 

I chose the 5.3 in 2009 for the same reason that you did in 2019.  It was what was under the hood in a well priced, well equipped Sierra Crew Cab.  The differences in the 5.0 or 5.7 are insignificant, imo, and didn't have any influence over my choosing GM over Ford or RAM.   Enjoy your new truck.  It has ample power as it is and adding more horsepower will not improve the function or appearance.  

[Jonathan Floyd]

50 minutes ago, Donstar said:

I chose the 5.3 in 2009 for the same reason that you did in 2019.  It was what was under the hood in a well priced, well equipped Sierra Crew Cab.  The differences in the 5.0 or 5.7 are insignificant, imo, and didn't have any influence over my choosing GM over Ford or RAM.   Enjoy your new truck.  It has ample power as it is and adding more horsepower will not improve the function or appearance.  

I’m assuming the 5.3 has been very reliable for you and  met all your needs?

[f8l vnm]

IMO i do believe the 5.3 is the most reliable vs the RAM 5.7 and Ford 5.0 . . Its a solid engine with adequate power .and gets best MPG out of the 3 

Acceleration wise ,. its not quickest . Very lethargic getting up the RPMs 

[swathdiver]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Floyd said:

I’m assuming the 5.3 has been very reliable for you and  met all your needs?

Convert yours to run E85, that's 380 HP on the stock tune, up from 355 on gasolina.

 

Love my 5.3 and its a 2009 as well.  It spins freely and puts down 307 RWHP through the traps in the quarter mile with just a BlackBear tune.  One of the pluses with the "smaller" engine is the longer service life of the engine and transmission because it puts out less horsepower and torque.  Highway mileage is about the same but my city mileage is superior to a 6.2 of the same vintage, enough to keep lots of dollars in my pocket that my wife will quickly find a way to spend!

[RunGMConly]

You could get a 6.2 intake manifold and have it ported, there's a site that sells them, probably 40hp there. Not much of a boost with air intakes as the gm stock ones are already decent, but might make a diff combo'd with that. If you want power, you want a super charger, upgrade to 3" exhaust, delete a muffler and a cat and get some longer headers. Touching the headers will void your powertrain warranty fyi.

[RunGMConly]

Btw pushing over 550-600 horse your going to need to replace some engine components, fuel injectors definitely 

[AJMBLAZER]

Factory exhaust is 2.75” stainless. Not much point in replacing it all for .25” wider pipe. 

[truck_newbie]

On 8/19/2019 at 4:41 PM, bshort said:

I went with the 6.2, so I don't have to worry about having a slow, weak truck.  

No need to rub it in lol. 

[AJMBLAZER]

My truck isn’t slow or weak. It also doesn’t require premium fuel and gets better mpg. 

[truck_newbie]

9 minutes ago, AJMBLAZER said:

My truck isn’t slow or weak. It also doesn’t require premium fuel and gets better mpg. 

The 6.2 recommends premium, does not require it. I put premium in mine but i have tried both and i didn't notice any performance or mpg difference. I would agree with you on mpg. I get 16.5 mpg for 50/50 city and highway driving. 

[bshort]

22 minutes ago, AJMBLAZER said:

My truck isn’t slow or weak. It also doesn’t require premium fuel and gets better mpg. 

Who buys a truck for the mileage?  

[Ozer]

Long term goal: save for a supercharger setup, nothing else you spend money on will get you close to what Forced Induction can.

Short Term: get pedal commander or sprint booster, same thing.. This doesnt add power but makes driving the truck so much more enjoyable. It gives the feeling that you have more power. Get rid of the throttle lag and you get the power with just a small press of the pedal vs mashing it to get there. This in turn makes it feel like its more powerful and a joy to drive. I love mine. Its a divided topic tho, some will argue against it.