5.3 Vs 5.3 Flex Fuel

[crepitus]

I was starting to looking into trading my 06 in on a new truck if the new incentives that come out this week are good. I found an 08 SLE1 with a NFL package. 20" rims (which I am up in the air about...like the look probably stink in the snow) and the 5.3 Flex fuel motor. I know it will burn the E85 which I have never seen available in my state or any state around me.

 

Should I try to just find a truck with a regular 5.3 motor or is there no big deal having the flex fuel version?

[Paul58]

I was starting to looking into trading my 06 in on a new truck if the new incentives that come out this week are good. I found an 08 SLE1 with a NFL package. 20" rims (which I am up in the air about...like the look probably stink in the snow) and the 5.3 Flex fuel motor. I know it will burn the E85 which I have never seen available in my state or any state around me.

 

Should I try to just find a truck with a regular 5.3 motor or is there no big deal having the flex fuel version?

 

Flex Fuel just gives you another alternative fuel source, other than that I doubt you'll ever know the difference! I had a 2003 Ford Explorer that was Flex Fuel, it never saw a drop of E-85 the entire time I had it, can't say I missed it either!

 

My questions is: Is there an advantage of having the iron block over the aluminum block, or vice versa? It appears both are available as Flex Fuel or just gasoline. Not sure why GM needs four 5.3L V8 engine varients available in the same truck, other than to confuse the consumer!

[66nova]

I was starting to looking into trading my 06 in on a new truck if the new incentives that come out this week are good. I found an 08 SLE1 with a NFL package. 20" rims (which I am up in the air about...like the look probably stink in the snow) and the 5.3 Flex fuel motor. I know it will burn the E85 which I have never seen available in my state or any state around me.

 

Should I try to just find a truck with a regular 5.3 motor or is there no big deal having the flex fuel version?

 

 

I personally would not be too concerned with the flex fuel. If you find a truck that has it and it has everything else you want great, but on the other hand you find a truck that has everything else you want and doesn't have that flex fuel, don't worry about it. Especially if it is not easily available.

 

My personal opinion is that E85 is short lived. It is not the answer to our environmental problems and it is not nearly as efficient as Gasoline. Your mileage will drop by about a third when you run it and it is not that much cheaper.

 

JMO, I'm sure this could start a great debate, but E85 isn't where it's at.

[jphaase]

Flex Fuel just gives you another alternative fuel source, other than that I doubt you'll ever know the difference! I had a 2003 Ford Explorer that was Flex Fuel, it never saw a drop of E-85 the entire time I had it, can't say I missed it either!

 

My questions is: Is there an advantage of having the iron block over the aluminum block, or vice versa? It appears both are available as Flex Fuel or just gasoline. Not sure why GM needs four 5.3L V8 engine varients available in the same truck, other than to confuse the consumer!

 

Only advantage is weight. The aluminum block 5.3 is only available for the 4wd EC and CC models instead of the iron block IIRC.

[crepitus]

I was starting to looking into trading my 06 in on a new truck if the new incentives that come out this week are good. I found an 08 SLE1 with a NFL package. 20" rims (which I am up in the air about...like the look probably stink in the snow) and the 5.3 Flex fuel motor. I know it will burn the E85 which I have never seen available in my state or any state around me.

 

Should I try to just find a truck with a regular 5.3 motor or is there no big deal having the flex fuel version?

 

Flex Fuel just gives you another alternative fuel source, other than that I doubt you'll ever know the difference! I had a 2003 Ford Explorer that was Flex Fuel, it never saw a drop of E-85 the entire time I had it, can't say I missed it either!

 

My questions is: Is there an advantage of having the iron block over the aluminum block, or vice versa? It appears both are available as Flex Fuel or just gasoline. Not sure why GM needs four 5.3L V8 engine varients available in the same truck, other than to confuse the consumer!

 

 

another good question. right now i have the all aluminum 5.3. Do they still offewr this and in what version? Flex? Standard?

[Bowtie2Sierra]

JMO, I'm sure this could start a great debate, but E85 isn't where it's at.

 

I agree 110%....E85 is a joke for an alternative fuel.

 

I don't think it matters either way though between the flex fuel 5.3 or regular 5.3 as far as performance/reliablity if you burn nothing but regualar fuel. Buy the truck that has the options you are after and be indifferent to the engine if you have no plans of burning E85.

[crepitus]

Paul. Nice looking truck. The one i am looking at is identical. I see you pull a travel trailer. what motor do you have and how big is your trailer? I am looking at getting one next year.

[VMax2007]

No personal experience with E85, so I have no opinion on it. However, a buddy of mine's old man has a 2007 Suburban with the 5.3 E85 and he swears by it. It is all he has ever run in it and he is averaging 13 MPG. Mixed driving I assume? He says it does pay off slightly for him.

 

All I can say, is the one time I rode in it, he stomped on it and it had VERY impressive power.

[Paul58]

Paul. Nice looking truck. The one i am looking at is identical. I see you pull a travel trailer. what motor do you have and how big is your trailer? I am looking at getting one next year.

 

Thanks!!! I have the 5.3L Iron Block V8, and pull a 29' TT that weighs just shy of 7700 lbs loaded. I have swapped my rear Diff Cover with a high capacity finned cover and filled it with Synthic differential oil to help it run cooler when towing. I've also added 3K SuperSprings, so towing capcity is almost at 3/4 ton range. I also have the Edge Programmer and run 93 octane in Tow Mode when towing, and it makes a significant difference. The Edge also allows me to monitor Engine Oil Temp, Coolant Temp, and Transmission fluid Temp all on one screen while towing, so I have all the vitals at a glance. It does a good job getting up to speed and maintaining it on the roads around here!

[MS3DALE]

The aluminum block 5.3 is only available for the 4wd EC and CC models instead of the iron block IIRC.

 

The aluminum 5.3 is only available in the crew-cab,not the extended-cab.

[RyanbabZ71]

E85 is a joke for an alternative fuel.

 

Good dont use it there will be more for me than. I would get the flex fuel option. Reading some things recently it is only a matter of time before some other form of E85 (non-corn based) hits the market and persoanlly I will be ready to use it. I run 100% E85 in my Tahoe and avg around 14 city/highway. It ends up being about 6 cents cheaper a mile than reg gas. not a big savings but the majoirty of the money is going into my neighbors pocket

[Nick The Great]

E85 is a joke for an alternative fuel.

 

Good dont use it there will be more for me than. I would get the flex fuel option. Reading some things recently it is only a matter of time before some other form of E85 (non-corn based) hits the market and persoanlly I will be ready to use it. I run 100% E85 in my Tahoe and avg around 14 city/highway. It ends up being about 6 cents cheaper a mile than reg gas. not a big savings but the majoirty of the money is going into my neighbors pocket

 

 

Aye.

 

Until last week, we hadn't run anything BUT E85 in my truck and her Impala. We took a trip down from Des Moines to St Louis. I filled up in Des Moines with E85 and set the cruise at 80mph. When we filled out outside of STL, we got 22.9 mpg. On the way home, we filled up with E0, 87 octane. 80 mph cruise, we got 29 mpg.

 

Regular gas is at 3.559, with E10 at 3.439. E85 is 2.799. Her car with E85 is 0.122227 $/mi and with E0 is 0.122724 $/mi. It is 0.000497 $/mi difference. Or in other words, $7.50 yearly savings (cost for E85)

 

My truck'll get ~11 E85, 100% city driving and ~13.5 E10. Again, that is almost exactly breaking even.

 

To be fair, for the same octane content, I should test "Premium" gasoline, but I don't feel like doing that. I believe that would sway the E85 costs in its favor.

[c4cruiser]

I'm still thinking hard about a new Silverado and while I have no preferences between the gas or E85 motors, I won't be getting a truck that has that motor.

 

The biggest reason is that E85 is not readily available in WA. There are only 6 stations in the entire state that have E85 and only 1 in Western Washington in a city that is 65 miles away from me.

 

Hell, even biodiesel is not that easy to find locally, and it usually runs about 50 cents a gallon more than #2 road diesel.

[Bowtie2Sierra]

E85 is heavily subsidized by the government and still only results in minimal savings (if any) to the consumer. Once those subsidies come to an end (and they will), the price of E85 will skyrocket.

 

In all fairness, I have only filled up with E85 twice during a trip through Kansas. However, in my case, it actually cost me a couple bucks as E85 was only about 27 cents cheaper than 87 at the time. I could not tell a noticeable difference in the performance either. I found it a huge disappointment...especially after listening to all the hype a while back about corn-based E85 being the fuel of the future. Give me break...