GM 4.8?

[ZMagic97]

When shopping for my Tahoe around 2003 and 2004 I drove both a 5.3 and a 4.8. To me there was a noticeable difference in the performance which is why I bought a 5.3 version when I found one. She can certainly "scoot" when need be, even being 18 years old.

I hear this from a lot of people. I had a 4.3 Silverado single cab short bed 2WD all stock, and my 06 GMC is a crew cab short bed, 4WD and lifted. The 5.3 outruns it the 4.3 all day.

I also hear most people saying the 4.8 and 5.3 fuel consumption is pretty much exactly the same, so the 5.3 is always preferred.

However, that doesn't mean the 4.8 should be considered a bad engine choice.

 

[hillbillyjake]

Sounds pretty decisive. I think I'm going to pass on this truck. Thanks for the info.

 

[Jacobm]

I blew up a 4L60e behind a 4.8, but I have no idea of its maintenance history prior to my ownership. The 4.8 itself exists in a weird space - not much better mpg, not as much power, and nothing else really differentiates it from the 5.3. The bigger engines have more power earlier in the curve, and since it's essentially just a destroked 5.3 I have no idea why it exists.

 

[ExpoMike]

I blew up a 4L60e behind a 4.8, but I have no idea of its maintenance history prior to my ownership. The 4.8 itself exists in a weird space - not much better mpg, not as much power, and nothing else really differentiates it from the 5.3. The bigger engines have more power earlier in the curve, and since it's essentially just a destroked 5.3 I have no idea why it exists.

The 4.8 existed so GM could upsell someone to a 5.3. All about the $$$$

 

[Jacobm]

The 4.8 existed so GM could upsell someone to a 5.3. All about the $$$$

I was thinking it might be something like that. You see it in a lot of fleet trucks and vans so maybe to give them the illusion of saving money.

That being said I recall someone putting a 4.8 crank in a bored out 6.2L block to build a ridiculously high revving LS, it redlined at 8k or something like that. Not particularly useful for much but a fun experiment I guess.