Soooo what can you do with these 5.3 Trucks?

[PANDA]

04 Tahoe LT 5.3 Flex Fuel AWD

Getting the inch for some more MPG, and maybe some power.

Besides the basic maintenance (already done) what can be done, to get a bit more MPG out of this thing? Its currently stock with a K&N drop in.

I know intake, tune, exhaust, bla bla bla, its a fucking Tahoe. What I can do that wont cost me thousands?

Click to read more...

 

[Frank Dukes]

i picked up a few mpgs on my old 5.3 with a tune.. worth thinking about anyway.

 

[10sec]

$XXX for a tune to pick up 1-2mpg = You'll get rid of it before it ever makes up for the tune $.

Usually when people want to take the approach for better MPG, they don't buy SUV's. Just sayin.

 

[willizm]

Slap a turbo on that bitch and let it eat!

 

[Yaj Yak]

what gearing you got panda?

GQ1 -- AXLE REAR, STD RATIO
GT4 -- AXLE REAR, 3.73 RATIO
GT5 -- AXLE REAR, 4.10 RATIO
GU4 -- AXLE REAR, 3.08 RATIO
GU5 -- AXLE REAR, 3.23 RATIO
GU6 -- AXLE REAR, 3.42 RATIO
G80 -- AXLE REAR, HD locking differential

 

[PANDA]

$XXX for a tune to pick up 1-2mpg = You'll get rid of it before it ever makes up for the tune $.

Usually when people want to take the approach for better MPG, they don't buy SUV's. Just sayin.

Honestly I test drive a Chevy Cruze before I bought this, but didn't want to buy something with less HP then my snowmobile.

 

[PANDA]

what gearing you got panda?

I will have to look.

 

[Yaj Yak]

my burban was no slouch, but it had 4.10 gears but could only get 13.5-14mpg at best.

my sister has an 03 sierra that gets 16.5 typically. don't know what gears it has but it feels quite a bit slower than my burban did

 

[ktraver97ss]

Replace the clutch fan with junkyard LS1 electric fans. Got mine for $100 and Speed installed for pretty cheap while they were doing some exhaust work. Cut the muffler off and dump it after the axle. With the cats, and resonator that was the best my truck has ever sounded. Then get a tune and you are good to go.

 

[daturbosix]

 

[10sec]

Honestly I test drive a Chevy Cruze before I bought this, but didn't want to buy something with less HP then my snowmobile.

Because the way you drive really has a need for more than 20hp? :jerkit:

 

[EmersonHart13]

My Burb rocks in at 9 mpg all day long. I wouldn't mind more power but it costs too much and more mpgs are never going to happen. Kevin had the best bang for your buck upgrade with e Fans. Then a tune, then a bunch of shit that will cost you too much.

 

[PANDA]

my burban was no slouch, but it had 4.10 gears but could only get 13.5-14mpg at best.

my sister has an 03 sierra that gets 16.5 typically. don't know what gears it has but it feels quite a bit slower than my burban did

I get 16mpg pretty much 60% city 40% highway.

Replace the clutch fan with junkyard LS1 electric fans. Got mine for $100 and Speed installed for pretty cheap while they were doing some exhaust work. Cut the muffler off and dump it after the axle. With the cats, and resonator that was the best my truck has ever sounded. Then get a tune and you are good to go.

Can I buy a electric fan new somewhere? Not IN for truck to be loud or sound like Team Octane.

More then I can afford pal

Because the way you drive really has a need for more than 20hp? :jerkit:

Have you ever actually been in a car with me? I don't drive like a tool, but I don't race from light to light either. Not to mention I haven't owned slow shit that you can just race around everywhere. I find these comments odd coming from you since you wont come out to Luke's because its "too far" yet you have those 50mpg hondas.

 

[C.Evans]

You can sell it and buy an f150 ecoboost and get 20 mpg.

 

[1quick]

My trailblazer is quite a bit lighter but I did e-fans made my own intake, had a muffler shop just put a better sounding muffler on and get rid of the resonator, and got a PCM for less tune, 40 psi in the tires, on a trip to Michigan at the end of the summer I got 23mpg up and back, I average 19 around town and country driving

 

[PANDA]

You can sell it and buy an f150 ecoboost and get 20 mpg.

I don't think the additional 20K would be worth it.

My trailblazer is quite a bit lighter but I did e-fans made my own intake, had a muffler shop just put a better sounding muffler on and get rid of the resonator, and got a PCM for less tune, 40 psi in the tires, on a trip to Michigan at the end of the summer I got 23mpg up and back, I average 19 around town and country driving

Pics of intake? What muffler?

 

[Yaj Yak]

My trailblazer is quite a bit lighter but I did e-fans made my own intake, had a muffler shop just put a better sounding muffler on and get rid of the resonator, and got a PCM for less tune, 40 psi in the tires, on a trip to Michigan at the end of the summer I got 23mpg up and back, I average 19 around town and country driving

yeah i want a 5.3 tb for this reason. that's awesome.

 

[1quick]

I don't think the additional 20K would be worth it.



Pics of intake? What muffler?

It was just a turbo flow type off brand I think, I honestly just told the dude to give it a little rumble but I didn't want to notice te exhaust when I was on the interstate, the intake is a 4 inch silicone 90 I ordered off amazon with the maf on the end of it and a 9" k&n come filter, I beleive the e-fans made the biggest difference tho

 

[ktraver97ss]

I doubt you will see any difference from the intake, you can use any new electric pull fans if you want to ball it up. There are also fans from other LS motors that work but I forget which ones. You can buy new LS1 fans from rockauto i bet.

 

[PANDA]

oh its a whole fan deal. I thought it was just wiring. What should one expect with said fans.

 

[EmersonHart13]

E-Fan Install - Chevy Tahoe Forum | GMC Yukon Forum | Tahoe Z71 | Cadillac Escalade - Tahoe Yukon Forum

 

[ktraver97ss]

5-10 hp and 1-2 mpg have been reported along with better throttle response and colder a/c when the sitting in traffic or parked. One guy had a 20hp increase at 3500rpm

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Worth it for less then $100. Nice

 

[EmersonHart13]

There is tons of info about it.

Here is one: Z71Tahoe-Suburban.com (Powered by Invision Power Board)

 

[RICH17]

Efans for sure. You could do some aero mods as well but thats out of your mechanical skill, no offense. A CAI would be better than a HAI I would think. MAybe a better flowing intake manifold form a LSx or something? Throw your HPT on there and lean the bitch out.