5.3l chevy to 6.0l chevy

LanceRKeys wrote:
Thanks for your input bionic man. My suburban can't pull 4th (overdrive) on level ground, level ground is 3rd gear, anything more than a slight incline for more than a half mile or so will cause it to shift to second. I wouldn't mind running some higher RPMs if running in the mountains or something, but in the Texas panhandle it seems a little much. I would consider an ecoboost, but have never seen one in my price range ( less than $10,000). I am sure they are out there, just not real common.

I like the full size van idea, but my wife has vetoed that option.

I think I will keep looking for a v10 or 8.1 chevy, sounds like they may do better than the 6.0 or my current 5.3.

My wife did not like the van idea, but now appreciates the van. I also leased an expensive vehicle for her daily driver, and the van is currently a dedicated family/tow/move large stuff (or goats)/many people vehicle. It was also the vehicle that the fourth daughter used when learning to drive.

I looked for the 6.0, with the backup camera and backup assist. It definitely makes it much easier.

Thanks for your input bionic man. My suburban can't pull 4th (overdrive) on level ground, level ground is 3rd gear, anything more than a slight incline for more than a half mile or so will cause it to shift to second. I wouldn't mind running some higher RPMs if running in the mountains or something, but in the Texas panhandle it seems a little much. I would consider an ecoboost, but have never seen one in my price range ( less than $10,000). I am sure they are out there, just not real common.

I like the full size van idea, but my wife has vetoed that option.

I think I will keep looking for a v10 or 8.1 chevy, sounds like they may do better than the 6.0 or my current 5.3.

LanceRKeys wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. I find that my suburban is plenty stable when pulling the trailer, no complaints there. What I have issues with is the need for the suburban to downshift to second for every incline that we come up on. I am considering the 8.1L and the V-10 as well, but it seems there are a lot more 6.0L chevys around. Fuel mileage is not a big concern of mine, this will be a mostly dedicated tow rig, and the suburban gets about 9.5 towing now, so if I get less or more (within reason) I am not concerned.

I have thought about changing the gears on my suburban, 2WD so it wouldn't be expensive and I could do it myself. The concern is that it is my wife's daily driver and I don't want to sacrifice fuel mileage every day so that it does better the few times a year that I do tow.

Above all else, I have been without a truck for two years now and I "need" a truck.

So, is the problem that it has to downshift, or that it has to downshift to 2nd?

If you are concerned with downshifting in general (as some people are), I don't think you will be happy with any naturally aspirated engine. Just the nature of the beast, NA gassers make the most power at the upper end of the RPM range, and they have to downshift to do it.

If it is a matter of going all the way to 2nd, you might be happier with a newer 6 speed/6.0. But maybe not. It is still going to downshift to get you where you need to go. But so are both the 8.1 or the V10.

Point of reference (and I know towing boats isn't exactly the same), but I went from a 2500 Burb with the 8.1 / 4 speed to a 2011 Yukon XL Denali with the 6.2 / 6 speed. Towing my 7000ish pound boat, the 8.1 spent a LOT of time in 3rd, and some time in 2nd. My 6.2 spends most of its time (towing) in 5th. Goes into 4th on almost any hill. Sometimes 3rd. And will go all the way down to 2nd towing up the mountains.

Both the 8.1 and the 6.0 will get worse mileage than your current 5.3 in everyday driving. As will the 6.2, but not as bad.

If you are open to other brands, and your current 1500 series Burb tows your rig stable enough, and an upgraded, bigger RV is not in your immediate future, I think the 3.5 EcoBoost would be worth considering. It would tow much better than the 5.3, be less prone to downshifting, and probably be about the same MPG as what you are currently getting.

I looked at a 6.0, 3500 Express van. They are hard to find. The 4.8 2500 vans are everywhere. In a couple of years I want to move to more power, from the 5.3 burb. The van is a real possibility for me.

My experience, have had:
2000 Chevy 5.3 with 3.42 gears
2002 Chevy 6.0 with 3.73 rear
Current 2009 GMC 6.0 and 3.73 gear

2009 tows circles around the other 2 hands down, even going from the 02 with the older 4 speed to the newer 6 speed and higher hp/Tq numbers has made a real difference. Just my experience, and my opinion is the 6.0 with 6 speeds tows really well. If you want more performance with the newer trucks, look up Blackbear EFI live tuning. Yes this 600.00 service with custom tune to your specifications does make a difference...again my experience cause that's what I have done and very happy.

I am glad that I gave up my truck for my 3500 Express with the 6.0 and 6sp. I paid about half of what a truck would cost. It has the towing capability, and I can easily get 17 mpg for my use. If you do not need 4wd, you may consider a low mileage 3500 Express as an option.

Thanks for all the replies. I find that my suburban is plenty stable when pulling the trailer, no complaints there. What I have issues with is the need for the suburban to downshift to second for every incline that we come up on. I am considering the 8.1L and the V-10 as well, but it seems there are a lot more 6.0L chevys around. Fuel mileage is not a big concern of mine, this will be a mostly dedicated tow rig, and the suburban gets about 9.5 towing now, so if I get less or more (within reason) I am not concerned.

I have thought about changing the gears on my suburban, 2WD so it wouldn't be expensive and I could do it myself. The concern is that it is my wife's daily driver and I don't want to sacrifice fuel mileage every day so that it does better the few times a year that I do tow.

Above all else, I have been without a truck for two years now and I "need" a truck.

I just traded in a 2015 GM 1/2 ton 5.3 for a 2017 3/4 ton with a 6.0. It definitely pulls my #7000 pound TT better than the 5.3 but the power seems to be in the higher RPM range and the gas mileage is significantly worse. I averaged around 9-10 mpg with 5.3 and I average around 7-8 with the 6.0. I feel much more comfortable with the 6.0

Bionic Man wrote:
I'm going to say you will notice very little if any difference in the power of the engine.

Your 2008 5.3 has 315 HP and 338 lb/ft of torque.

A 2010 6.0 has 360 HP and 380 lb/ft of torque.

If power is your main complaint, I think you would be better off looking for a 8.1 (about 2002 - 2006) It would give you 320-340 HP and 440-450 TQ.

Or a Ford V10. Later models delivered 362/450.

The 6.0 isn't a bad engine, I just don't think it will give you much of a boost of noticeable power.

You need to also factor in the transmission and chassis difference. Pulling, the 6.0 is a much better experience than the 5.3.

Power wise, probably not much difference because the 3/4 ton trucks are heavier. However, your 2008 has a 4-spd transmission. If you get a 2007.5+ HD pickup, 2008+ GM 2500 SUV, they will include a 6-spd transmission which will provide significantly better towing experience.