Decided to go gas. 8.1 to be exact. 04 model

[Sedgehammer]

Thinking about selling my 16 duramax (can't justify a 35k truck) and fixing up my 01. It's a 6.0. current motor runs well enough, but has 274k on it. I don't want a factory rebuild, as that's only 300 HP. i wood like 450 hpish more. anyone have thoughts on what i should put in?

[btulloh]

LS3.  Pretty easy to find at a junkyard for a decent price.  Probably need to swap the cam, put some headers on.  Might need to make some changes underneath in the exhaust plumbing so you don't have restrictions that rob HP.  Probably change the ECU to something like the Holley Terminator-X to give you some flexibility with the tune. That should get you to 450-500 hp.  Probably should tune it to get the torque in the RPM range you want since you're not racing.  You can also have an economy setting to save you some gas when your just going to get the groceries.

[mike_belben]

Refresh, portwork and turbo on your 6.0.  Make all the power you want.

[btulloh]

How much of the work are you planning to do yourself?

[firefighter ontheside]

I'm so happy me bride got it for me.....   

Does your wife know what you're planning?

[alan gage]

Have you priced this anywhere yet? I haven't done a 6.0 estimate in a while but it's rare that we price out a rebuilt (crate) engine for less than $8k. There's no way we can compete on price by rebuilding it ourselves (not to mention tying up a bay for weeks). For what you're considering I'm guessing you'd be around $12k or higher, which makes a newer $35k truck seem like not such a bad deal.

You'll have a lot harder time finding someone to work on a modified engine too.

Alan

[Southside]

Not to mention going from 300 HP to 450 HP you better plan on doing the transmission at the same time.  What's the next weak link in the drive train after that?  Transfer case?  Rear end? 

[red]

Perhaps you really want more torque than horsepower ?  When I think of more horsepower I think high rpm 1/4 mile racing.  For torque I think pulling power for Towing heavy loads .

[Tacotodd]

Horsepower wins races. Torque moves loads.

That’s a quote that I remember from a LONG time ago. And accurate it is  

[Sedgehammer]

I'm so happy me bride got it for me..... (Image hidden from quote, click to view.) (Image hidden from quote, click to view.) (Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

Does your wife know what you're planning?

Yup. she's onboard. issue is my back and left leg. pain so bad makes me want to puke at times. riding in a car is the hardest thing for me to do. some days it's ok, others i want to claw myself out of the seat. The other issue is with all the pain medicine I'm on I have to have constant caffeine to keep me alert and the moment i set down my body wants to sleep. there are times where my head almost hits the desk where i'm typing a post. if i', moving it's ok

we were going to get a 5th wheel toy hauler, but have decided to get a motorhome. i can drive through the cities and she can drive in the countryside. i can laydown if need be then

@Southside Transmission is fine to about 600 hp. it's the heavy duty one

@btulloh I have a mechanic friend that wood do most of the work as long as not an engine rebuild. good idea on the LS3.....

@red yes, more torque

@alan gage a drop in is about 8k. long block basic about 2.5k

@mike_belben talked about that the other day. been up since 2 this mornin looking at engine prices i forgot about that. good idea, but wood buy a long block

[chevytaHOE5674]

A 6.0 truck only ever came with a 4L80E. Not what I would call "heavy duty" more like adequate for stock power. Jump the power up and hook to a trailer and bye bye transmission. 

You can build a high HP/TQ 6.0l but it will never be like hauling with a diesel. 

[mike_belben]

you can build a 4L80E

[Tacotodd]

Is there someway to put an Allison behind it? Or a stick?

[barbender]

If you're determined, I'm sure where there's a will there's a way. Myself I'd stick with the diesel if you already have it.
  Everytime I think I understand Horsepower and Torque, I read something else that throws a wrench in it...like I just read that when you dyno an engine the dyno is actually measuring torque, which is then numerically converted to hp😬

[mike_belben]

that is true.  horsepower cannot be measured, it is calculated from torque measurement.  i tend to think of HP as a rate of torque production.  

[barbender]

Can't you just chip the 6.0? We have an '03 Suburban that the previous owner chipped the 5.3 in it. I guess I never drove it stock to compare, but that thing has a lot of power!

[barbender]

So, HP is the measurement of the ability to move a determined amount, in a determined amount of time, correct? What about the Kilowatt rating of Euro engines? It gets confusing😊

[snowstorm]

So you are looking at a motor home on a 3500 gm chaise ? You may be hard core gm. But a e450 Ford is a lot more truck. Much bigger. Rear axel . The v10 will have all the power need and then some. It will burn a lot of fuel... they all do

[Sedgehammer]

A 6.0 truck only ever came with a 4L80E. Not what I would call "heavy duty" more like adequate for stock power. Jump the power up and hook to a trailer and bye bye transmission.

You can build a high HP/TQ 6.0l but it will never be like hauling with a diesel.

it'll live well @ 450 hp. i'd not be pulling all day long with it hardly if ever

@snowstorm i am no ford fan. had several. nickels and dimes, nickels and dimes. with that said, yes you are correct a 450 ford is heavier chassis then 3500 the gm. it's like comparing a gm 250 to a ford 350. not radishes to radishes. shove come to push, i'd buy a ford if the price was right and it fit what i wanted

@barbender yes you can, but this motor needs a nap and that'd still be short of what i am wanting. it's tired. yes diesel is better for towing, but i'm usually empty and diesels are extremely expensive to fixate on

@Tacotodd an allison? be spensive, very. a stick, not this life time

[Southside]

So, HP is the measurement of the ability to move a determined amount, in a determined amount of time, correct? What about the Kilowatt rating of Euro engines? It gets confusing😊

Lets not forget about Newton-Meters....  Anyone have a loggers tape marked in Smoots while we are at it?